UMASS/AMHERST 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 
LIBRARY 


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CARD 


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1337     AGl:    7  4 


PROFESSIONAL  AND  INDUSTRIAL  HISTORY 


OP 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY 


MASSACHUSETTS 


IN    THREE    VOLUMES 


\"  o  u  u  rvi  H  II 


IIUu^tratcD 


THE  BOSTON  HISTORY  COMPANY 
1894 


CONTENTS. 


TRADE,  COMMERCE  AND  NAVIGATION  _._    9 

Hamilton  Andrews  Hill. 

FINANCIAL  HISTORY 164 

Moses  Williams  and  Oskokne  H()\ves,  jk. 

BANKING  IxNSTITUTIONS,   STATE  AND  NATIONAL, . 217 

BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE 375 

Dldley  p.   Bailey. 

SAVINGS  BANKS 398 

TRUST  COMPANIES,     436 

THE  POSTAL  SERVICE,  ___    443 

C.   W.   Ernst. 

BIOGRAPHIES . 505 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Facing  Page 

Ames,  Fkicuekick  L 262 

Bennett,  Joshua 302 

Bi.AKE,  Francis 640 

Blake,  George  Batv TO 

Blood,   Hiram  A 660 

Brewstek,  John 334 

Coiii!,  Samiel  C. 204 

CuMMiNGs,  John 484 

Fay,  Rk  hard  S. 406 

Fiske,  Joseph  N 348 

Galloupe,  Charles  W. 568 

Harris,  Horatio 144 

Hart,  Thomas  N.   498 

Haven,  Franklin 84 

Haynes,  John  C 512 

Howes,  Osborn 454 

Hlnt,  William  P 674 

Jackson,  Henry  C.  582 

Jones,  Frank 644 

Lawrence,  Abbott 24 

Lee,  Henry Frontispiece 

Lewis,  Weston 392 

Little,  James  L. 54 

Lord,  George  C. 220 

Lothroi',  Daniei 320 

Macullar,  Addison 438 

Nickerson,  Joseph 304 


Facing  Page 

Nickerson,  Thomas 234 

Osborne,  Francis  A 526 

Parker,  Charles  W. 554 

Parker,  Henry  G 422 

Pierce,  Henry  L 470 

Pierce,  Samuel  S 188 

Pope,  Albert  A . 540 

Prince,  Frederick  H. ..650 

Randi.e,  John  Witt 376 

Richards,  Calvin  A. 656 

RiNDGE,  Samuel  B.  290 

Rotch,  Benjamin  S. 248 

RoTCH,  Arthur 648 

Sears,  Joshua 128 

vSiMPSON,  Michael  H. 276 

Sinclair,  Charles  A 646 

Snow,  David 174 

Spencer,  Aar<  )N  W 624 

S T( >NE,  Phineas  J. 158 

Thayer,  David 668 

Thayer,  Naihaniel 98 

Walker,  Amasa 38 

Walker,  Theophilus  W 114 

Wellington,  Austin  C.  . . 654 

Whitney,  Henry  M 610 

Worthington,  Roland 596 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


Page 

Ames,  Fredkkick  L.  696 

Bennett,  Josh  la 633 

Blake,  Francis 640 

Blake,  George  Baty 527 

Blood,  Hiram  A. 659 

Brewster,  John 627 

Cobb,  Samuel  C. 533 

CuMMiNGs,  John    . 595 

Fay,  Richard  S. 611 

Fiske,  JosEi'H  X. 590 

Galloui'E,  Charles  W 567 

Harris,  Horatio 550 

Hart,  Thomas  N.  566 

Haven,  Franklin 280 

Havnes,  John  C. 588 

Howes,  Osborn 541 

Hi  NT,  William  P. 675 

Jackson,  Henry  C. 630 

Jones,  Frank 645 

Lawrence,  Abbott 505 

Lee,  Henry' 685 

Lewis.  Weston 596 

Little,  James  L.  , 516 

Lord,  George  C. 606 

LoTHROP,  Daniel 555 

Macullar,  Addison 616 

Nickerson,  Joseph , 694 


Page 

XicKERSON,  Thomas 603 

Osborne,  Francis  A 625 

Parker,  Charles  W. 629 

Parker,  Henry  G 614 

Pierce,  Henry  L 560 

Pierce,  Samuel  S. 599 

Pope,  Albert  A 677 

Prince,  Frederick  H 650 

Randle,  John  Witt 586 

Richards,  Calvin  A. 656 

RiNDGE,  Samuel  B . 670 

Rotch,  Benjamin  S.  609 

Rotch,  Arthur 649 

Sears,  Joshua 523 

Simpson,  Michael  H. 675 

Sinclair,  Charles  A. 647 

Snow,  David 553 

Spencer,  Aaron  W 624 

Stone,  Phineas  J.  551 

Thayer,  David 661 

Thayer,  Nathaniel 512 

Walker,  Amasa 679 

Walker,  Theophilus  W 524 

Wellington,  Austin  C 651 

Whitney,  Henry  M. 635 

Worthington,  Roland 617 


Suffolk  County 


TRADE,  COMMERCE  AND  NAVIGATION. 

By  Hamilton  Andrews  Hill. 

Three  or  four  years  ago  we  chanced  to  see  a  learned  and  elaborate 
work,  "  Bruxelles  a  Travers  les  Ages,"  in  which  the  history  of  Brnssells 
was  traced  and  illustrated  from  the  Silurian  epoch,  through  all  the 
geologic  periods,  to  the  time  when  mammals  and  then  man  appeared 
upon  the  scene,  and  so  on  to  the  present  day.  In  writing  of  the  trade  and 
commerce  of  Boston,  or  of  Suffolk  county,  we  do  not  propose  to  go  back 
to  prehistoric  times;  although,  for  our  narration  to  be  exhaustive,  it 
might  well  include  some  account  of  the  fishes  of  the  tertiary  period.  For 
the  commerce  of  these  shores  had  the  fisheries  as  its  basis,  long  before 
the  arrival  of  Winthrop's  fleet  at  Salem,  or  of  the  Mayfloiocr  at 
Plymouth.  "  The  settlement  of  Massachusetts,"  says  Sabine,  "is  to  be 
traced  directly  to  the  fisheries."  A  Boston  newspaper  writer  in  1779 
gave  this  judgment:  "The  Newfoundland  fishery  is  a  source  of  wealth 
as  valuable  to  us,  as  the  hills  of  Potosi  to  the  Spaniards ;  "  another  writer 
in  a  Boston  newspaper,  soon  after  the  peace  of  1783,  in  a  series  of  arti- 
cles on  American  commerce,  said  that  the  mackerel  fishery  ' '  was  of 
more  value  to  Massachusetts  than  would  be  the  pearl  fisheries  of  Cey- 
lon;  ■'  and  a  writer  in  the  NortJi  American  Reviciv  in  1854  expressed  a 
similar  opinion :  "The  Banks  of  Newfoundland  are,  have  been,  and 
ever  will  be,  worth  as  much  to  the  commercial  world  as  the  valley  of 
the  Sacramento,  or  the  auriferous  quartz  ridges  of  the  .Sierra  Nevada. " 
"The  English  resorted  to  Iceland  for  the  cod  previous  to  the  year  1115, 
but  there  is  no  account  of  their  fishing  at  Newfoundland  prior  to  1517." 
Long  after  this  period  the  foreign  trade  of  England  was  limited  to  the 
Flemish  cities  and  the  fishing  grounds.  In  1(502  Bartholomew  Gosnold 
steered  the  first  direct  voyage  across  the  Atlantic;  he  made  his  landfall 
near  Salem,  and,  striking  across  to  the  opposite  cape,  he  was  surprised 
3 


18  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

at  a  larg'e  catch  of  fish,  and  i^ave  the  now  well-known  name  of  Cape 
Cod  to  the  headland.  He  was  followed,  in  1(J14,  by  the  celebrated  John 
Smith,  who  records  that  he  took  "  forty  thousand  "  fish  which  he  dried, 
and  "  seven  thousand  "  which  he  "  corned  "  or  pickled,  in  the  waters  of 
]\Iaine.  Before  Smith's  visit,  one  or  more  French  vessels  are  known  to 
have  come  to  Massachusetts  Bay  to  trade  for  furs;  in  his  narrative,  he 
says  of  these  pre-Pilgrim  days:  "  Thirty,  forty,  or  fifty  sail  went  yearly 
to  America  only  to  trade  and  fish,  but  nothing  would  be  done  for  a 
plantation  till  about  seven  himdred  of  your  Brownists  of  England, 
Amsterdam,  and  Leyden  went  to  New  Plymouth  ;  whose  humourous 
ignorances  caused  them  for  more  than  a  year  to  endure  a  wonderful 
deal  of  misery  with  an  infinite  patience." 

When  the  Pilgrim  company  was  preparing  to  remove  from  Holland, 
Thomas  Weston  advised  them  to  go  to  that  part  of  America  with  which 
he  was  acquainted,  "as  for  other  reasons,  so  chiefly  for  the  hope  of 
present  [that  is,  immediate]  profit  to  be  made  by  fishing."  Edward 
Winslow  tells  us  of  an  interview  between  King  James  and  certain 
agents,  who  had  been  sent  from  Leyden  to  obtain  his  consent  to  the  re- 
moval to  America.  The  monarch  asked,  "  W^hat  profit  might  arise?" 
He  was  answered  in  a  single  word,  "  Fishing."  Whereupon  James  re- 
plied, "  vSo  God  have  my  soul,  'tis  an  honest  trade;  'twas  the  apostles' 
own  calling."  The  same  purpose  controlled  the  Ma j'JicnL' f ?■  yoyagers 
when  they  had  arrived  at  Cape  Cod.  wSome  were  disposed  to  settle  at 
Cold  Harbor,  between  Truro  and  Wellfleet,  because,  with  other  con- 
siderations, "  it  seemed  to  offer  some  advantages  both  for  the  whale  and 
cod  fishery;"  others  "  insisted  that  they  should  proceed  about  twenty 
leagues  further,  to  a  place  called  Agawam,  a  harbor  which  was  known 
to  fishermen  who  had  been  on  the  coast."  We  are  all  familiar  with  the 
circumstances  which  brought  them  at  length  to  Plymouth.  In  the 
autumn  of  1G21,  Miles  Standish  and  a  party,  with  Squanto  as  a  guide, 
came  into  Boston  harbor  in  a  large  open  sail  boat  or  shallop,  and 
bought  furs  from  some  Indian  women.  They  have  been  called  the 
Argonauts  of  Boston  Bay.  On  their  return  to  Plymouth  they  inade 
report  of  the  pleasant  places  they  had  visited,  and  could  not  help  the 
expression  of  the  wish  that  "they  had  been  there  seated."  In  l(i24 
the  Plymouth  colonists  sent  a  ship  to  England  laden  with  fish,  cured 
with  salt  of  their  own  manufacture,  and  in  the  year  next  following,  two 
others,  with  fish  and  furs. 

Emerson  wrote  in  1801:  "  How  easy  it  is,  after  the  city  is  built,  to 
see  where  it  ought  to  stand!     In  our  beautiful  bay,  with  its  broad  and 


TRADE  AXD   COMMERCE.  19 

deep  waters  covered  with  sails  from  every  port;  with  its  islands  hospit- 
ably shining-  in  the  sun;  with  its  waters  bounded  and  marked  by  light- 
houses, buoys,  and  sea-marks,  every  foot  sounded  and  charted;  with 
its  shores  trending  steadily  from  the  two  arms  which  the  capes  of  Massa- 
chusetts stretch  out  to  sea,  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  bay  where  the 
city  domes  and  spires  sparkle  through  the  haze,  a  good  boatman  can 
easily  find  his  way  for  the  first  time  to  the  vState  House,  and  wonder 
that  Governor  Carver  had  not  better  eyes  than  to  stop  on  Plymouth 
sands.  But  it  took  ten  }'ears  to  find  this  out.  The  colony  of  1()20  had 
landed  at  Plymouth.  It  was  December,  and  the  ground  was  covered 
with  snow.  vSnow  and  moonlight  make  all  places  alike ;  and  the  weari- 
ness of  the  sea,  the  shrinking  from  cold  weather,  and  pangs  of  hunger 
must  ji;stify  them.  But  the  next  colony  planted  itself  at  Salem,  and 
the  next  at  Weymouth,  another  at  Medford,  before  these  men,  instead 
of  jumping  on  to  the  first  land  that  offered,  wisely  judged  that  the  best 
point  for  a  city  was  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  and  islanded  bay,  where  a 
copious  river  entered  it,  and  where  a  bold  shore  was  bounded  by  a 
country  of  rich  undulating  woodland." 

Isaac  Allerton,  who  gave  his  name  to  one  of  the  most  prominent 
points  in  Boston  Harbor,  was  the  prototype  of  many  an  active  and  in- 
telligent merchant  in  later  years,  whose  enterprise  brought  business  to 
these  shores  and  prosperity  to  our  population.  He  owned  vessels,  con- 
ducted a  fishery  at  Marblehead,  made  voyages  to  different  parts  of 
Maine,  established  a  trading  house  far  within  territory  claimed  as 
Acadia,  and  in  Connecticut  received  products  of  the  sea  for  sale  on  a 
share  of  the  profits.  While  devoted  to  trade,  he  was  employed  in  ar- 
ranging the  most  diiftcult  concerns  of  the  colony  both  at  home  and  in 
England.  To  cross  the  ocean  two  and  a  half  centuries  ago  was  a  matter 
of  vast  moment,  but  Allerton  vi.sited  the  country  of  his  birth  no  less 
than  five  times  in  the  brief  space  of  four  years. 

Of  the  settlement  of  Boston  in  the  autumn  of  KiioO  we  shall  not  speak 
particularly.  From  the  first  it  was.  a  centre  of  life;  there  were  no 
drones  in  the  hive;  every  man  as  mechanic,  agriculturist,  mariner, 
tradesman  or  merchant,  contributed  to  the  welfare  of  the  little  com- 
mimity.  In  1031  corn  was  constituted  a  leg-al  tender  at  the  market 
price,  "except  money  or  beaver  be  expressly  named."  In  l(;o2  Bos- 
ton, following  in  the  steps  of  its  English  namesake  in  Lincolnshire, 
became  a  market  town;  it  was  "  ordered  that  there  should  be  a  market 
kept  at  Boston  upon  every  Thursday,  the  fifth  day  of  the  week."     The 


•>()  Si'FfOLK  COUNTY. 

market-place  was  at  the  head  of  what  is  now  State  street,  and  is  cov- 
ered in  part  by  the  Old  vState  House.  The  meeting-house — we  cannot 
say  that  it  overlooked  the  market-place,  it  was  too  lowly  for  that — 
looked  out  upon  it  from  the  south  side.  The  following  restriction  was 
thought  to  be  necessary:  "  No  planter  within  the  limits  of  this  juris- 
diction, returning  for  England,  shall  carry  either  money  or  beaver  with 
him,  without  leave  from  the  governor,  under  pain  of  forfeiting  the 
property."  In  September,  1683,  John  Oldham,  with  three  companions, 
went  b}^  land  to  the  Connecticut  River,  which,  on  his  return,  he  re- 
ported to  be  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  the  Bay.  He  and 
his  party  had  "lodged  at  Indian  towns  all  the  way,"  and  brought  back 
some  beaver,  some  hemp,  which,  they  said,  grew"  there  in  great  abun- 
dance, and  was  much  better  than  the  English,  and  some  black  lead, 
"whereof  the  Indians  told  them  there  was  a  whole  rock."  In  the 
mean  time  a  vessel  of  thirty  tons,  the  Blessing  of  tJic  Bay,  which  Gov- 
ernor Winthrop  had  built  at  Mystic,  where  he  had  a  farm,  Ten  Hills, 
"coasted  Long  Island,  looked  into  the  Connecticut  River,  and  visited 
the  Dutch  settleiuent  at  the  mouth  of  the  Hudson,  where  her  people 
found  a  courteous  reception,  and  bartered  their  cominodities  for  soine 
beaver."  Thus  early  did  the  business  men  of  the  future  port  take  pains 
to  establish  communication  with  places  beyond  the  limits  of  the  colony. 
In  1034  the  freemen  numbered  about  three  hundred  and  fifty.  The 
historian  says:  "They  were  settling  into  such  employments  as  their 
situation  dictated.  They  cultivated  the  ground,  and  took  care  of  herds 
and  flocks.  They  hunted  and  fished  for  a  part  of  their  food.  They 
were  building  houses,  boats,  mills;  enclosing  land  with  fences,  and 
cutting  roads  through  the  forest  to  connect  their  towns.  Their  exports 
of  cured  fish,  furs  and  lumber  bought  them  articles  of  convenience  and 
luxury  in  England,  and  they  were  soon  to  build  ships  to  be  sold 
abroad."  Ten  thousand  bushels  of  corn  were  imported  this  year  from 
Virginia.  The  price  of  this  commodity  had  advanced  to  four  shillings 
and  sixpence  a  bushel,  and  in  the  winter  the  currency  rate  was  fixed  at 
five  shillings.  In  the  summer  of  1035  Governor  Vane  "invited  all  the 
masters  (there  were  then  fifteen  great  ships  in  the  harbor)  to  dinner," 
and  he  arranged  with  them  that  thereafter  vessels  bound  to  Boston 
should  anchor  behnv  the  castle  until  their  friendly  character  could  be 
ascertained;  that  the  magistrates  should  have  the  first  offer  of  com- 
modities which  they  brought;  and  that  their  men  might  not  stay  on 
shore,  except  upon  necessary  business,  after  sunset. 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  21 

The  Rev.  Hugh  Peter  had  come  to  New  England  with  Harry  Vane 
and  John  Winthrop,  jr.,  and  had  been  settled  as  minister  at  Salem. 
His  keen  eye  was  quick  to  see  the  commercial  capabilities  of  the  coun- 
try, and  he  set  himself  to  work  to  develop  them.  He  "went  from 
place  to  place,  laboring-  both  publicly  and  privately  to  raise  up  men  to 
a  public  frame  of  spirit,  and  so  prevailed  as  he  procured  a  good  sum  of 
money  to  be  raised  to  set  on  foot  the  fishing  business,  and  wrote  into 
England  to  raise  as  much  more."  During  his  residence  and  ministry 
Salem  took  the  lead  in  maritime  affairs,  and  claimed  to  become  the 
capital ;  but,  after  his  departure  for  England,  Boston  acquired  the  as- 
cendency, and  was  made  the  seat  of  government. 

In  1030  one  of  Mr.  Cradock's  vessels  "came  from  Bermuda  with  thirty 
thousand  weight  of  potatoes,  and  store  of  oranges  and  limes."  In  the 
spring  of  1038  there  were  fourteen  ships  in  the  Thames  loading  for 
New  England,  among  them  the  Desire,  William  Pierce  master, 
launched  at  Marblehead  two  or  three  years  before.  In  the  month  of 
November,  1039,  a  post-office  for  foreign  correspondence  was  set  up 
in  Boston.  It  was  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Boston  Daily 
Advertiser.  Richard  Fairbanks,  then  the  only  inn-keeper  in  the  town, 
was  postmaster,  and  was  authorized  to  collect  one  penny  (two  cents)  on 
ever}'  letter  delivered  or  received  by  him.  It  was  "provided  that  no 
man  be  compelled  to  bring  his  letters  thither  except  he  please." 

By  an  act  passed  in  1039  for  the  encouragement  of  the  fisheries,  it 
was  provided  that  all  vessels  and  other  propert)^  employed  in  taking, 
curing  and  transporting  fish,  according  to  the  usual  course  of  fishing 
voyages,  should  be  exempt  from  duties  and  public  taxes  for  seven  years ; 
and  that  all  fishermen  during  the  season  for  their  business,  as  well  as 
shipbuilders,  should  be  excused  from  the  performance  of  military  duty. 
The  wisdom  of  this  policy  of  promotion — not  protection — for  ocean 
commerce  soon  became  apparent.  Lechford,  in  his  "  News  from  New 
England"  (printed  in  London  in  10-1:2),  says  that  the  people  were  "set- 
ting on  the  manufacture  of  linen  and  cotton  cloth,  and  the  fi.shing  trade, " 
that  they  were  "building  of  ships,  and  had  a  good  store  of  barks, 
ketches,  lighters,  shallops  and  other  vessels,"  and  that  "they  had 
builded  and  planted  to  admiration  for  the  time."  In  1041  John 
Harrison,  from  Salisbury,  England,  began  to  make  rope  in  Boston. 
Until  then  nearly  every  kind  of  rigging  and  tackle  had  been  brought 
from  England.  The  establishment  of  this  industry  had  a  very  impor- 
tant bearing  on  the  future  shipbuilding  and  shipowning  interests  of  the 


22  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

town.  The  business  went  on  increasing  for  nearly  a  century,  when 
fourteen  extensive  rope- walks  were  in  operation.  In  December,  10-43, 
as  we  learn  from  Winthrop,  five  ships,  three  of  them  built  in  Massa- 
chusetts, carried  "  many  passengers  and  great  store  of  beaver  "  to  Lon- 
don, being  followed  on  their  way  by  "many  prayers  of  the  churches." 
This  return  movement  to  England  was  one  result  of  the  success  of  the 
Puritan  party  there  in  its  struggle  with  Charles  I.  At  the  same  time 
the  emigration  to  New  England  was  suddenly  and  iitterly  suspended ; 
"  the  change  made  all  men  to  stay  in  England  in  expectation  of  a  new 
world."  Parliament  sought  to  promote  the  commercial  as 'well  as 
political  freedom  of  the  country,  and  New  England  was  included  in  its 
legislative  provisions  to  this  end.  A  step  still  in  advance  was  taken, 
says  Palfrey,  in  the  development  of  the  trade  of  Massachusetts  when  a 
Boston  vessel  brought  wines,  pitch,  sugar  and  ginger  froin  Teneriffe  in 
exchange  for  corn;  and  another  yet,  when  the  Trial,  the  first  ship 
built  in  Boston,  being  about  a  hundred  and  sixty  tons,  Mr.  Thomas 
Graves,  "  an  able  and  a  godly  man,  master  of  her,"  carried  a  freight  of 
fish  to  Bilboa,  and  came  hoirte  from  Malaga  in  the  spring  of  1044  "  laden 
with  wine,  fruit,  oil,  iron  and  wool,  which  was  of  great  advantage  to 
the  country,  and  gave  encouragement  to  trade."  In  1045  fishing  ves- 
sels from  Boston  ventured  as  far  as  to  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland. 

In  1044  Winthrop  had  been  succeeded  in  the  governorship  by  John 
Endicott,  partly  from  local  considerations,  a  marked  jealousy  of  the 
growing  town  of  Boston  manifesting  itself  in  Essex  county,  and  partly 
because  of  serious  dissatisfaction  outside  Boston  with  Winthrop's  course 
in  negotiating  with  and  assisting  La  Tour,  one  of  the  governors  of 
Acadia,  who  occupied  a  fortified  position  at  the  mouth  of  the  vSt.  John 
River,  and  who  obtained  large  sums  of  money  and  supplies  from  the 
Boston  merchants,  to  their  subsequent  heavy  loss.  Edward  Gibbons 
and  Thomas  Hawkins  furnished  four  ships  to  him,  the  Scabridgc,  the 
Philip  and  Mar)\  the  Increase  and  the  Greyhound.  We  refer  to  La 
Tour  and  his  negotiations  with  the  authorities  of  Massachusetts  Bay  for 
the  purpose  of  noticing  a  proposal  made  by  him  for  free  trade  between 
his  ports  and  the  ports  of  New  England,  and  for  an  arrangement  by 
which  he  might  import  through  New  England  commodities  from 
Eui-ope.  The  request  for  free  trade  was  complied  \\ith ;  the  other  was 
refused.  After  the  lapse  of  two  centuries,  the  adjacent  colonies  were 
allowed  to  transport  merchandise  from  and  to  Europe  through  New 
England  ports,  and  for  a  few  years,  under  what  is  known  as  the  Rec- 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  23 

iprocity  Treaty  of  1854,  there  was  absolute  free  trade  between  the 
adjacent  colonies  and  this  country  in  the  products  of  the  soil,  the  mine 
and  the  sea. 

In  the  summer  of  H34T,  Governor  Peter  vStuyvesant,  having  arrived  at 
New  York  and  assumed  the  government  there,  sent  his  secretary  to 
Boston  with  letters  to  the  governor,  ' '  with  a  tender  of  all  courtesv  and 
good  correspondence." 

A  few  years  after  this  and  when,  as  Palfrey  says,  England  had  as 
much  business  on  her  hands  as  could  easily  be  managed,  and  when,  if 
she  should  become  rigorous  to  her  distant  children,  they  were  sure  of 
being  welcomed  to  the  protection  of  another  great  Protestant  power — 
the  Dutch — now  preparing  to  contest  with  her  the  empire  of  the  seas, 
"the  Massachusetts  people  ventured  on  what  was  liable  to  be  inter- 
preted as  a  pretension  of  independent  sovereignty.  They  imdertook 
to  coin  money.  The  brisk  trade  with  the  West  Indies  introduced  a 
quantity  of  vSpanish  silver,  and  along  with  it  there  was  much  counter- 
feit coin  brought  into  the  country,  and  much  loss  accruing  in  that  re- 
spect."  By  the  act  of  June  10,  1652,  the  General  Court  established  a 
mint,  and  appointed  as  mintmaster  John  Hull,  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  thoroughly  trusted  men  in  the  colony,  an  excellent  man  of  busi- 
ness, and  an  extensive  shipowner  at  the  time,  but  who  had  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  fortune  as  a  worker  in  the  precious  metals. 

With  Mr.  Hull  was  associated  Robert  Sanderson,  afterward  a  deacon 
in  the  First  Church,  Boston.  They  were  to  receive  "bullion,  plate,  or 
Spanish  coin,"  and  convert  it  "into  twelve-penny,  six-penny,  and  three- 
penn}'  pieces,  which  should  be  for  form  flat,  and  square  on  the  sides, 
and  stamped  on  the  one  side  with  N.  E.  and  on  the  other  side  with 
XI I'',  VP,  and  1 11*^,  according  to  the  value  of  each  piece,  together  with 
a  privy  mark,  which  should  be  appointed  every  three  months  by  the 
governor  and  known  only  to  him  and  the  sworn  officers  of  the  mint." 
The  mintmasters  took  an  oath  that  all  money  coined  by  them  should  be 
"of  the  just  alloy  of  the  English  coin,  that  every  shilling  should  be  of 
due  weight,  namely,  three  penny  troy  weight,  and  all  other  pieces  pro- 
portionately, so  near  as  they  could."  The  charge  for  melting,  refining 
and  coining  was  fixed  at  fifteen  pence  for  every  twenty  shillings.  John 
Hull  made  a  large  sum  of  money  out  of  the  business,  but  he  put  it  to  a 
good  use,  and  it  was  generally  felt  that  his  prosperity  was  well  de- 
served. 


24  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

It  would  seem  that  no  pieces  "  square  on  the  sides  "  were  ever  coined. 
Within  a  few  days  after  the  passage  of  the  order,  a  committee  appoint- 
ed to  oversee  its  execution  "determined  and  declared  that  the  officers 
for  the  minting  of  money  should  coin  all  the  money  that  they  minted 
in  a  round  form."  It  is  said  that  the  earliest  pieces  were  called  in  New 
England  North-Easters.  By  a  second  vote  adopted  in  the  autumn  of 
the  same  3^ear,  "for  the  prevention  of  washing  or  clipping, "  it  was 
ordered  "that  henceforth  all  pieces  (jf  money  coined  as  aforesaid, 
should  have  a  double  ring  on  either  side,  with  this  inscription,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  a  tree  in  the  centre,  on  the  one  side;  and  New  England, 
and  the  year  of  our  Lord,  on  the  other  side."  There  were  as  many  as 
sixteen  different  dies  of  the  second  form  of  the  shilling  piece;  the  coins 
are  commonly  known  as  pine-tree  shillings,  but  there  is  no  legal  au- 
thority for  this,  and  the  rude  form  of  a  tree  on  the  obverse,  taken  from 
the  design  entered  on  the  journals  of  the  Court,  bears  no  special  re- 
semblance to  a  pine.  A  singular  deviation  in  the  legend  should  be 
mentioned :  Masathusets  is  the  uniform  spelling  on  the  face  of  the 
coins.  We  have  seen  this  form  of  spelling  in  documents  of  the  same 
period.  All  the  coins  of  the  various  issues  preserved  the  date  of  the 
year  when  the  mint  was  established,  1G5"2.  This  money  and  sterling 
money  were  declared  to  be  the  only  legal  tender,  after  three  months 
from  the  date  of  the  original  act. 

Fortunately  for  the  colonists,  their  nominal  rulers  beyond  the 
sea  were  too  far  away,  and  too  much  occupied  with  their  owai  more 
immediate  and  pressing  concerns,  to  follow  them  very  closely  in  all 
their  proceedings,  and  to  hold  them  steadily  and  persistently  to  a  strict 
account.  As  one  consequence  of  this  state  of  things,  the  coinage  of 
money  in  Massachusetts  went  on  for  many  years  without  any  serious 
protest  from  England.  Cromwell  took  nc^  notice  of  it  during  the 
period  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  iox  some  time  after  the  restoration 
of  the  monarchy  no  very  pronounced  objection  was  made  to  it.  To 
smooth  matters  over  with  Charles  II,  the  General  Court,  in  1(577, 
ordered  the  shipment  of  a  present  to  him,  consisting  of  "  ten  barrels  of 
cranberries,  two  hogsheads  of  samp,  and  three  thousand  codfish." 
(Hume  says  that  the  usual  oath  of  Charles  was  "Cod's  fish.")  During 
the  administration  of  vSir  Edmund  Andros  endeavors  were  used  to  ob- 
tain the  sanction  of  the  crown  for  the  continued  coinage  of  silver  here, 
in  view  of  the  undoubted  advantage  it  had  brought  to  colonial  interests. 
Finally  the  question  was  referred  to  the  master  of  the  mint  in  London, 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  25 

who,  on  prudential  considerations,  and  not  as  an  encroachment  upon 
the  royal  prerogative,  reported  against  the  local  mint,  and  its  opera- 
tions were  brought  to  a  close. 

After  the  conquest  of  Ireland  by  Cromwell,  the  extraordinary  prop- 
osition was  made  by  him  to  the  people  of  Massachusetts  to  recross  the 
ocean,  and  to  plant  Protestant  civilization  in  the  sister  island.  Writing 
to  the  Protector  upon  this  proposition,  in  behalf  of  the  General  Court, 
Endicott  said  that  they  would  not  "hinder  any  families  or  persons  to 
remove  to  any  parts  of  the  world  where  God  called  them,"  but  that  they 
were  enjoying  health,  plenty,  peace,  the  liberty  and  ordinances  of  the 
gospel,  and  an  opportunity  for  spreading  the  knowledge  of  it  among 
savages,  and  that,  content  with  these  blessings,  they  had  no  desire  to 
change  their  abode.  A  few  years  later,  in  IGoo,  the  Protector  advanced 
another  plan  for  their  emigration  to  Jamaica,  which  then  had  only 
fifteen  hundred  white  population.  He  offered  tempting  inducements 
to  this  end,  and  instructed  Daniel  Gookin,  then  in  London,  to  return 
hcjme  and  urge  them  upon  the  people.  In  an  audience  which  he  gave 
to  John  Leverett,  Cromwell  manifested  a  ver}'  strong  desire  for  the  ex- 
ecution of  this  scheme,  and  said  that  "he  did  apprehend  the  people  of 
New  England  had  as  clear  a  call  to  transport  themselves  from  thence 
to  Jamaica,  as  they  had  from  England  to  New  England,  in  order  to 
their  bettering  their  outward  condition,  God  having  promised  his  peo- 
ple should  be  the  head,  and  not  the  tail."  But  the  Massachusetts  set- 
tlers could  not  be  persuaded  or  tempted  to  change  their  lot  again. 
As  the  historian  says:  "  They  might  well  be  satisfied  with  their  con- 
dition and  their  prospects.  Everything  was  prospering  with  them. 
They  had  established  comfortable  homes,  which  they  felt  strong 
enough  to  defend  against  any  power  but  the  power  of  the  mother 
country;  and  that  was  friendly.  The}'  had  always  the  good  will  of 
Cromwell.  In  relation  to  them  he  allowed  the  navigation  law,  which 
pressed  hard  on  the  Southern  colonies,  to  become  a  dead  letter,  and 
they  received  the  commodities  of  all  nations  free  of  duty,  and  sent  their 
ships  at  will  to  the  ports  of  continental  Europe."  To  the  navigation 
act,  and  to  the  extension  of  the  principle  on  which  it  was  based,  we 
shall  have  occasion  to  refer  again  and  again. 

The  market  place  was  the  centre  of  the  town  life.  Everybody  resorted 
to  it  for  business  and  for  gossip,  and  there  the  rude  punishments  of  the 
time  were  inflicted  upon  recalcitrant  offenders.  The  whipping-post  and 
the  stocks  occupied  prominent  positions  in  the  open  space,  and  danger- 

4 


26  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Otis  and  heretical  books  had  been  burned  there  in  the  presence  of  awe- 
stricken  spectators.     In  1077  a  cage  was  set  tip  there  for  the  confinement 
and  exposure  of  those  who  had  violated  the  laws  relating  to  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Sabbath.      In  1057  it  was  determined  to  build  a  town  house 
and  exchange  on  a  part  of  the  market  place.      Robert  Keayne  had  by 
his  will  left  money  for  the  purpose,  but  the  amount  was  not  sufficient, 
and  a  subscription  paper  was  opened,  which  has  been  preserved  to  the 
present   day.      The   amount  raised   was  ^^ISS.-i,  but  most  of  the  sub- 
scriptions were  payal)lc  in  merchandise.      Hezekiah   Usher  subscribed 
^20,  payable  in  English  goods,  William  Payne,  ^'lo  in  goods  and  pro- 
visions, Richard  Bellingham,  ^10  in  country  pay,  Edward  Tyng,  ^10 
in   corn,   John    Evered,  ^10  in  goods  and  corn,  Peter  Oliver,  ^10  in 
goods  and  provisions,  Theodore  Atkinson,  ^5  in  hats,  John  Hull,  jQh  in 
English   goods,  Samuel   Hutchinson,   ^5  in  wethers.      Thomas  Little 
showed   his  public  spirit   by  putting  his  name   down   for  three  days' 
work.     Only  two  cash  subscriptions  appear  on  the  list :  William  Paddy, 
^12,  and  Henry  Shrimpton,  ,^10.      The  former  had  just  moved  from 
Plymouth,  where  he  had  been  a  deacon  of  the  church,  and  died  before 
the  completion  of  the  building.      Under  a  contract  with  a  committee  of 
the  town,  dated  August  1,  1G07,  Thomas  Joy   and  Bartholomew  Ber- 
nard agreed  to  erect  "  a  very  substantial  and  comely  building  "  of  wood, 
sixty-six  feet  long  by  thirty-six  feet  wide,  "  set  upon  twenty-one  pillars 
of  full  ten  foot  high  between  pedestal  and  capital,  and  well  braced  all 
four  ways,  placed  upon  foundation  of  stones  in  the  bottom.     The  whole 
building  to  jetty  over  three  foot  without  the  pillars  every  way:   the 
height  of  the  said  house  to  be  ten  foot  betwixt  joints  above  the  pillars, 
and  a  half  story  above  that  with  three  gable  ends  over  it  upon  each 
side."     John  Josselyn  mentions  the   "town-house,  built  upon  pillars, 
where  the  merchants  may  confer.      In  the  chambers  above  they  keep 
their  monthly  courts."     The  exchange  was  open   to  the  weather,  but 
it  may  have   been   more   or  less   enclosed  during  the  winter  season. 
Judge   Sewall,   in  his  diary,    describes  the   funeral   of  a  sea  captain, 
Thomas  vSmith,  which  took  place  there,  November  10,  1688,  and  very 
appropriately,  as  it  would  seem,  in  the  presence  of  the  merchants  and 
of  his  seafaring  friends :     ' '  Where  the  corpse  was  set  was  the  room 
Avhere  first  my  father  [in  hiwj   Hull  had  me  to  sec  the  manner  of  the 
merchants,  I  suppose  now  about  twelve  years  ago.      Bearers,  Captain 
Protit,  Fayerweather,  William  Clarke,  Foye,  Tanner,  Legg. "     The  first 
building  was  burned  in  1711;  the  second,  erected  in   1712,  was  badly 


•      TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  -27 

damaged  by  fire  in  1T47,  but  the  outside  walls  survive  in  the  building 
which  we  know  as  the  Old  vState  House,  as  it  now  stands. 

During  the  Civil  War  in  England  a  parliamentary  commission  had 
been  intrusted  with  the  superintendence  of  colonial  affairs.  In  the  first 
year  of  the  Restoration,  this  corn.mission  was  succeeded  b\'  a  Council  of 
Foreign  Plantations,  which  %vas  invested  with  similar  powers.  We 
have  here  the  origin  of  the  English  Board  of  Trade,  which,  for  more 
than  two  hundred  years,  has  been  one  of  the  most  influential  depart- 
ments of  the  imperial  government. 

In  1G(jO  the  Navigation  Act  of  the  Commonwealth  was  made  the 
basis  of  stricter  and  more  exclusive  legislation.  This  act  had  been  con- 
ceived in  a  spirit  of  hostility  to  the  Dutch,  particularly  because  of  their 
refusal  to  enter  into  a  close  alliance  with  England  which  might  have 
led  to  their  political  iniion  with  that  country.  It  provided  that  all  im- 
ports into  England  from  Asia,  Africa  and  America,  should  be  brought 
in  English  ships,  and  from  Europe,  only  in  vessels  of  the  countries  re- 
spectively of  which  the  goods  imported  were  the  growth  or  manu- 
facture. No  salt  fish  could  be  imported,  except  such  as  had  been 
caught  and  cured  by  the  people  of  England ;  nor  exported,  except  in 
English  bottoms.  These  provisions  would  have  worked  most  in- 
juriously against  the  commercial  interests  of  New  England,  if  they 
had  been  adhered  to  rigidly,  but,  as  we  have  said,  Cromwell  had 
allowed  the  law  to  be  a  dead  letter,  so  far  as  they  were  concerned.  But 
the  new  parliament  forbade  the  importation  of  merchandise  into  any 
English  colony,  except  in  English  vessels,  with  English  crews,  and, 
specifying  various  colonial  staples,  it  prohibited  their  exportation  from 
the  place  of  production.  The  penalty  in  both  cases  was  forfeiture  of 
the  vessel  and  cargo.  But,  as  Palfrey  shows,  there  were  articles  of 
New  England  production  which  the  demand  in  England,  whether  for 
consumption  or  for  commerce,  could  not  exhaust;  while  it  concerned 
the  English  merchants  that  the  colonists  should  somehow  obtain  money 
to  pay  for  English  manufactures.  Accordingly,  New  England  vessels 
were  permitted  to  carry  freights  of  lumber,  fish,  etc. ,  to  "  Spain  and 
other  ports, "  and  to  bring  to  England  only  the  proceeds  of  the  sales. 
B}"  further  legislation  in  1663,  the  import  trade  of  the  colonists  was  con- 
fined to  a  direct  commerce  with  the  mother  country,  and  they  were  for- 
bidden to  bring  from  any  other  country,  or  in  any  but  English  ships, 
the  products  not  only  of  England,  biit  of  any  European  soil.  There 
were  certain  exceptions,  however ;  salt  might  be  imported  direct  for  the 


28  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

fisheries,  wines  from  Madeira  and  the  Azores,  and  provisions  from  Scot- 
land and  Ireland. 

The  prevalent  thought  in  the  mother  country  was  that  the  colonists 
should  live  and  labor  with  suprerne  and  constant  reference  to  its  com- 
mercial interests  rather  than  to  their  own.  New  England  was  regarded 
as  a  most  important  source  of  supply  for  shipbuilding  materials,  and  to 
some  extent  for  ships,  and,  through  its  fisheries,  as  a  valuable  nursery 
for  seamen.  But  the  people  of  New  England — we  mean,  of  course, 
those  living  on  the  coast  and  at  the  seaports,  of  whom  the  business  men 
of  Boston  were  the  representatives  and  factors — had  altogether  differ- 
ent ideas.  They  were  already  under  the  influence  of  the  commercial  in- 
stinct, which  was  to  develop  so  wonderfully  in  the  eighteenth,  and 
during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  centuries,  and  they  became,  in- 
evitably, a  shipowning  and  commercial  community.  They  not  only 
chafed  against,  but,  in  effect,  they  nullified,  the  oppressive  legislation 
which  was  intended  to  restrain  and  restrict  their  enterprise ;  and  they 
refused  to  content  themselves  with  the  fvmction  of  .supplying  the  mer- 
chants of  England  with  the  implements  of  ocean  commerce,  and  to 
forego,  on  their  own  part,  all  right  or  opportunity  of  sharing  in  the 
profits  of  trading  voyages.  They  understood  perfectly,  that  to  own 
and  .employ  tonnage  is  vastly  more  remunerative  than  merely  to  con- 
struct it,  and  they  persisted  in  using  for  their  own  benefit  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  shipping  built  here.  It  was  this  that  led  Sir  Josiah 
Child,  a  great  London  merchant,  to  write:  "New  England  is  the 
most  prejudicial  plantation  to  this  kingdom."  And  why?  Because,  he 
said,  "of  all  the  American  plantations,  his  Majesty  has  none  so  apt  for 
building  of  shipping  as  New  England,  nor  any  comparably  so  qualified 
for  the  breeding  of  seamen,  not  only  by  reason  of  the  natural  industry 
of  that  people,  but  principally  by  reason  of  their  cod  and  mackerel  fish- 
eries; and  in  my  poor  opinion,  there  is  nothing  more  prejudicial,  and  in 
prospect  more  dangerous,  to  any  mother  kingdom,  than  the  increase  of 
shipping  in  her  colonies,  plantations  or  provinces. '"  Bacon,  in  one  of 
his  Essays,  had  taken  a  more  just  and  liberal  view,  but  he  wrote  these 
some  time  before  the  settlement  of  Boston,  Salem  or  Plymouth.  His 
judginent  was:  "  Let  there  be  freedom  from  custom,  till  the  planta- 
tion be  of  strength;  and  not  only  freedom  from  custom,  but  freedom  to 
carry  their  commodities  where  they  may  make  the  best  of  them,  except 
there  be  some  special  cause  of  caution." 

vSpeaking  of  the   dealings   of   England    with    her    North    American 
colonies,  Adam  vSmith  says:      "The  first  regulations  which   she   made 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  29 

with  regard  to  them  had  always  in  view  to  secure  to  herself  the  mo- 
nopoh^  of  their  commerce ;  to  confine  their  market,  and  to  enlarge  her 
own  at  their  expense;  and  consequently  rather  to  damp  and  discourage 
than  to  quicken  and  forward  the  course  of  their  prosperity."  This 
policy  he  calls  "  one  of  the  mean  and  malignant  expedients  of  the  '  mer- 
cantile system.' "' 

John  Hull  records  in  his  diary  that  in  1004  one  hundred  sail  of  ships 
came  into  Boston  Harbor,  "our  own  and  strangers,  and  all  loaded 
home."  In  the  same  year  commissioners  arrived  from  England,  with 
large  powers,  who  were  instructed  to  inform  themselves  "  of  the  true 
and  whole  state  "  of  the  several  colonies,  and  to  bring  the  colonists  into 
more  direct  and  dependent  relations  to  the  crown.  Among  other  in- 
formation they  were  to  send  home  a  report  of  the  amount  and  methods 
of  taxation,  and  of  the  amount  of  the  tonnage;  and  they  were  to  take 
care  that  such  orders  were  established  "that  the  Act  of  Navigation 
should  be  punctually  observed. "  We  need  not  relate  at  this  time  the 
long  story  of  the  negotiations  between  the  royal  commissioners  and  the 
authorities  here,  or  show  how  the  former  were  baffled  and  defeated  at 
every  stage.  After  two  years  of  ineffectual  endeavor,  the  commis- 
sioners took  leave  of  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  in  a  com- 
mtmication  in  which  they  said:  "  Since  you  will  needs  misconstrue  all 
these  letters  and  endeavors,  and  that  you  will  make  use  of  that  au- 
thority which  he  hath  given  you  to  oppose  that  sovereignty  which  he 
hath  over  you,  we  shall  not  lose  more  of  our  labors  upon  3-ou,  but  refer 
it  to  his  Majesty's  wisdom,  who  is  of  power  enough  to  make  himself 
to  be  obej'ed  in  all  his  dominions."  The  Court  saw  an  opportunity, 
however,  of  which  it  availed  itself,  to  pacify  the  king,  whom  it  was  in 
the  habit  of  treating  as  a  petted  child.  Palfrey  well  sa3's  of  Charles, 
that  '■  Massachusetts  desired  no  favor  of  him  but  neglect,  and  had  re- 
ceived no  favor  from  him  to  attach  her  by  ties  of  gratitude."  Hull 
records  the  arrival,  August  7,  10(;0,  "of  Captain  Peirce  with  several 
ships  for  masts  for  the  king."  There  was  a  mast  fleet,  whose  regular 
movement  back  and  forth  across  the  Atlantic  is  mentioned  by  Judge 
Sewall  and  others  during  a  period  of  fifty  years  and  more.  At  this 
juncture,  as  Palfrey  points  out,  the  Court  was  disposed  to  lighten  in 
any  proper  way  the  difhcult  task  it  had  assumed,  and  it  took  measures 
for  sending  to  the  king  a  present  of  masts  for  the  use  of  the  royal  navy. 
"It  cost  the  colony  nearly  two  thousand  pounds,  and  was  very  grate- 
fully received  in   England,  being  so  seasonable  that  it  was  afterwards 


30  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

thoi^g-ht  to  have  materially  contributed  to  the  favorable  issue  of  the 
existing  war  with  France."  Pepys  writes,  December  3,  1666:  "  There 
is  also  the  very  good  news  of  four  New  England  ships  come  home  safe 
to  Falmouth  with  masts  for  the  king ;  which  is  a  blessing  mighty  un- 
expected, and  without  which,  if  for  n(^thing  else,  we  must  have  failed 
the  next  year." 

In  1672  arrangements  were  made  for  a  mail  to  leave  New  York  for 
Boston  on  the  first  Monday  of  every  month. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  16T-lr,  an  Order  in  Council  cancelled  the  order 
adopted  thirteen  years  before,  by  which  vessels  from  New  England 
were  permitted  to  carry  cargoes  to  continental  ports  and  bring  the  pro- 
ceeds of  their  sale  to  England.  The  Rev.  John  Collins  wrote  to 
Governor  Leverett  at  this  time:  "  I  hear  that  the  king  is  offended  that 
some  of  your  ships  take  in  their  lading  from  Virginia,  and  go  to  France 
and  defraud  his  customs,  as  also  from  other  plantations."  During  the 
next  few  years  the  business  men  of  Boston  suffered  not  only  from  the 
restrictions  which  the  home  government  sought  to  place  upon  their 
foreign  commerce,  but  from  two  destructive  fires,  and  froin  the  severe 
struggle  known  in  our  history  as  Philip's  War.  For  this  war  Massa- 
chusetts showed  an  outlay  of  ^46,292,  and  the  assessment  on  property 
in  one  year  was  one  shilling  and  four  pence  in  the  pound,  or  nearly 
seven  per  cent,  on  the  valuation. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  Kh  (i,  Edward  Randolph  for  the  first  time 
appeared  upon  the  scene,  as  an  agent  of  the  crown  to  inquire  into  and 
report  upon  the  various  complaints  which  had  been  brought  against 
the  colonists.  We  have  to  do  only  with  those  which  related  to  their 
commerce.  After  having  been  officially  received  at  the  Council  Cham- 
ber, Randolph  called  on  the  governor  at  his  house  and  formally  com- 
plained of  the  infractions  of  the  Act  of  Navigation,  which,  during  the 
few  days  which  had  passed  since  his  arrival,  had  come  under  his  notice. 
He  had  seen  "several  ships  that  were  arrived  at  Boston,  some  since 
his  being  there,  from  Spain,  France,  vStraits,  Canaries,  and  other  parts 
of  Europe."  He  obtained  little  satisfaction  from  the  authorities,  and 
after  a  stay  of  two  months  he  returned  to  England  and  made  a  report 
of  what  he  had  seen  and  heard.  From  this  report  we  gather  informa- 
tion, approximately  correct,  no  doubt,  relating  to  the  shipping  and 
shipbuilding  enterprise  of  the  people  at  the  time  of  which  he  wrote. 
He  gave  his  attention  almo.st  entirely  to  the  colony  "  commonly  called 
the  coi-poration  of  Boston,"  which  at  the  present  time,  he  said,  "gives 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  31 

laws  to  a  great  part  of  this' country. "  According  to  his  statement,  the 
people  of  Massachusetts  (represented  largely  by  the  people  of  Boston) 
imported  the  products  of  other  colonies,  both  for  home  consumption 
and  for  shipment  "to  other  parts."  They  had  commerce  with  "most 
parts  of  Europe,  as  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  Spain,  Portugal,  France, 
Holland,  Canaries  and  the  Hanse  Towns,  carrying  to  each  place  such 
commodities  as  were  vendible,  either  of  their  own  growth  and  manu- 
facture or  those  of  the  other  plantations,  and  making  their  returns  in 
such  goods  as  were  necessary  and  vendible  either  in  New  England  or 
in  any  other  of  his  Majesty's  dominions  in  America;  as  brandy,  Canary, 
Spanish  and  French  wines,  bullion,  salt,  fruits,  oils,  silks,  laces,  linen 
of  all  sorts,  cloths,  serges,  bays,  kerseys,  stockings,  and  many  other 
cominodities. "  Some  vessels  had  been  sent  as  far  as  "to  Guinea, 
Madagascar,  and  those  coasts,  and  some  to  Scanderoon,  laden  with 
masts  and  yards  for  ships."  Boston  was  "the  mart  town  of  the  West 
Indies."  There  was  "  no  notice  taken  of  the  Act  of  Navigation,  plant- 
ation, or  any  other  laws  made  in  England  for  the  regulation  of  trade." 
Of  vessels  "built  in  and  belonging  to  that  jurisdiction,"  there  were 
thirty  measuring  between  one  hundred  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons, 
besides  seven  hundred  of  smaller  size.  There  were  also  "  several  ves- 
sels yearly  built  there  and  sold  in  England  and  other  parts."  "Good 
ships  were  built  for  four  pounds  the  ton." 

The  importance  of  the  royal  navy,  and  of  New  England  as  producing 
timber  and  naval  stores  for  its  use,  is  brought  out  in  this  report :  ' '  The 
commodities  of  the  production,  growth  and  manufacture  of  New  Eng- 
land are  all  things  necessary  for  shipping  and  naval  furniture  in  great 
abundance,  as  excellent  oak,  elm,  beech,  fir,  pine  for  masts  the  best  in 
the  world,  pitch,  tar,  hemp,  and  iron  not  inferior  to  that  of  Bilboa, 
clapboards,  pipe-staves,  planks,  and  deal  boards,  so  that  his  Majesty 
need  not  be  beholding  to  other  nations  for  naval  stores." 

From  an  account  of  New  England,  written  at  about  the  same  time 
by  William  Harris,  of  Rhode  Island,  we  obtain  some  further  informa- 
tion: "  They  build  every  year,  about  Boston,  Salem,  and  in  that  juris- 
diction, twelve  ships  between  forty  and  eighty  tons.  .  .  .  The 
merchants  seem  to  be  rich  men,  and  their  houses  as  handsomely  fur- 
nished as  most  in  London.  .  .  .  Their  wool  they  carry  to  France 
and  bring  thence  linen.  Fish,  pipe-staves,  wool  and  tobacco  they  ex- 
change in  Spain  and  Portugal  for  wines  and  other  commodities;  beaver, 
moose  and  deer  skins,  sugar  and  logwood,  in  England,  for  cloths  and 


33  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

manufactures  of  iron;  horses,  beef,  pork,  Ixitter,  cheese,  flour,  pease, 
biscuit,  etc.,  in  Barbadoes,  for  sugar  and  indigo;  provisions  in  Jamaica 
for  pieces  of  eight,  Spanish  plate,  and  pigs  of  silver." 

In  1G77  the  first  regular  post-olSce  in  Boston  was  established  in  re- 
sponse to  the  following  petition  of  prominent  merchants  to  the  General 
Court:  "  We  whose  names  are  under  written  hearing  many  complaints 
made  by  merchants  and  others  (and  severall  of  us  being  sensible)  of 
the  loss  of  letters:  whereby  merchants  especially  with  their  friends  and 
imployers  in  forraigne  parts  are  greatly  damnified:  ]\Iany  times  the 
letters  imposted  are  thrown  upon  the  Exchange  so  that  who  will  may 
take  them  up;  no  person  (without  some  satisfaction)  being  willing  to 
trouble  their  houses  therewith :  so  that  Letters  of  Great  moment  are 
frequently  lost  — 

"Our  humble  request  therefore  to  this  Honored  Court  is:  that  they 
will  please  to  depute  some  meet  person,  to  take  in,  and  convey  Letters 
according  to  direction:  and  if  this  Honored  Court  please,  we  suppose 
Lt.  Richard  Way  may  be  a  fitt  person  for  that  service."  The  petition 
was  signed  by  Thomas  Brattle,  Thomas  Deane,  Hezekiah  Usher,  John 
Usher,  Charles  Lidget,  Benjamin  Davis,  John  Fayerweather,  John 
Frost,  Richard  Crisp,  vSampson  vSheafe,  Edward  vShippen,  Richard 
Knight,  John  Hubbtird,  Edward  Drinker,  Henry  Dering,  John  Clarke, 
John  P3mchon,  jr.  In  granting  the  desire  of  the  petitioners,  the 
deputies  made  a  nomination  of  their  own:  "  and  in  Richard  Ways  rome 
[theyj  doe  make  choice  of  Mr.  John  Hay  ward  the  scrivener  to  be  the 
man,  the  Honored  Magist:\ates  consenting."  The  magistrates  con- 
curred. 

The  rate  of  postage  to  and  from  England  was  fixed  at  a  shilling  for  a 
single  letter,  and  this  rate  was  maintained  until  after  the  middle  of  the 
present  century.  In  the  same  year,  at  the  same  (May)  session  of  the 
Court,  the  "  Handycraftsmen,  a  very  considerable  part  of  the  Town  of 
Boston,"  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine,  presented  a 
memorial  praying  for  protection  in  their  several  callings  under  the  fol- 
lowing circumstances:  They  complained  that  "  by  the  frequent  in- 
truding of  strangers  from  all  parts,  especially  of  such  as  are  not 
desirably  qualified,"  they  found  themselves  "  imder  great  disadvantages 
and  prejudicial  to  the  town;  and  many  times  the  stranger  draws  away 
much  of  the  custom  from  his  neighbor  which  hath  been  long  settled 
and  in  reality  is  much  more  the  deserving  man."  The  memorialists 
asked  for  the  regular  and  effectual  execution  (;f  the  orders  relating  to 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  3:3 

the  admission  of  inhabitants,  and  that  tradesmen  should  fulfill  a  suffi- 
cient apprenticeship  and  be  proficient  before  they  set  up  for  themselves. 
The  subject  was  referred  to  a  committee,  but  whether  any  subsequent 
action  was  taken,  we  do  not  know. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  KmO  Randolph  arrived  in  Boston  for  the 
second  time,  bringing  an  appointment  as  "collector,  surveyor,  and 
searcher"  for  all  the  colonies  in  New  England,  and  a  letter  from  the 
king,  enjoining,  among  other  matters,  "a  strict  obedience  to  the  Acts 
of  Trade  and  Navigation."  He  proceeded  without  delay  to  one  part  of 
the  business  committed  to  him,  and  had  several  vessels  seized  with  their 
lading;  but  to  secure  the  condemnation  of  this  property  was  altogether 
another  thing,  for  the  courts  and  the  juries,  representing  public  opinion, 
were  not  disposed  to  help  him  in  any  way.  "His  Majesty's  authority," 
he  said,  "and  the  Acts  of  Trade  were  disowned  openly  in  the  country, 
and  I  was  cast  in  all  the.se  cases,  and  damages  [were]  given  against  his 
Majesty.  "  He  drew  up  a  formal  paper  in  which  he  made  complaint 
against  "the  Bostoneers "  under  eight  heads;  under  the  eighth  he 
averred:  "They  violate  all  the  Acts  of  Trade  and  Navigation,  by 
which  they  have  engrossed  the  greatest  part  of  the  West  India  trade, 
whereby  your  Majesty  is  damnified  in  the  customs  ^100,000  yearly, 
and  the  kingdom  much  more." 

In  his  zeal  for  the  cause  of  the  crown  as  against  the  colonists,  and  in 
order  that  he  inight  be  armed  with  new  powers  for  the  conflict  into 
which  he  had  thrown  himself,  Randolph  went  back  to  England  in  the 
spring  of  1(381,  and  returned  again  in  December  of  the  same  year.  He 
bore  a  royal  commission  for  his  collectorship,  and  a  new  appointment 
as  "  deputy  auditor  and  surveyor-general;"  he  brought  also  a  letter 
from  the  king,  much  more  positive  and  decided  than  any  which  had 
preceded  it,  in  which  the  threat  was  distinctly  made  that,  unless  the 
colonists  submitted  themselves  in  all  particulars  to  the  royal  authority, 
proceedings  would  be  entered  upon  in  the  courts  whereby  the  charter, 
with  all  the  powers  under  it  ' '  might  be  legally  evicted  and  made  void. " 
This  threat  produced  a  certain  degree  of  compliance  with  the  require- 
ments of  the  king;  an  address  to  him,  loyal  in  tone,  but  general  in 
terms,  was  agreed  to  by  the  General  Court,  in  which  his  longer  for- 
bearance was  entreated ;  and,  what  had  been  many  times  asked  for  but 
hitherto  delayed,  two  agents,  Joseph  Dudley  and  John  Richards,  were 
dispatched  to  England,  to  make  explanations  and  receive  direct  in- 
structions.     It  was  ordered   that  the   Acts  of  Trade   and    Navigation 

5 


34  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

should  "  be  forthwith  published  in  the  market-place  in  Boston  by  beat  of 
drum,  and  that  all  clauses  in  said  acts  relating  to  this  plantation  should 
be  strictly  taken  notice  of  and  observed."  The  agents  were  to  give 
assurance  to  the  king,  "that  the  Acts  of  Trade,  so  far  as  they  con- 
cerned the  colony,  should  be  strictly  observed,  and  that  all  due  en- 
couragement and  assistance  should  be  given  to  his  Majesty's  officers 
and  informers  that  inight  prosecute  the  breaches  of  said  Acts  of  Trade 
and  Navigation."  As  to  the  old  grievance — the  coinage  of  money,  the 
agents  were  directed  to  ask  the  king's  pardon  for  the  past,  and,  for  the 
future,  his  "gracious  allowance  therein,  it  being  so  exceedingly  neces- 
sary for  civil  commerce." 

While  thus  respectful  in  terms,  and,  in  appearance,  compliant  with 
the  royal  demands,  the  General  Court  took  care  to  reserve,  in  effect,  to 
the  colony  all  its  rights  in  connection  with  trade,  and  placed  checks  and 
limitations  on  the  appointee  of  the  crown  for  the  collection  of  the  cus- 
toms, which  were  likely  to  interfere  seriously  with  the  exercise  by  him 
of  the  powers  with  which  his  office  was  endowed.  The  wily  official, 
however,  was  not  deceived ;  he  understood  the  men  with  whom  he  was 
dealing  as  thoroughly  as  they  understood  him.  He  had  the  royal 
authority  and  the  courtiers  at  his  back ;  they  appreciated  the  advantages 
of  their  position,  on  the  hither  side  of  the  broad  intervening  ocean,  and 
they  had  the  encouragement  and  moral  support  of  many  sympathizing 
friends  in  England.  "The  distance  of  place,  and  hopes  of  troubles  at 
home,  with  the  many  scandalous  papers  sent  hither  for  the  benefit  and 
comfort  of  the  ill-affected,  make  this  party  thus  daringly  presume." 
Thus  wrote  Randolph,  in  an  ofificial  letter,  in  connection  with  certain 
"high  articles  of  misdemeanor  exhibited  against  a  faction  in  the  Gen- 
eral Court;"  in  these  "articles,"  he  charges  the  authorities  with  re- 
fusing to  "  declare  and  admit  of  his  Majesty's  letters-patent,"  creating 
the  office  of  collector  of  customs  in  New  England ;  of  obstructing  him 
by  the  revival  of  a  law  which  constituted  a  colonial  naval  officer;  of 
usurping,  in  the  General  Court,  judicial  powers  confined  by  the  charter 
to  the  governor  and  assistants;  of  neglecting  to  repeal  their  laws 
"  contrary  to  the  laws  of  England ;  "  and  of  disregarding  the  king's  let- 
ters-patent, "  creating  an  office  of  surveyor  and  auditor-general  of  his 
Majesty's  revenues  arising  in  America." 

James  Russell  was  appointed  naval  officer,  with  the  duty  of  watching 
the  proceedings  of  the  collector.  The  office  is  perpetuated  in  our  cus- 
tom-house system,   as  at  present   administered ;  it  now  has  no  political 


TRADE  AXD   COMMERCE.  35 

sig-nificance,  and  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  rights  of  the  people 
as  against  prerogative ;  it  is  simply  an  agency — a  somewhat  cumbrous 
one — for  checking,  by  diaplicate  papers  and  account-books,  the  trans- 
actions in  the  office  of  the  collector. 

Randolph  followed  his  "articles  of  high  misdemeanor"  to  England, 
April,  1G8"2,  and,  immediately  on  his  arrival,  was  ordered  to  supply  the 
attorney-general  with  proofs  of  his  charges  against  the  Massachusetts 
government.  The  business  had  been  matured  beforehand,  and  the 
formal  proceedings  took  little  time.  Before  he  had  been  a  month  in 
England,  says  Palfrey,  "he  had  virtually  accomplished  the  object  of 
his  ambition  and  revenge.  The  blow  with  which  the  colony  had  so 
long  been  threatened  was  struck.  The  writ  was  issued,  which  sum- 
moned it  to  stand,  for  the  defense  of  its  political  existence  and  of  the 
liberty  and  property  of  its  people,  at  the  bar  of  a  court  in  London." 

In  (3ctober,  Randolph  reappeared  in  New  England  with  the  notifica- 
tion of  the  proceedings  against  the  charter.  He  brought,  also,  a 
"Declaration"  from  the  king,  promising  that  the  proceedings  should 
not  be  pressed  to  their  final  stage,  if  "  the  corporation  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Bay  "  should  make  full  submission,  and  resign  itself  to  the  royal 
pleasure.  This  the  court  of  assistants  was  ready  to  do ;  but  the  deputies, 
who  more  directly  represented  the  people,  were  not  so  subservient,  and 
refused  to  concur.  They  made  a  noble  stand  for  their  liberty,  and  for 
the  cause  of  religion,  which,  they  felt,  was  bound  up  with  it.  "It  is 
better,"  they  said,  "to  suffer,  than  to  sin  and  suffer  too."  On  the 
commercial  question  involved,  we  quote  a  paragraph  from  an  elaborate 
paper,  prepared,  perhaps,  by  Thomas  Danforth,  the  deputy-governor, 
who  ably  maintained  the  popular  cause :  "If  his  Majesty  should  pro- 
hibit trade  with  other  plantations,  will  not  he  have  the  worst  of  it? 
The  people  can  make  a  shift  to  live  poorly  without  much  trade ;  for 
here  is  wool,  flax,  hemp,  iron,  and  many  other  useful  things,  and  hands 
enough  to  make  them  up  for  use,  besides  many  ships  and  vessels  which 
will  venture  abroad,  and  some  possibly  may  and  will  return  home  in 
safety,  and  bring  supply  of  what  is  absolvitely  wanted."  These  men 
were  running  tremendous  risks ;  but  in  a  contest  for  liberty,  on  the  part 
of  a  nation,  actual  or  potential,  can  the  stakes  ever  be  too  high? 

By  a  change  in  the  legal  proceedings  in  London,  which  need  not  be 
considered  here,  the  charter  of  Massachusetts  Bay  was  vacated  by  a 
decree  in  the  Court  of  Chancery,  June  ^l,  confirmed,  October  23,  16S4. 
Owing  to  the  death  of  Charles,  the  accession  of  James,  and  other  stir- 


36  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ing  events,  a  year  and  a  half  passed  before  Randolph,  May  14,  1080, 
landed  in  Boston  from  the  frigate  Rosc\  with  an  exemplification  of 
the  judg-ment  against  the  charter,  and  coinmissions  for  the  officers  of  a 
new  government.  A  provisional  government  was  constituted,  with 
Joseph  Dudley  as  president,  which  continued  until  the  closing  month 
of  the  year,  when  Sir  P^dmund  Andros  arrived  in  Boston,  bearing  a 
commission  for  the  government  of  all  New  England. 

The  government  of  Sir  Edmund  Andros  lasted  two  years  and  ioxxr 
months,  and  was  brought  to  an  abrupt  and  violent  end  by  the  revolu- 
tion in  New  England  which  synchronized  with  the  iiprising  at  home, 
when  the  second  James  was  driven  from  England  and  William  and 
Mary  were  established  on  the  British  throne.  "  Again  Englishmen  were 
free  and  self-governed  in  the  settlements  of  New  England. "  During 
the  years  known  as  the  inter-charter  period,  business  enterprise  must 
have  become  discouraged,  and  general  trade,  no  doubt,  languished,  but 
we  have  no  particular  knowledge  on  the  subject.  The  colonial  ship- 
ping, however,  would  seeim  to  have  found  its  wonted  employment, 
without  intermission.  We  learn  from  one  of  Randolph's  custom-house 
returns,  that  there  were  cleared  at  the  port  of  Boston,  in  the  half  year 
between  March  25  and  September  20,  1088,  seven  vessels  for  England 
(all  bound  to  London);  one,  for  Fayal ;  two,  for  Madeira;  one,  for  Hol- 
land; eleven,  for  Bilboa;  one,  for  the  Canary  Islands;  eighty-four,  for 
Barbadoes,  Jamaica,  and  the  other  West  India  Islands;  thirty-two,  for 
other  North  American  colonies ;  one,  for  Portugal ;  and  one  for  Cadiz. 
Almost  all  these  vessels  were  owned  in  Boston,  and  were  "plantation 
built."  The  coasters  and  the  vessels  trading  to  the  West  Indies  were  of 
thirty,  twenty  and  ten  tons'  measurement.  There  is  an  instance  of  a 
vessel  of  only  seven  tons;  her  cargo  consisted  of  "provisions"  —  one 
pipe  of  Madeira,  two  chests  of  Rhenish  wine,  some  earthenware,  and 
"a  parcel  of  English  goods."  Within  the  same  time  there  were 
entered  at  the  port  of  Boston  thirty-seven  vessels  from  other  North 
American  colonies;  eighty-nine,  from  the  West  Indies;  twenty-one, 
from  England;  two,  from  Madeira;  four,  from  Fayal;  and  one,  from 
Ireland.  This  last  vessel  was  of  forty  tons  burden,  and  her  only  cargo 
was  "thirty-one  men  and  women  servants,  being  botmd  for  Virginia." 
We  give  the  names  of  some  of  the  vessels,  with  their  captains,  which 
passed  the  custom-house  at  this  period : 

Ketch  Amity,  John  Bonner;  ketch  Mary  and  Elirjabcth,  of  Charles- 
town,    Nathaniel   Cary ;    ship  James,    Job    Prince;    sloop   Sivaii,    John 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  37 

Nelson;  ketch  Abigail,  Andrew  Eliot;  ketch  Mai-y,  Jonathan  Balston; 
bark  Lydia,  Benjamin  Gillam;  ship  Society,  ninety  tons,  four  guns,  ten 
men,  Thomas  Fayerweather ;  ship  Nevis  Merchant,  Timothy  Clarke; 
ship  Szvallozv,  John  Eldridge;  brig  Syhajuis,  oi  Charlestown,  Bar- 
tholomew Green;  ship  Dolphi?i,  John  Foye;  ketch  Lark,  John  Walley; 
ketch  Saimicl,  Giles  Fifield;  ketch  FrieiidsJiip,  thirty  tons,  six  men, 
Thomas  Winsor;  ship  Si^'an,  Andrew  Belcher;  brigantine  Supply,  John 
Hunt;  ship  Rebecca,  John  Hobby;  ketch  George,  Andrew  Eliot;  brig- 
antine  Blessing,  of  Charlestown,  Bartholomew  Green;  -pink  E/ideai'or, 
Simon  Eyre;  bark  Trial,  Barachiah  Arnold;  ship  FricndsJiip,  one 
hundred  tons,  fourteen  guns,  John  Ware;  sloop  Providence,  John 
Rainsford. 

When  Edward  Randolph  returned  to  Boston  with  the  exemplification 
of  the  judgment  against  the  charter,  he  brought  with  the  rest  of  his 
commissions  one- by  which  he  assumed  the  duties  of  postmaster  for 
New  England.  On  the  overthrow  of  the  Andros  government,  Mr. 
Richard  Wilkins,  bookseller,  was  appointed  postmaster  in  Boston,  "to 
receive  all  letters  and  deliver  them  out ;  to  receive  one  penny  for  each 
single  letter."  In  IGOl,  under  William  and  Mary,  a  patent  was  granted 
to  Thomas  Neale,  authorizing  and  empowering  him  "to  erect,  settle 
and  establish  within  the  chief  parts  of  their  Majesties'  Colonies  and 
Plantations  in  America  an  office  or  offices  for  the  receiving  and  de- 
spatching letters  and  packets;"  the  grantee  was  to  receive  "such  rates 
and  sums  of  money  as  the  planters  should  agree  to  give."  Under  this 
patent  a  "General  Letter  Office"  was  established  in  Boston  in  1693, 
and  Duncan  Campbell  received  the  appointment  of  deputy.  As  the 
receipts  of  the  office  fell  short  of  the  expenditures,  the  General  Court 
granted  Campbell  an  annual  allowance  of  about  five  and  twenty 
pounds. 

The  first  governor  under  the  new  charter  was  Sir  William  Phipps,  a 
native  of  Maine,  who  was  brought  up  to  the  ship-carpenter's  trade,  and 
afterward  followed  the  seas.  It  was  said  of  him  that  he  was  "much 
better  fitted  to  manage  the  crew^  of  a  man-of-war  than  to  sit  at  the 
helm  of  the  ship  of  state,"  but  he  was  honest  and  true,  and  served  his 
country  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  He  landed  at  Boston  in  May,  1692, 
and  a  few  months  later  another  man  arrived  here,  whose  training  had 
been  somewhat  similar  to  his,  and  who  afterward  made  a  name  for 
himself  that  will  not  soon  be  forgotten.  This  was  Thomas  Coram,  the 
philanthropist.      He  came  here   at   the   charge   of   Thomas  Hunt  and 


38  SUFFOLK  COUNT V. 

others,  London  merchants,  and  under  government  permission  and  pro- 
tection, "  for  the  better  improvement  of  shipbuilding-  in  these  parts;" 
and  he  brought  with  him  "divers  shipwrights  and  other  proper  and 
necessary  hands,  and  also  a  great  quantity  of  merchandise."  He  built 
in  Boston  for  a  few  years  and  then  moved  to  Taunton,  where  he  was 
not  well  treated,  and  in  1703  returned  to  England.  On  the  1st  of 
October,  1702,  a  register  was  issued  to  Captain  Coram  for  the  ship 
Resignation^  of  about  two  hundred  tons,  just  built  at  Taunton,  in  which 
he  was  styled  master,  and  he  and  Thomas  Hunt  were  designated  as 
owners. 

In  May,  1696,  the  Board  of  Trade  and  Plantations,  the  members  of 
which  were  to  be  known  as  "the  Lords  of  Trade,"  succeeded  to  the 
authority  first  exercised  by  the  Council  for  Trade  and  Foreign  Planta- 
tions, and  afterwards  by  the  plantation  committees  of  the  Privy  Coi^m- 
cil.  Let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  the  functions  of  this  Board  from  the 
English  point  of  view.  Says  Chalmers :  ' '  Of  this  respectable  com- 
mission it  has  ever  been  the  praise  that  they  have  exerted  themselves 
as  the  guardians  of  the  national  interests,  as  the  patrons  of  the  colonies, 
as  the  supporters  of  the  commercial  system  of  Britain,  though  their 
success  hath  not  been  always  equal  to  their  intentions  and  their  efforts, 
because  their  powers  were  not  proportionate  to  the  extent  of  their 
will."  But — what  was  never  taken  into  the  account  by  this  Board — 
there  were  colonial  as  well  as  national  interests,  and  there  were  enter- 
prising colonists  who  wanted,  not  patronage,  but  the  free  exercise  of 
their  rights,  and  who  were  not  disposed  to  square  all  their  transactions 
by  the  artificial  arrangements  of  a  commercial  system  constructed 
without  reference  to  their  wants  or  wishes.  It  was  not  long  before 
Massachusetts  protested  against  the  acts  of  the  Board;  and  the  mer- 
chants of  Boston  expressed  their  indignation  at  the  restrictions  which 
it  would  place  upon  their  commerce,  and  insisted  that  "  they  were  as 
much  Englishmen  as  those  in  England,  and  had  a  right,  therefore,  to 
all  the  privileges  which  the  people  of  England  enjoyed."  What  the 
inevitable  consequences  of  all  this  were  to  be  we  shall  see  in  due  time. 

An  order  passed  by  the  General  Court  June  15,  1696,  provided  for  a 
market  to  be  held  in  Boston  every  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Saturday, 
and  no  other  days.  A  bell  was  to  be  rung  at  the  opening  of  the  mar- 
ket, at  7  a.  m.  from  March  to  May;  at  6  a.  m.  from  May  until  Sep- 
tember; and  after  that  at  9  a.  m.  The  market  was  to  last  till  6  p.  m. 
between  March  and  vSeptember,  and  until  4  p.  m.  during  the  rest  of  the 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  39 

year.  No  sales  were  to  be  made  elsewhere.  Fairs  also  were  to  be 
held  annually  on  the  last  Tuesday  in  May  and  the  last  Tuesday  in 
October,  and  to  continue  four  days. 

Lord  Bellomont,  the  second  governor  under  the  new  charter,  an 
amiable  nobleman,  whose  commission  also  included  New  York,  spent 
only  one  year  in  Boston.  He  observed  closely,  however,  while  he  was 
here,  and  in  writing  home  he  said:  "  I  believe  one  may  venture  to  say 
there  are  more  good  vessels  belonging  to  the  town  of  Boston  than  to 
all  Scotland  and  Ireland."  He  thus  classed  the  ships  belonging  to  the 
town :  from  one  hundred  to  three  hundred  tons,  twenty-five ;  one  hun- 
dred tons  and  under,  thirty-eight ;  brigantines,  fifty ;  ketches,  thirteen ; 
sloops,  sixty-seven ;  in  all  one  hundred  and  ninety-three.  This  was  for 
the  year  1698.  Some  merchants  at  Boston,  he  said,  with  whom  he 
discoursed  about  the  trade  of  the  province,  "computed  that  Boston 
had  four  times  the  trade  of  New  York."  "The  staple  "  in  Massa- 
chusetts was  "  the  fishery."  "  They  compute  at  Boston  that  they  ship 
off  fifty  thousand  quintals  of  dry  fish  every  year,  about  three-quarters 
whereof  is  sent  to  Bilboa. "  There  were  sixty-three  wharves  in  Boston 
and  fourteen  in  Charlestown.  The  governor  died  in  New  York  in 
1701. 

To  provide  further  for  the  accommodation  of  the  commerce  of  the 
town.  Long  Wharf  was  projected  in  1707  by  Oliver  Noyes,  Anthony 
Stoddard,  John  George,  Daniel  Oliver  and  others.  Among  the  pro- 
prietors of  this  wharf  in  1734,  were  James  Allen,  Samuel  vSewall  (son 
of  Judge  Sewall),  Thomas  Fitch,  Jacob  Wendell,  Andrew  Faneuil, 
John  Gerri.sh,  James  Bowdoin,  Thomas  Hill,  Andrew  Oliver,  Peter 
Oliver  and  Stephen  Boutineau. 

Governor  Dudley  reported  to  the  Lords  of  Trade  in  1709:  "The 
^oeople  here  clothe  themselves  with  their  own  wool.  New  English 
goods  are  here  sold  at  less  than  a  himdred  and  fifty  pounds  per  cent, 
advance,  most  goods  more."  "They  are  proud  enough  to  wear  the 
best  cloth  of  England,  if  chopping,  sawing,  and  building  of  ships  would 
pay  for  their  clothes,  and  this  method  would  double  the  sale  of  Eng- 
lish woolen  manufactory  presently."  There  was  an  exportation  of 
codfish  to  Spain  and  elsewhere  to  the  amount  of  thirty  thousand  pounds 
annually,  and  of  mackerel  to  the  West  Indies  to  the  amount  of  five 
thousand  pounds.  In  a  description  of  Boston  by  one  Captain  Uring, 
which  we  find  in  the  Historical  Magaciiic  (1866),  it  is  said:  "  The  in- 
habitants are  very  industrious,  and  carry  on  a  very  considerable  trade 


40  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

to  the  vSouthern  Plantations,  viz.,  to  all  the  Carribee  Islands  and 
Jamaica,  which  they  supply  with  lumber  as  plank,  boards,  Joyce  and 
shingles  for  building  houses,  dried  fish  and  salted  mackerel,  some  beef 
and  pork,  pitch,  tar  and  turpentine,  tallow  and  Bay  berry,  wax  candles, 
which  last  is  made  of  wax  extracted  from  a  berry  that  grows  in  plenty 
in  that  country."  The  same  traveller  tells  us  that  the  dried  codfish 
was  commonly  called  "  Poor  Jack,  or  Baccalew." 

The  returns  of  the  commerce  of  Boston  for  the  three  years  ended 
June  4,  1717 — the  period  which  saw  the  close  of  Governor  Dudley's  ad- 
ministration, and  the  beginning  of  Governor  vShute's — show  as  follows: 
Cleared,  for  the  West  Indies,  five  hundred  and  eighteen  ships,  sloops, 
and  other  vessels;  for  the  Bay  of  Campeachy,  twenty-five  vessels;  for 
foreign  plantations,  fifty-eight  vessels;  for  Newfoundland,  forty-five 
vessels;  for  Europe,  forty-three  vessels;  for  Madeira,  the  Azores,  etc., 
thirty-four  vessels;  for  Great  Britain,  one  hundred  and  forty-three 
vessels;  for  British  plantations  or  the  continent,  three  hundred  and 
ninety  vessels;  and  for  "ports  unknown,"  eleven  vessels — an  aggre- 
gate of  twelve  hundred  and  sixty-seven  vessels  (twelve  hundred  of 
them  "  plantation  built  "),  amoimting  to  sixty-two  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  eighty-eight  tons  of  .shipping,  and  employing  between  eight 
and  nine  thousand  men.  This  was  an  average  of  more  than  twenty 
thousand  tons  for  each  year.  During  the  same  period  the  clearances 
at  the  port  of  New  York  averaged  seven  thousand  tons  annually.  Barry 
quotes  these  figures  from  the  New  York  Colonial  Documents,  but 
Chalmers  is  disposed  to  discredit  them.  There  is  no  record  of  the 
general  trade  of  the  province  at  this  period,  apart  from  ocean  com- 
merce, but  it  was  large  and  profitable,  and  manufacturing  industries 
were  springing  up,  which  will  be  described  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
The  statesmen  of  England  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  this  progress,^ 
and,  not  unnaturally  from  their  point  of  view,  thought  that  the  pros- 
perity of  the  colonists  should  be  made  to  contribute  towards  the  relief 
of  the  pres.sing  burdens  at  home.  "Few,"  says  Barr}-,  "had  the 
sagacity  to  perceive  that  the  prosperity  of  America  was  the  prosperity 
of  England,  and  that  more  benefit  could  be  derived  to  the  mother 
country  by  leaving  the  colonies  to  their  own  way  than  by  hampering 
their  commerce  with  burdensome  restrictions,  and  checking  their 
industry  by  discouraging  manufactures." 

An  act  was  passed  by  the  (xeneral  Court,  July  33,  1715,  for  maintain- 
ing a  lighthouse  upon  the  (Treat  Brewster,  or  Beacon  Island,  as  it  was 


TRADE  AXD  COMMERCE.  41 

then  called,  at  the  mouth  of  Boston  Harbor.  When  it  came  before  the 
Lords  of  Trade,  the  next  year,  for  their  approval.  Captain  Coram  ap- 
peared and  objected  to  it,  because  "  it  laid  a  tax  upon  the  shipping,  and 
made  no  provision  for  pilots,  which  are  much  wanted,"  he  said,  ''on 
that  coast."'  Boston  light  was  "kindled"  September  14,  1710,  and 
was,  we  believe,  the  first  light  in  the  colonies,  if  not  the  first  on  the 
continent.  The  dues  were  fixed  at  a  penny  a  ton  inwards  and  another 
penny  outwards,  except  for  coasters,  which  were  to  pay  two  shillings 
each  at  their  clearing  out ;  all  fishing  vessels,  wood  sloops,  etc. ,  were 
taxed  five  shillings  each  by  the  year.  Judge  Sewall  writes  in  his  diary, 
Jani:ary  14,  lT19-"20:  "  Last  night  the  light-house  was  burnt."  There 
was  no  system  of  pilotage  at  this  port  until  1783.  In  1724  Joseph 
Marion  established  an  Insurance  Company  in  Boston,  the  first,  perhaps, 
in  New  England. 

In  an  elaborate  report  made  by  the  Board  of  Trade  in  1721  to  the 
king,  he  was  informed  that,  of  ' '  products  proper  for  the  consumption 
of  Great  Britain,"  Massachusetts  had  "timber,  turpentine,  tar  and 
pitch,  masts,  pipes,  and  hogshead  staves,  whale  fins  and  oil,  and  some 
furs;"  that  the  province  had  a  trade  to  "the  foreign  plantations  in 
America,  consisting  chiefly  in  the  exportation  of  horses  to  wSurinam  and 
and  to  Martinico  and  the  other  French  islands;"  whence  came  in 
return  sugar,  molasses,  and  rum,  which  was  "a  very  great  discourage- 
ment to  the  sugar  planters  in  the  British  islands;  "  and  that  the  people 
had  "  all  sorts  of  common  manufactures,"  but  that  "  the  branch  of  trade 
which  was  of  the  greatest  importance  to  them,  and  which  they  were 
best  enabled  to  carry  on,  was  the  building  of  ships,  sloops,  etc."  The 
report  set  forth  further,  that  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  vessels  were 
built  in  a  year,  measuring  six  thousand  tons,  mostly  for  sale  abroad,  but, 
that  there  were  owned  in  the  province  about  one  hundred  and  ninety 
sail,  besides  one  hundred  and  fifty  boats  employed  in  the  coast  fisheries. 

In  the  Avinter  of  1724-25,  the  shipwrights  of  London  complained  to 
the  Lords  of  Trade,  "  that  in  eight  years,  ending  1720,  they  were  in- 
formed there  were  seven  hundred  sail  of  ships  biiilt  in  New  England, 
and  in  the  years  since  as  many,  if  not  more ;  and  that  this  New  England 
trade  had  drawn  over  so  many  working  shipwrights  that  there  are  not 
enough  left  here  to  carry  on  the  work."  When  asked  what  proposals 
they  had  to  make  to  obviate  this  inconvenience,  they  were  ready  with 
a  simple,  not  to  say  heroic,  remedy  for  breaking  down  the  competition 
complained  of,  and  for  their  own  protection:      "  If  the  ships  built  in  the 


42  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

plantations  were  confined  to  trade  only  from  one  plantation  to  another, 
or  to  Great  Britain,  it  would  answer  the  end  proposed ;  or,  if  they  were 
allowed  to  trade  to  foreign  parts,  that  then  they  should  be  obliged  to 
pay  a  duty  of  five  pence  per  ton  each  voyage  they  should  make,  and 
that  they  should  also  be  restrained  as  to  the  bigness  of  such  ships  or 
vessels  as  should  be  built  in  the  plantations. "  Even  the  Lords  of  Trade 
were  not  prepared  for  so  extreme  an  application  of  the  protective 
principle. 

By  the  various  figures  we  have  given  in  the  foregoing  pages,  it  has 
been  shown  that  the  trade  between  Boston  and  the  West  Indies  was 
very  large  and  important.  This  trade  was  seriously  threatened  by  an 
Act  of  Parliament,  passed  in  173o,  after  a  discussion  which  lasted 
through  two  3^ears,  imposing  duties  on  molasses,  sugar  and  rum  im- 
ported into  the  colonies  from  any  West  India  islands  other  than 
British.  The  purpose  of  the  act  was  to  break  up  the  trade  with  the 
French,  Dutch  and  Spanish  islands,  where  these  products  of  the  planta- 
tions were  obtained  in  exchange  for  fish.  It  is  said  that  before  the 
opening  of  the  trade  with  these  islands,  molasses  was  thrown  away  by 
the  planters,  and  that  it  was  first  saved  and  put  into  casks  to  be  brought 
to  New  England  to  be  distilled  into  rum.  The  people  of  the  northern 
colonies  insisted  that  unless  they  could  continue  to  sell  fish  to  the 
planters  on  the  foreign  islands,  and  to  import  molasses  from  thence  to 
be  manufactured  into  spirit,  they  could  not  prosecute  the  fisheries 
except  at  a  ruinous  loss.  The  duty  imposed  on  molasses  was  sixpence, 
sterling,  a  gallon,  and  the  penalty  for  violating  the  Act  was  forfeiture 
of  the  vessel  and  cargo.  New  England,  however,  never  really  paid  this 
tax,  and  the  interdicted  trade  with  the  foreign  islands  did  not  cease 
until  a  late  period  of  the  controversy  which  terminated  in  the  Revo- 
lution. vSo  far  as  the  codfishery  was  concerned,  it  would  seem  not  to 
have  been  much  affected  by  the  Act  of  Kol)  during  the  thirty  years 
which  immediately  followed. 

According  to  some  authorities,  the  annual  prcjduction  of  rum  in 
Massachusetts  at  this  period  was  fifteen  thousand  hogsheads.  It  had 
become  the  "chief  manufacture"  of  the  province,  "a  staple  com- 
modity," a  "standing  article  in  the  Indian  trade,"  and  the  "common 
drink"  of  laborers,  timbermen,  mastmen,  loggers,  and  fishermen,  who,  it 
was  said,  "  could  not  endure  the  hardships  of  their  employments  nor  the 
rigors  of  the  season  without  it."  On  the  coast  of  Guinea  it  was  "ex- 
changed  for  gold   and   slaves,"      Burke   said   of   this   ])roduct:      "The 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  4:j 

quantity  of  spirits  which  they  distil  in  Boston  from  the  molasses  they 
bring-  in  from  all  parts  of  the  West  Indies  is  as  surprising  as  the  cheap 
rates  at  which  they  vend  it,  which  is  under  two  shillings  a  gallon ;  with 
this  they  supply  almost  all  the  consumption  of  our  colonies  in  North 
America,  the  Indian  trade  there,  the  vast  demands  of  their  own  and  the 
Newfoundland  fisheries,  and  in  great  measure,  those  of  the  African 
trade ;  but  they  are  more  famous  for  the  quantity  and  cheapness  than 
for  the  excellence  of  their  rum." 

We  have  this  view  of  commercial  Boston  in  a  narrative,  never  pub- 
lished, of  a  Mr.  Bennett,  who  visited  the  town  in  1740;  its  population 
at  that  time  is  variously  estimated  at  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  thou- 
sand: "At  the  bottom  of  the  bay  there  is  a  fine  wharf  about  half  a 
mile  in  length,  on  the  north  side  of  which  are  built  many  ware- 
houses for  the  storing  of  merchants"  goods;  this  they  call  the  Long 
Wharf,  to  distinguish  it  from  others  of  less  note.  And  to  this  wharf 
ships  of  the  greatest  burthen  come  up  so  close  as  to  unload  their  cargo 
without  the  assistance  of  boats.  From  the  end  of  the  Long  Wharf, 
which  lies  east  from  the  town,  the  buildings  rise  gradually  with  an  easy 
ascent  westward  about  a  mile.  There  are  a  great  many  good  houses, 
and  several  fine  streets  little  inferior  to  some  of  our  best  in  London, 
the  principal  of  which  is  King's  vStreet ;  it  runs  upon  a  line  from  the  end 
of  the  Long  Wharf  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  at  the  upper  end  of  it 
stands  the  Town  House  or  Guild  Hall,  where  the  Governor  meets  the 
Council  and  House  of  Representatives;  and  the  several  Courts  of  Jus- 
tice are  held  there  also.  And  there  are  likewise  walks  for  the  mer- 
chants, where  they  meet  every  day  at  one  o'clock,  in  imitation  of  the  Ex- 
change at  London,  which  they  call  by  the  name  of  Royal  Exchange 
too,  round  which  there  are  several  booksellers'  shops ;  and  there  are 
four  or  five  printing-houses,  which  have  full  employment  in  printing 
and  reprinting  books,  of  one  sort  or  other,  that  are  brought  from  Eng- 
land and  other  parts  of  Europe." 

John  Oldmixon,  in  the  second  edition  of  his  work  entitled  "  The  Brit- 
ish Empire  in  America,"  published  in  1741,  wrote:  "  Upon  the  whole 
Boston  is  the  most  flourishing  town  for  trade  and  commerce  in  the  Eng- 
lish America.  Near  six  htnidred  sail  of  ships  have  been  laden  here  in  a 
year  for  Europe  and  the  British  Plantations."  In  1741  there  were 
"  at  one  and  the  same  time  "  upon  the  stocks  in  Boston,  forty  topsail 
vessels,  measuring  about  seven  thousand  tons.  But  from  this  time 
there  was  a  decline  in  the  shipbuilding  industry ;  the  number  of  vessels 


44  SUFJ'OLK  COUNTY. 

launched  in  1743  was  thirty;  in  1746,  twenty;  and  in  1749  only  fifteen, 
with  an  ag-g-regate  tonnage  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty 
tons.  Douglas,  from  whom  we  take  these  figures,  attributes  this  de- 
cline "  to  Mr.  Shirley's  faiilty  government,"  but  we  can  easily  under- 
stand that  other  causes  may  have  contributed  to  the  temporary  depres- 
sion of  this  industry,  such  as  the  unfriendly  and  restrictive  interference 
of  the  home  government,  and  the  conflicts  between  England  and  France, 
which  vexed  both  hemispheres. 

In  the  year  1741  the  cod-fishery  of  the  province  was  in  a  prosperous 
condition,  and  the  annual  product  had  reached  two  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  c^uintals.  The  vessels  engaged  in  this  industry  were  owned 
on  Cape  Cod,  and  at  Marblehead,  Gloucester  :md  other  ports  on  the 
north  shore  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  but  a  large  part  of  the  product  was 
brought  to  Boston  for  exportation.  During  the  long  years  of  war  this 
fishery  suffered  severely,  as  the  fishermen  were  called  off  to  man  pri- 
vateers, to  enter  the  royal  navy  and,  in  other  ways,  to  engage  in  the 
struggle. 

The  carrying-trade  of  the  province  did  not  suffer  proportionately 
with  the  shipbuilding  industry.  The  two  interests  are  often  classed 
together  as  if  they  were  really  one,  and,  in  our  own  day,  we  have  seen 
the  former  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  the  latter,  with  most  disastrous  re- 
sults. Burke  well  called  the  New  England  people  the  Dutch  of  Amer- 
ica, for  they  were  carriers  for  all  the  colonies  of  North  America  and 
the  West  Indies,  and  even  for  some  parts  of  Europe.  From  Christmas, 
1747,  to  Christmas,  1748,  five  hundred  and  forty  vessels  cleared  from 
the  port  of  Boston,  and  four  hundred  and  thirty  entered ;  these  figures 
did  not  include  coasting  and  fishing  vessels,  of  at  least  an  equal  number. 
The  proportionate  size  of  the  vessels  may  be  inferred  from  the  accounts 
of  the  Boston  Naval  Office  on  foreign  voyages,  which  report  from 
Michaelmas,  1747,  to  Michaelmas,  1748,  four  hundred  and  nintey-one 
clearances,  of  which  fifty-one  were  ships,  forty-four  snows,  fifty-four 
brigs,  two  hundred  and  forty-nine  sloops  and  ninety-three  schooners. 
In  reference  to  the  two-masted  schooner,  we  may  say  that  it  dates  back 
only  to  the  year  1714,  when  Edward  Robinson,  of  Gloucester,  built  and 
rigged  a  vessel  according  to  his  own  fancy,  and  unlike  anything  that 
had  previously  been  seen  either  in  America  or  Europe.  As  the  strang-e 
looking  craft,  with  her  masts  in  her,  as  we  suppose,  started  from  the 
stocks  at  her  launching,  a  by-stander  exclaimed,  "  See,  how  she  scoons  I  " 
Whereupon  Rol)ins()n  replied,   "  A  schooner  let  her  be."     The  special 


Trade  axd  commerce.  4o 

adaptation  of  the  new  rig  for  the  coasting-  and  fishing-  trades  became 
apparent  at  once. 

In  the  autumn  of  1T4:"2  Faneuil  Hall  was  completed  and  presented  to 
the  town  by  the  princely  merchant  whose  name  it  bears.  It  was  to  be 
both  a  town-hall  and  a  market.  It  had  been  proposed  more  than  once 
to  build  a  market-house  at  the  public  expense,  but  the  measure  had 
been  each  time  defeated ;  and  even  the  generous  offer  of  Peter  Faneuil 
had  met  with  serious  opposition,  fortunately,  on  the  part  of  only  a 
minority  of  the  citizens. 

Neither  the  laws  relating  to  navigation  nor  the  "  sugar  and  molasses 
act  "  (as  it  was  called)  of  IToo,  had  been  unifonnly  and  rigidly  enforced. 
As  Palfrey  suggests,  it  would  have  been  imprudent  for  the  home  gov- 
ernment to  cripple  and  offend  the  colonists  by  a  strenuous  interference 
with  the  business  which  furnished  them  with  a  great  portion  of  their 
livelihood,  while  they  were  playing  so  important  a  part  in  the  struggle 
with  the  French.  Then  there  was  the  practical  difficulty  of  securing 
an  honest  and  scrupulous  execution  of  the  revenue  laws  by  the  servants 
of  the  crown.  Governor  Bernard  reported  that  on  his  arrival  in 
Massachusetts  he  had  "entirely  defeated  the  machinations  of  a  for- 
midable confederacy  intended  to  annul  and  avoid  the  Laws  of  Trade. " 
The  profits  of  illicit  trade  were  so  large  that  the  merchants  could  afford 
to  pay  liberally  for  a  complaisant  policy  in  the  administration  of  cus- 
tom-house affairs.  The  subordinate  officers  seem  to  have  been  called 
upon  to  divide  their  receipts  under  the  law  with  their  superiors,  and 
they  evidently  preferred  to  pocket  fees  which  would  be  all  their  own. 
Thomas  Hutchinson  wrote  to  a  correspondent  in  England:  "For  my 
part,  I  have  always  wished  whilst  I  was  in  trade  myself  for  some 
effectual  measures  to  put  a  stop  to  all  contraband  trade ;  but  I  have 
always  thought  it  inight  have  been  done  without  any  further  provision 
by  the  Parliament.  The  real  cause  of  the  illicit  trade  in  this  province 
has  been  the  indulgence  of  the  officers  of  the  customs;  and  we  are  told 
that  the  cause  of  this  indulgence  has  been  that  they  have  been  quar- 
tered upon  for  more  than  their  legal  fee,  and  that  without  bribery  and 
corruption  they  must  starve." 

One  plan  devised  by  the  merchants  who  maintained  intercourse  with 
the  interdicted  islands  in  the  West  Indies,  had  been  to  load  their  vessels 
with  molasses  at  the  French  or  vSpanish  ports  as  usual  and  to  purchase 
clearances  ' '  signed  with  the  name,  if  not  the  handwriting,  of  the 
governor  of  Auguilla,  who  acted  also  as  collector."     This  island  was 


4f>  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

so  small  as  not  to  afford  a  cargo  for  a  single  vessel,  as  was  well  known 
to  the  collectors  of  customs  in  New  England,  yet  they  allowed  vessels 
with  their  cargoes,  for  a  considerable  length  of  time,  to  be  entered 
without  inquiry  on  these  "  Auguilla  clearances."  This,  however,  could 
not  go  on  forever. 

In  K<il  the  oflficers  of  the  customs,  under  fresh  instructions  from 
England,  began  to  be  more  rigorous  in  enforcing  the  law,  and  as  it 
had  always  been  odious,  their  conduct,  so  far  as  it  was  sincere,  was 
resented,  their  proceedings  were  challenged,  and  their  authority  was 
called  in  question.  Palfrey,  indeed,  doubts  whether  the  new  activity 
of  the  officers  was  prompted  by  anything  else  than  by  the  increased 
opportunities  which  they  conceived  to  be  offered  by  the  instructions  of 
17'iO  for  adding  to  their  official  emoluments.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  was 
not  long  before  they  found  themselves  in  open  conflict  with  the  mer- 
chants, and  the  latter,  in  self-defence,  petitioned  the  General  Court  for 
a  hearing  on  the  questions  involved ;  this  request  was  granted,  and  a 
report  in  their  favor  was  presented  by  the  committee  and  accepted  by 
the  Legislature.  The  officers  then  brought  the  matter  before  the  law 
courts,  and  at  length  succeeded  in  carrying  their  point.  They  were 
now  encouraged  to  go  further,  and  "as  they  had  been  accustomed, 
under  color  of  the  law,  forcibly  to  enter  both  warehouses  and  dwelling- 
houses,  upon  information  that  contraband  goods  were  concealed  in 
them,  one  of  their  number  petitioned  the  wSuperior  Court  for  writs  of 
assistance  to  aid  in  the  execution  of  his  duty."  Exceptions  were  taken 
to  this  application,  and  the  cause  was  argued  in  the  council  chamber 
in  the  old  building  at  the  head  of  King  street,  before  Thomas  Hutch- 
inson, the  newly  appointed  chief  justice,  and  his  four  associates.  This 
was  the  memorable  occasion  when  James  Otis,  "  a  flame  of  fire,"  made 
his  great  plea  in  behalf  of  the  popular  liberties,  and  of  which  John 
Adams  said:  "American  independence  was  then  and  there  born." 
We  are  told  also  that  Adams,  carried  away  by  the  occasion,  felt  the 
spirit  of  resistance  within  him,  and  that  from  that  time  forward  he 
could  never  read  the  Acts  of  Trade  without  anger,  "  nor  any  section  of 
them  without  a  curse."  The  chief  justice  was  determined  that  the 
court  should  not  yield  to  the  eloquence  of  the  patriot  or  to  the  pressure 
of  public  opinion,  and  he  "prevailed  with  his  brethren  to  continue  the 
cause  to  the  next  term,  and  in  the  mean  time  wrote  to  England  "  for 
definite  instructions.  The  answer  was  in  favor  of  the  government,  and 
after  it  came,  although  the  charge  of  illegality  had  not  been  touched. 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  47 

writs  of  assistance  were  g-ranted  b}'  the  court  whenever  the  revenue 
officers  applied  for  them,  on  the  ground  that  such  writs  were  issued 
by  the  Court  of  Exchequer  in  London. 

"  The  peace  of  Paris  was  as  joyously  welcomed  in  America  as  in 
England."  But  the  mother-country  was  heavily  burdened  by  debt,  and 
the  statesmen  there  were  at  their  wats'  end  in  their  endeavors  to  pro- 
vide revenue.  It  is  not  strange  that  they  looked  to  the  North  American 
colonies,  so  prosperoixs  and  so  progressive,  for  help  in  their  emergency. 
These  colonies  were  an  integral  part  of  the  empire,  and,  as  it  seemed, 
their  fate  was  bound  up  with  that  of  the  empire  as  a  w^hole.  Why  then 
shotild  not  they  bear  their  proportionate  share  of  the  burdens  which 
had  been  assumed  or  accepted  in  England  for  the  common  defence, 
and  why  should  not  they  submit  cordially  to  such  measures  of  taxation 
as  Parliament  might  enact?  As  George  Grenville  insisted:  "Pro- 
tection and  obedience  are  reciprocal.  Great  Britain  protects  America; 
America  is  bound  to  yield  obedience."  A  question  might  be  raised  as 
to  the  extent  and  value  of  the  protection  which  the  colonies  had  en- 
joyed. Colonel  Barre,  in  the  House  of  Commons,  denied  that  they  had 
been  protected  by  the  British  arms.  "  They  protected  by  your  arms!" 
he  exclaimed,  "they  have  nobly  taken  up  arms  in  your  defence. 
And,"  he  added,  "the  same  spirit  of  freedom  which  actuated  that 
people  at  first  will  accompany  them  still."  But,  waiving  this  point,  the 
hardship  of  the  position  consisted  in  this,  that  the  colonists  had  not 
been  treated  hitherto  as  on  the  same  footing  with  their  fellow-subjects 
at  home.  Their  shipping  interests  had  been  crippled,  their  manu- 
facturing industries  had  been  repressed,  and  every  advance  they  had 
made  had  been  watched  wath  jealousy  and  suspicion.  They  had  been 
governed  practically  as  outsiders,  and  now  it  was  proposed  to  lay  new 
exactions  upon  them  as  subjects. 

A  further  hardship  w' as  that  the  colonists  had  no  direct  representation 
in  the  legislative  body  which  claimed  the  right  to  tax  them.  As  a 
consequence  they  w^ere  not  understood  at  Westminster,  their  circum- 
stances were  not  appreciated,  and  their  wishes  were  not  regarded.  In 
this  respect  they  were  at  a  great  disadvantage  as  compared  with  the 
large  proprietors  of  the  British  West  Indies,  who  resided  in  Britain, 
many  of  whom  had  seats  in  Parliament,  and  who,  therefore,  could 
enforce  their  demands  by  an  offer  of  votes  which  a  minister  might  feel 
that  he  could  not  afford  to  lose.  This  state  of  things  continued  far 
into  the  present  century,  and  the  battle  for  West  India  emancipation 


48  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

had  to  be  fought  out  in  England  and  Scotland  rather  than  in  the  pos- 
sessions themselves  in  which  slavery  existed.  The  duties  of  1733  had 
been  imposed  at  the  call  of  the  West  India  proprietors,  who  w^ere 
"jealous  of  the  success  of  their  rivals  at  the  north,  and  of  the  extent 
and  importance  of  their  commercial  adventures,"  and  who,  having  no 
shipping  of  their  own,  were  ever  ready  to  join  hands  with  the  British 
shipowners  to  hamper  the  commerce  of  the  northern  colonies. 

If  the- British  sugar  planters  could  have  had  their  way,/ New  Eng- 
land would  have  been  prohibited  altogether  from  trading  with  the 
French,  Dutch  and  Spanish  West  India  islands.  In  the  Massachusetts 
Archives  (volume  88)  there  is  a  full  report  in  manuscript  of  a  hearing 
in  1750  before  the  Lords  of  Trade,  which  furnishes  a  suggestive  illus- 
tration of  the  way  in  which  men  are  often  deceived  by  considerations  of 
personal  interest,  and  how  selfishness  may  assume  the  plausible  guise 
of  public  spirit  and  patriotism.  In  the  petition  on  which  this  hearing 
was  based,  it  was  said:  "  The  petitioners  charge  the  northern  colonies 
with  being  the  agents  of  France,  and  other  foreign  nations,  carrying 
on  commerce  in  Europe  and  America  for  their  benefit,  and  against  the 
interest  of  their  mother  country ;  and  suggest  there  is  danger  of  their 
becoming  by  this  means,  independent  of  it."  They  therefore  prayed 
that  the  northern  colonies  might  be  prohibited  frcmi  taking  any  sugar, 
rum  or  inolasses  from  any  of  the  West  India  islands  not  subject  to  the 
British  crown.  The  charges  were  elaborated  in  ten  articles,  each  of 
which  was  replied  to  at  length  by  the  representatives  of  New  England, 
and  the  danger  was  averted  for  the  time. 

On  the  accession  of  the  Grenville  ministry  to  power,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  pass  a  stamp  act  for  the  colonies,  and  the  officers  of  the  cus- 
toms were  served  with  "new  and  ample  instructions  enforcing  in  the 
strongest  manner  the  strictest  attention  to  their  duty."  Proclamations 
against  the  clandestine  importation  of  goods  were  issued  December 
20,  1763,  and  published  in  the  Boston  newspapers  of  the  following 
month.  The  "restraint  and  suppression  of  practices  which  had  long 
prevailed  "  could  not  but  encounter  great  difficulties,  and  the  whole  force 
of  the  royal  authority  was  invoked  in  aid.  The  troops  were  ordered  to 
"  give  their  assistance  to  the  officers  of  the  revenue  for  the  effectual 
suppression  of  contraband  trade;"  the  officers  of  the  ships  of  war  on 
the  coast  were  also  obliged  to  C[ualify,  as  Barry  says,  "for  their  new 
and  distinguished  duties  as  excisemen  and  tidewaiters, "  having  the 
promise  of  a  share  in  the  property  confiscated  for  violation  of  the  law, 


TRADE  AXD  COMMERCE.  49 

The  whole  countiy  was  roused,  and  the  people  were  "stung  nearly  to 
madness"  bv  the  proceedings  of  the  officials  and  of  those  who  were 
assisting-  them.  At  the  instance  of  the  merchants  of  Boston  and  other 
towns,  the  General  Court  directed  the  agent  of  the  province  in  London 
to  labor  for  the  repeal  of  the  sugar  act,  and  to  exert  himself  to  prevent 
the  passage  of  the  stamp  act,  "  or  any  other  impositions  or  taxes  upon 
this  or  the  other  American  colonies." 

In  the  spring  of  170-4  Mr.  Grenville  gave  notice  of  his  intention  to  bring 
in  a  bill  for  imposing  stamp  duties  in  America,  but,  "  out  of  tenderness 
to  the  colonies, "  he  consented  to  postpone  it  for  a  year.  He  also  sought 
to  conciliate  the  people  of  New  England  by  tw^o  measures  w^hich  they 
gratefulh"  accepted  for  all  that  they  were  worth,  biit  not  as  the  price  of 
their  acquiescence  in  what  they  regarded  as  unequal  and  unjust  schemes 
of  taxation.  The  two  measures  referred  to  were,  the  revival  of  the 
bounties  on  hemp  and  flax,  first  granted  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne, 
and  encouragement  to  the  prosecution  of  the  whale  fishery.  At  the 
same  session  of  Parliament,  a  bill  was  introduced,  providing  that  duties 
be  laid  on  various  enumerated  foreign  commodities,  as  coffee,  indigo, 
pimento,  French  and  East  India  goods,  and  w4nes  from  Madeira, 
Portugal,  and  vSpain,  imported  into  the  British  colonies  and  plantations 
in  America,  and  upon  other  articles,  the  produce  of  the  colonies,  ex- 
ported elsewhere  than  to  Great  Britain.  It  was  provided,  further,  that 
a  duty  of  threepence  a  gallon  be  laid  on  molasses  and  syrups,  and  an 
additional  duty  of  twenty-two  shillings  a  hundred  weight  upon  white 
sugars,  of  the  growth  of  an}'  foreign  American  plantation,  imported 
into  the  British  colonies;  and  that  the  income  of  this  last  duty  should 
be  paid  into  the  national  treasury,  to  be  disposed  of  by  Parliament  to- 
wards "  defraying  the  necessary  expenses  of  defending,  protecting,  and 
securing  the  British  colonies  and  plantations  in  America."  This  tariff 
bill  w^as  pushed  rapidly  through  all  its  stages,  and,  within  a  month  from 
the  day  it  was  reported  in  the  House  of  Commons,  it  received  the  royal 
assent.  Machinery  for  its  prompt  and  rigid  enforcement  was  also  de- 
vised and  made  read3\  Two  months  later,  all  this  had  been  made 
known  in  America,  and,  to  quote  the  words  of  the  Massachusetts  Gazette, 
there  w^as  "not  a  man  on  the  continent  who  did  not  consider  it  a  sacrifice 
made  of  the  northern  colonies  to  the  superior  interests  in  Parliament  of 
the  West  Indies." 

Few,  among  those  responsible  for  this  legislation,  had  stopped  to 
consider  how  it  would  be  received  by  those  whose  material  interests 
7 


50  SUFFOLK  COUXTY. 

were  to  be  affected,  and,  perhaps,  imperilled,  by  it;  but  it  was  generally 
supposed  that  a  rigorous  administration  of  the  new  law,  with  the  naval 
and  military  power  to  support  it,  would  compel  the  popular  submission. 
The  exact  truth  on  this  point  would,  in  due  time,  become  apparent, 
but  the  first  words  spoken  in  response  were  those  of  protest.  The 
General  Court,  in  an  address  to  Governor  Bernard,  at  the  autumnal  ses- 
sion of  1704,  represented  as  follows:  "Our  pickled  fish  wholly,  and  a 
great  part  of  our  codfish,  are  only  fit  for  the  West  India  market.  The 
British  islands  cannot  take  off  one-third  of  the  quantity  caught ;  the 
other  two-thirds  must  be  lost,  or  sent  to  foreign  plantations  where  mo- 
lasses is  given  in  exchange.  The  duty  on  this  article  will  greatly 
diminish  the  importation  hither;  and  being  the  only  article  allowed  to 
be  given  in  exchange  for  our  fish,  a  less  quantity  of  the  latter  will  of 
course  be  exported — the  obvious  effect  of  which  must  be  a  diminution 
of  the  fish-trade,  not  only  to  the  West  Indies  but  to  Europe,  fish  suita- 
ble for  both  these  markets  being  the  produce  of  the  same  voyage.  If, 
therefore,  one  of  these  markets  be  shut,  the  other  cannot  be  supplied. 
The  loss  of  one  is  the  loss  of  both,  as  the  fishery  must  fail  with  the  loss 
of  either." 

"It  was  apprehended  that  in  Massachusetts  the  annual  loss  to  be 
sustained  from  the  enforcement  of  the  new  act  would  be  not  less  than  a 
hundred  and  sixty-four  thousand  pounds,  while  vessels  worth  a  hundred 
thousand  pounds  would  be  rendered  nearly  useless ;  and  there  would  be 
a  further  loss  of  property  amounting  to  scarcely  less  than  a  quarter  as 
much,  as  the  worth  of  the  various  articles  of  equipment  and  forms  of 
industry  used  in  the  prosecution  of  the  business.  Five  thousand  sea- 
men would  be  thrown  out  of  employment." 

The  question  will  be  asked:  If  the  duty  cm  molasses  laid  by  the 
act  of  1733  was  sixpence  a  gallon,  while  that  laid  by  the  act  of  1704 
was  threepence,  was  not  this  reduction  of  fifty  per  cent,  a  boon  to  the 
province?  The  answer  is  easily  found.  The  higher  duty,  as  we  have 
intimated,  had  been  very  generally  evaded ;  the  low^er  rate  was  to  be 
collected  at  all  hazards.  Even  if  the  methods  for  collection  were  not 
to  be  more  thorough,  it  would  be  less  of  an  object,  both  for  the  mer- 
chant and  for  the  official,  to  run  the  risk  involved  in  conspiracy  to 
defraud  the  government  under  the  lower  rate,  than  it  had  been  under 
the  higher.  The  smuggler  is  a  regulator  in  the  movements  of  inter- 
national trade,  whose  operations  no  wise  finance  minister  will  fail  to 
take  into  the  account.      A  duty  laid  for  revenue  will  invariably  yield 


TRADE  AXD   COMMERCE.  ol 

more  to  the  public  treasury  at  a  moderate,  rather  than  at  the  highest  rate. 
In  the  instance  before  us,  the  duty  was  levied  largely  in  the  hope  and 
expectation  that  it  would  be  prohibitory,  and  the  Boston  merchants 
believed  that  this  would  be  the  effect. 

In  a  petition  of  the  General  Court  to  the  House  of  Commons,  agreed 
upon  at  the  same  session  as  above,  it  was  urged  that  "  the  importation 
of  foreign  molasses  into  this  province,  in  particular,  is  of  the  greatest 
importance,  and  a  prohibition  will  be  prejudicial  to  many  branches  of 
trade,  and  will  lessen  the  consumption  of  the  manufactures  of  Great 
Britain ;  that  this  importance  does  not  arise  merely,  nor  principally,  from 
the  necessity  of  foreign  molasses,  in  order  to  its  being  consumed  or  dis- 
tilled within  the  province";  but,  "that  if  the  trade,  for  many  years 
carried  on  for  foreign  molasses,  can  be  no  longer  continued,  a  vent 
cannot  be  found  for  more  than  one-half  of  the  fish  of  inferior  quality, 
which  are  caught  and  cured  b)"  the  inhabitants  of  the  province,  the 
French  not  permitting  fish  to  be  carried  by  foreigners  to  any  of  their 
islands,  unless  to  be  bartered  or  exchanged  for  molasses ;  that  if  there 
be  no  sale  of  fish  of  inferior  quality,  it  will  be  impossible  to  continue 
the  fishery;  the  fish  usually  sent  to  England  will  then  cost  so  dear  that 
the  French  will  be  able  to  undersell  the  English  in  all  the  European 
markets,  and  by  this  means  one  of  the  most  valuable  returns  to  Great 
Britain  will  be  utterly  lost,  and  that  great  nursery  of  seamen  destroyed. " 
In  a  letter  written  at  the  same  time  to  the  provincial  agent  in  London, 
it  was  said :  ' '  We  are  morally  certain  that  the  molasses  trade  cannot 
be  carried  on,  and  the  present  duty  paid." 

The  stamp  act  became  a  law,  March  22,  1705.  How  its  publication 
was  received  on  this  side  of  the  water,  we  need  not  here  relate.  By  its 
operation,  the  courts  of  the  province  were  closed,  business  was  sus- 
pended, and  an  unusual  stillness  reigned  throughout  the  community. 
The  provisions  of  the  act  were  very  stringent;  and  as  the  people  refused 
to  use  the  stamps  which  had  been  sent  over,  nothing  remained  but  to 
abide  the  consequences.  The  principal  merchants  of  Boston  and  other 
towns,  to  the  number  of  two  hundred,  agreed  to  import  no  more  goods 
from  England,  unless  the  act  should  be  repealed,  and  they  counter- 
manded the  orders  already  sent  over.  Several  vessels  went  to  sea, 
however,  without  stamped  clearances,  the  custom-house  officers  giving 
the  masters  certificates  that  stamps  could  not  be  procured  within  their 
jurisdiction.  The  first  ship  to  venture  under  such  circumstances  was 
the  Boston  Packet,  Captain  J^hn  Marshall,  owned  and  sent  out  by  John 


52    .  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Hancock.  She  was  bound  for  London,  and  on  her  arrival  in  the 
Thames  she  passed  the  cnstom-house  without  having-  her  papers 
called  in  cjuestion.  Another  vessel,  engaged  regularly  in  the  trade 
between  Boston  and  London  at  this  time,  was  the  London  Packet, 
Captain  Robert  Calef. 

]\Ir.  Hutchinson  wrote  at  this  time:  "  I  am  now  convinced  that  the 
people  throughout  the  colonies  are  impressed  with  an  opinion  that  they 
are  no  longer  considered  by  the  people  of  England  as  their  fellow- 
subjects,  and  entitled  to  English  liberties. "  There  were  "two  Eng- 
lands, "  however,  then,  as  there  are  now;  and,  in  one  them,  America 
has  never  wanted  for  sympathy  or  support. 

When  the  startling  news  reached  England,  of  the  imcompromising 
opposition  of  the  colonists  to  the  stamp  act,  a  change  of  ministry  had 
taken  place  and  the  Marcpiis  of  Rockingham  had  come  into  office. 
The  question  of  iminediate  repeal  was  agitated  throughoi:t  the  kingdom, 
and  confronted  Parliament  as  it  assembled  in  January,  17GG.  In  the 
course  of  the  debate  on  the  first  day  of  the  session,  William  Pitt  made 
the  great  speech  which  has  endeared  his  memory  to  Americans  for  all 
time.  In  closing,  he  expressed  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  act  should  be 
repealed,  "absolutely,  totally,  immediately, "  and  that  the  reason  for 
this  repeal  should  be  assigned — "because  it  [the  act]  was  founded  on 
an  erroneous  principle."  "At  the  saine  time,"  he  added,  "let  the 
sovereign  authority  of  this  country  over  the  colonies  be  asserted  in  as 
strong  terms  as  can  be  devised,  and  be  made  to  extend  to  every  point 
of  legislation  whatsoever — that  we  may  bind  their  trade,  confine  their 
manufactures,  and  exercise  every  power  whatsoever,  except  that  of  tak- 
ing their  money  out  of  their  pockets,  without  their  consent."  Even 
this  broad-minded  statesman  could  not  divest  himself  of  the  idea  that 
the  colonies  existed  for  the  benefit  of  the  mother  country. 

Petitions  for  the  repeal  of  the  stamp  act  were  laid  on  the  table  of  the 
House  of  Commons  from  the  merchants  of  London  trading  to  North 
America,  and  from  Birmingham,  Bristol,  Liverpool,  Manchester,  and 
other  towns.  Public  opinion  was  thoroughly  aroused,  in  part,  no 
doubt,  under  the  pressure  of  selfish  considerations,  for  the  commercial 
interests  of  the  country  were  suffering  greatly;  but,  as  Barry  observes: 
"The  people  of  England  were  friendly  to  liberty;  their  attachment 
to  freedom  was  stronger  than  their  love  of  arbitrary  power ;  and  their 
consciences  and "  affections  appealed  to  thein  loudly  to  side  with  those 
who  were  struugling  to  resist  the  encroachments  of  absolutisin. "    When 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  53 

the  offensive  measure  was  repealed,  one  year  almost  to  a  day  from  the 
time  when  it  became  a  law,  the  church-bells  of  London  were  rung,  the 
ships  on  the  Thames  displayed  their  colors,  and  the  houses  were  illu- 
minated in  all  parts  of  the  city. 

"  The  relief  and  delight  occasioned  in  America  by  the  intelligence  of 
the  repeal  of  the  stamp  act  were  increased  by  the  further  action  of  the 
home  government  in  relaxing  the  revenue  regulations  which  had 
catised  offence."  The  reservation  of  its  prerogative  in  the  matter  of 
taxation,  made  by  Parliament  in  the  declaratory  act  which  accompanied 
the  measure  for  repeal,  did  not  give  much  concern  at  the  first,  but  was 
regarded  as  the  "  bridge  of  gold  "'  which  "  should  always  be  allowed  to 
a  retreating  assailant."  The  London  merchants  entreated  their  Ameri- 
can friends  to  take  no  offence  at  the  declaration,  although,  as  Hutchin- 
son says  in  his  history,  they  could  give  no  assurance  that  the  principle' 
would  not  be  enforced.  "Every  newspaper  and  pamphlet,  every 
public  and  private  letter,  which  arrived  in  America  from  England, 
seemed  to  breathe  a  spirit  of  benevolence,  tenderness  and  generosity." 
Thus  wrote  John  Adams  in  his  diary,  and  he  added:  "The  utmost 
delicacy  was  observed  in  all  the  state  papers  in  the  choice  of  expres- 
sions, that  no  unkind  impressions  might  be  left  upon  the  minds  of  the 
people  in  America."  In  all  this  we  trace  the  hand  of  William  Pitt, 
who  had  come  into  power  and  who  had  been  raised  to  the  peerage  as 
Earl  of  Chatham,  but,  most  unfortunately,  was  compelled  almost 
immediately  by  severe  illness  to  retire  from  public  affairs,  ' '  and  his 
withdrawal  robbed  his  colleagues  of  all  vigor  or  union."  The  enemies 
of  the  colonies  were  ever  on  the  alert  for  mischief,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  the  course  pursued  by  Governor  Bernard  and  his  "loyalist  "  sup- 
porters in  Massachusetts  had  the  effect  to  neutralize  any  spirit  of 
conciliation  which  for  a  time  prevailed  in  England. 

In  June,  17G7,  Charles  Townshend,  chancellor  of  the  exchequer,  as 
a  reply  to  the  taunts  of  George  Grenville  that  he  and  his  colleagues 
were  afraid  of  the  Americans  and  did  not  dare  to  tax  them,  secured  the 
passage  of  a  bill  imposing  duties  on  paper,  glass,  painter's  colors,  tea, 
and  certain  other  articles  imported  into  the  colonies.  The  new  ditties 
were  to  be  payable  in  sterling  money,  and  were  to  go  into  effect  in  the 
fifth  month  after  the  enactment ;  just  before  this  time  arrived,  three 
commissioners  made  their  appearance  in  Boston,  clothed  with  what 
were  supposed  to  be  adequate  powers  for  the  collection  of  the  duties. 
Townshend's  act  was  more   objectionable   than  Grenville's  stamp  act 


54  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

had  been,  in  this  respect,  that  the  receipts  under  the  hitter  were  to  be 
covered  into  the  imperial  treasury  and  to  be  subject  to  the  disposition 
of  Parliament,  while  those  under  the  former  were  to  remain  in  America, 
and  to  be  applied  in  making-  provision  for  the  charges  attending-  the 
administration  of  justice  and  the  support  of  the  civil  government  here. 
The  officers  of  the  crown  were  thus  to  be  made  independent,  so  far  as 
their  support  was  concerned,  of  the  colonial  legislatures.  The  new  act, 
therefore,  "was  a  menace  of  perpetual  servitude."  It  was  determined 
to  nullify  it  by  abstaining  from  the  importation  of  the  articles  desig- 
nated in  it,  thus  preventing  a  revenue  from  them,  and  to  extend  the 
arrangement  to  all  other  commodities  brought  from  England,  thus 
interesting  the  English  merchants  and  manufacturers  for  a  repeal  of 
the  law.  The  patriots  of  Boston  resolved  to  form  a  combination  "to 
eat  nothing,  drink  nothing,  wear  nothing  imported  from  Great  Britain." 
Many  of  the  merchants  entered  into  an  agreement  in  harmony  with  this 
resolution;  the  governor  thought  this  "  impracticable,"  and  his  remedy, 
and  that  of  the  officials  under  him,  for  the  existing  difficulties,  was 
this:  "  Ships  of  war  and  a  regiment  are  needed  to  ensure  tranqinllity. " 
A  young  merchant,  William  Palfrey,  writing  to  his  correspondent  in 
London;  April  14,  17()8,  of  the  proposed  stoppage  of  importations,  said: 
"  This  salutary  regulation  is  not  to  take  place  till  the  first  of  October 
next,  and  to  be  binding  till  the  present  grievous  restrictions  are  taken 
off  our  trade."  A  few  weeks  later  the  same  merchant  wrote:  "  Where 
it  will  end  I  know  not,  but  imagine  there  will  be  blood  shed  before  it 
is  over.  You  can't  think  how  we  are  treated  by  those  bashaws  [the 
commissioners  of  customs] ;  our  coasters,  nay,  our  fishing  and  pleasure 
boats,  are  disturbed,  fired  at,  and  threatened."  The  time  for  nullifica- 
tion was  still  further  postponed  until  January  1,  17(iO,  after  which  date 
the  merchants  and  traders  had  agreed  that  they  would  not  import  into 
the  province  ' '  any  tea,  paper,  glass,  or  painter's  colors,  until  the  act 
imposing  duties  on  those  articles  shall  be  repealed."  The  agreement 
provided  further,  that  during  the  year  17G9  there  should  be  no  impor- 
tation of  goods  or  merchandise  from  Great  Britain  excepting-  salt,  coals, 
fish-hooks,  lines,  hemp,  duck,  bar-lead,  shot,  wool-cards,  and  card-wire. 
Indirect  ii-nportations  by  way  of  any  of  the  sister  colonies  were  also 
foi'' 'icVli-n.  According  to  Bradford,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  ships  had 
becix  '.rriving  annually  at  the  port  of  Boston,  laden  with  the  products 
and  manufactures  of  Great  Britain;  but  in  iTiiT  the  amount  of  these 
importations  was  less  by  ^"Ki/"), ()()()  than  in  111)4,  and  in  1708  a  large 
ship  with  English  goods  was  sent  back  without  unloading. 


"»  -<S\ 


^^i^i 


-"S'°'  ^y  H-&  C.Koe  voets .  ^' 


7^C^^ 


TRADE   AND   COMMERCE.  55 

Vengeance  was  denonnced  by  the  more  violent  supporters  of  the 
government  in  England  against  "the  insolent  town  of  Boston,"  but  the 
firmness  of  the  attitude  which  had  been  taken  by  it  in  opposition  to  the 
new  revenue  exactions  produced  its  legitimate  effect,  and  that  without 
long  delay.  The  House  of  Commons  had  passed  a  series  of  resolves  in 
which  the  proceedings  of  the  people  in  town  meeting  were  declared 
"illegal  and  unconstitutional,  and  calculated  to  excite  seditions  and 
insurrections."  Ainong  those  who  had  opposed  these  resolves  was 
Thomas  Pownall,  an  enlightened  and  liberal  man,  whose  experience 
during  three  or  four  years  as  governor  of  Massachusetts  should  have 
given  his  opinions  more  weight  with  his  fellow  members  than  they 
seem  to  have  had.  ^Ir.  Pownall  warned  Parliament  in  advance  against 
the  course  which  it  had  persisted  in  taking,  and  he  now  (April,  ITGO) 
moved  for  the  repeal  of  Mr.  Townshend's  act,  and  spoke  at  length  in 
support  of  his  motion;  but  the  session  was  too  far  advanced  for  its 
consideration.  A  few  weeks  later  the  Earl  of  Hillsborough,  as  head  of 
the  Colonial  Department,  which  had  succeeded  to  the  functions  re- 
lating to  the  colonies  of  the  "Lords  of  Trade,"  sent  a  circular  to  the 
go.vernors  announcing  "the  intention  of  his  Majesty's  ministers  to 
propose  in  the  next  session  of  Parliament  taking  off  the  duties  upon 
glass,  paper,  and  colors,  on  consideration  of  such  duties  having  been 
laid  contrary  to  the  true  principles  of  commerce,  and  assuring  them 
that  at  no  time  had  they  [the  government]  entertained  any  design  to 
propose  to  Parliament  to  lay  any  further  taxes  on  America  for  the  pur- 
pose of  raising  a  revenue."  This  letter,  however,  was  not  satisfactory 
to  the  merchants  of  Boston,  who  argued,  and  reasonably,  that  if  the 
taxes  on  glass  and  paper  were  "  contrary  to  the  true  principles  of  com- 
merce," the  tax  on  tea  must  be  equally  so.  They  declared  it  as  their 
opinion  that  the  proposed  repeal  was  only  a  pretence,  and  that  the 
duty  on  tea  was  to  be  retained  to  save  the  "right  "  of  taxation;  and 
they  renewed  the  mutual  obligation,  previously  made,  to  import  no 
more  goods  from  England,  a  few  specified  articles  only  excepted,  unless 
the  revenue  laws  should  be  fully  repealed.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
town  were  invited  to  an  agreement  to  purchase  nothing  from  those 
who  might  violate  the  terms  of  this  engagement.  A  son  of  the  late 
governor.  Sir  Francis  Bernard,  and  two  sons  of  the  acting  governor, 
Thomas  Hutchinson,  were  among  the  merchants  who  refused  to  concur 
in  these  measures. 

What  is  known  in  our  local  history  as  the  "  Boston  Massacre  "  took 
place  on  the  5th  of  March,  1770.     On  the  same  day  a  petition  from 


5G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

"the  merchants  and  traders  of  London  tradini^  to  North  America  " 
was  presented  in  the  House  of  Commons  setting  forth  "  the  alarming 
state  of  suspense  "  into  which  commerce  had  fallen,  and  that  this  in- 
terruption of  trade,  as  the  petitioners  apprehended,  was  "principally- 
owing  to  certain  duties  imposed  on  tea,  paper,  glass,  and  painter's 
colors  imported  into  the  colonies.  "  "  For  the  recovery  of  so  important 
a  branch  of  commerce,"  they  ]jrayed  for  such  relief  as  to  the  House 
might  seem  meet.  Lord  North,  who  had  just  become  prime  minister, 
called  for  the  reading  of  the  act  petitioned  against,  and  then,  after 
observing  that  it  had  been  "the  occasion  of  most  dangerous,  violent 
and  illegal  combinations  in  America, "  he  admitted  that  it  had  been 
absurd  to  lay  a  tax  upon  many  of  the  articles  mentioned,  and  that  "  for 
commercial  reasons  "  it  was  necessary  to  repeal  the  duties  upon  them. 
He  had  favored,  he  said,  the  circular  which  gave  promise  to  the  colonies 
of  a  repeal  of  part  of  the  act,  and  this  he  had  done  "  as  a  persuasive  to 
bring  them  back  to  their  duty,  by  a  measi;re  which  would  not  at  the 
same  time  relax  the  reins  of  government  over  them;  and  he  could 
have  wished  to  have  repealed  the  whole  if  it  could  have  been  done 
without  giving  up  such  absolute  right."  But,  as  the  colonics  "  totally 
denied  the  power  of  Great  Britain  to  tax  them,  it  became  more  abso- 
lutely necessar}^  to  compel  the  observance  of  the  laws,  to  vindicate  the 
rights  of  Parliament."  He  therefore  moved  "that  leave  be  given  to 
bring  in  a  bill  to  repeal  so  much  of  the  said  act  as  lays  duties  upon 
glass,  red  lead,  white  lead,  painter's  colors,  paper,  pasteboards,  mill 
boards,  and  scale  boards,  of  the  produce  or  manufacture  of  Great 
Britain,  imported  into  any  of  his  Majesty's  colonies  in  America." 
When  the  measure  was  before  the  House  of  Commons,  ex-Governor 
Pownall  moved  an  amendment  proposing  "a  total  repeal  in  every 
part  "  of  Mr.  Townshend's  act;  and  this  he  did,  not  as  "  an  American 
measure,"  but  rather  in  consideration  of  the  exigencies  of  British  com- 
merce. He  insisted  that  the  Americans  had  been  arrogantly  and 
wantonly  oppressed,  and  that  it  was  only  jiistice  to  them  to  withdraw 
impositions  which  they  "  suffered  and  endured  with  a  determined  and 
alarming  silence."  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  amendment 
would  prevail,  but  it  received  one  hundred  and  forty-two  votes.  Re- 
peal was  carried  except  in  reference  to  one  article.  "  The  question  of 
present  action  for  the  British  Parliament  was  now  in  point  of  fact 
narrowed  down  to  the  question  (jf  the  constitutionality  of  the  duty  on 
tea;  but  the  principle  of  a  right  to  tax  the  colonics  was  affirmed  by  the 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  57 

most  emphatic  and  solemn  legislation.  "  For  this  fatal  insistence  to  tax 
the  colonies,  as  all  historians  are  now  agreed,  the  king,  who  was  in 
point  of  fact  sole  minister  during-  these  eventful  years,  was  personally 
responsible.  "Dull  and  petty  as  his  temper  was, "  says  Green,  "he 
was  clear  as  to  his  purpose,  and  obstinate  in  the  pursuit  of  it."  "  The 
shame  of  the  darkest  hour  in  English  history  lies  wholly  at  his  door." 

For  the  moment  there  was  a  seeming  promise  of  less  turbulent  times 
in  Massachusetts,  and  of  returning  commercial  prosperity.  The  debt 
incurred  by  the  province  during  the  seven  years  of  war,  l?o5  to  1T02, 
had  been  paid  off,  and  no  local  taxation  was  necessary.  The  British 
troops,  which  were  the  occasion  if  not  the  cause  of  the  massacre  under 
the  shadow  of  the  town-house  on  King  street,  had  been  withdrawn  at 
the  demand  of  the  citizens  through  their  spokesman,  Samuel  Adams ; 
and  the  revenue  exacted  by  the  mother  country  was  now  limited  to  a 
single  article  of  merchandise. 

A  few  extracts  from  the  advertising  columns  of  a  newspaper  in  the 
spring  of  ITTl  will  give  us  a  glimpse  at  the  movement  of  trade  and 
commerce  at  that  time.  The  Marquis  of  Rockingham,  Lj'dia,  Boscawoi, 
and  other  regular  traders,  had  just  arrived  from  London,  the  Aiiroi'a, 
from  Liverpool,  and  the  Jenny,  from  Glasgow.  Jonathan  and  John 
Amory,  King  street,  advertised  Irish  linens,  "  bought  with  the  cash  in 
Ireland;"  Samuel  Eliot,  near  the  head  of  Dock  Square,  Irish  linens 
and  baizes,  raven's  duck  and  Russia  duck,  Testaments  and  snuff; 
vSamuel  Alleyne  Otis,  1  Butler's  Row,  Russia  goods,  powder  and  shot, 
flour,  sugars,  bar  iron,  anchors,  brimstone,  and  hollow  ware;  Nathaniel 
Wheatley,  King  street,  Russia  duck,  Florence  oil,  tin  plates,  whale 
lines,  and  London  porter;  James  Perkins,  King  street,  spices,  flint- 
glass  wafe,  Xarragansett  cheese,  Xew  England  starch,  stone  jugs, 
a  few  barrels  of  snake  root,  wines.  West  India  ruin,  and  Cheshire 
cheese;  Andrew  Brimmer,  who  had  just  succeeded  his  mother,  Susan- 
nah Brimmer,  "  at  the  shop  she  lately  improved  at  the  South  End," 
English  goods,  pepper,  spices,  soap  and  sugar,  wholesale  and  retail ; 
Bethiah  Oliver,  opposite  the  Old  Soiith  meeting-house,  garden  seeds; 
Ziphion  Thayer,  at  the  Golden  Lion,  Cornhill,  a  large  assortment  of 
paper-hangings;  wSamuel  Minot,  near  the  draw-bridge,  and  Daniel 
Parker,  Union  street,  watches,  jewelry  and  silverware;  John  Gore, 
Queen  street,  paints,  oils  and  varnishes;  Frederick  William  Geyer, 
Union  street,  English  goods,  nails,  pepper  by  the  bag,  American  pipes 
by  the  box,  and  "  the  best  of  Lynn  made  shoes  by  the  quantity. "     One 


58  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

of  the  advertisements  refers  to  the  reeent  importations  as  having"  arrived 
after  a  long  suspension  of  business  owing  to  a  striet  adherence  to  the 
non-importation  act. 

Below  the  surface,  however,  there  was,  on  both  sides  of  the  ocean, 
a  settled  distrust,  which  manifested  itself  from  time  to  time  as  occasion 
offered.  In  the  summer  of  1770  an  order  in  council  prepared  the  way 
for  the  establishment  of  martial  law  in  Massachusetts,  and  for  the  clos- 
ing of  the  port  of  Boston.  Boston  harbor  was  made  the  rendezvous  of 
all  the  ships  of  war  on  the  North  American  station,  and  the  port  was 
to  be  garrisoned  by  regular  troops  and  put  into  a  state  of  defence.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  law  which  imposed  a  tax  on  tea  was  present  in  the 
minds  of  the  people,  and  of  their  representatives,  as  a  perpetual  griev- 
ance. The  latter  resolved  that,  as  the  duty  levied  by  Act  of  Parliament 
on  foreign  tea  imported  into  the  province  was  laid  for  the  express 
purpose  of  raising  revenue  here,  without  the  consent  of  those  who  were 
to  pay  it,  they  would  use  their  utmost  endea^'ors  to  prevent  the  use  and 
consumption  of  the  article  in  the  several  towns  to  which  they  belonged. 
This  was  in  the  spring  of  1770.  Three  3^ears  later,  in  replying  to  an 
address  from  Hutchinson,  who  had  been  commissioned  as  governor  of 
the  province,  they  thus  protested :  ' '  With  all  the  deference  due  to 
Parliament,  we  are  humbly  of  opinion,  that,  as  all  hiiman  authority  is, 
and  ought  to  be,  limited,  it  cannot  constitutionally  extend  its  power  to 
the  levying  of  taxes,  in  any  form,  on  the  people  of  this  province." 
With  these  sentiments  the  people  were  in  the  fullest  accord,  and 
they  abstained  so  generally  from  the  use  of  the  beverage,  which 
had  been  such  a  favorite  among  them  previously,  that  the  merchants, 
for  the  most  part,  forbore  to  pass  through  the  custom-house  the  con- 
signments of  tea  which  came  to  their  care,  and  piled  them  tip  in  the 
warehouses.  This,  of  course,  reacted  unfavorably  tipon  the  market  in 
London,  and  it  added  to  the  embarrassment  of  the  East  India  Company, 
which,  as  is  apt  to  be  the  case  with  monopolies,  had  been  carelessly 
managed,  and  its  affairs  had  been  brought  into  confusion.  The  com- 
pany held  seven  million  pounds  of  tea,  and  the  non-importation  agree- 
ments in  America,  though  but  partially  carried  into  effect,  shut  off  all 
])rospect  of  relief  from  that  quarter.  It  not  only  could  not  declare 
dividends ;  it  was  unable  to  meet  its  va.st  obligations  in  Asia  and  Europe, 
and,  also,  to  pay  an  annual  subsidy  for  which  it  was  under  engagement 
to  the  government.  It  therefore  came  to  the  government  for  assist- 
ance, and  asked  for  a  loan.      Lord  North  thought  he  saw  a  way  to  help 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  59 

the  company  out  of  its  difficulties,  and  at  the  same  time  to  settle  the 
disputed  question  of  taxation  with  the  colonies.  Tea  brought  into 
Eng-land  was  subject  to  a  duty  of  a  shilling  a  pound;  the  duty,  unpro- 
ductive hitherto,  upon  that  imported  into  the  colonies  was  threepence. 
What  the  minister  proposed  and  carried  was  as  follows:  First,  to 
remit  to  the  company  the  duty  of  a  shilling  a  pound  on  such  portion  of 
its  teas  as  it  should  export  ' '  to  any  of  the  British  plantations  in 
America-."  ^Second,  to  "  empower  the  Commissioners  of  the  Treasury 
to  grant  licenses  to  the  East  India  Company  to  export  teas  to  the  British 
plantations  in  America,  or  to  foreign  parts,"  on  their  own  accotmt. 
The  effect  of  the  first  meastire  would  be,  as  was  expected,  that  while 
the  American  consignees,  and  through  them  the  consumers,  wovild  pay 
the  duty  of  threepence  a  pound,  their  tea  would  be  cheapened  to  them 
on  the  whole  at  the  rate  of  a  shilling  a  pound,  the  amount  of  the  draw- 
back allowed  to  the  company  on  its  exportation  of  the  article  from 
England.  Under  the  second  provision,  the  tea  would  be  brought 
into  the  colonies,  not  as  an  importation  by  American  merchants,  but 
under  consignment  to  agents  of  the  company  here,  who  would  be  able 
to  clear  it  at  the  custom-house  without  exposing  themselves  to  the 
odium  which  would  have  attached,  under  the  circumstances,  to  im- 
porters paying  duties  upon  their  own  property. 

The  historic  company  which  had  governed  an  empire,  which  had  made 
and  unmade  princes,  which  had  its  own  armies  and  fleets,  was  to  be- 
come a  vender  of  teas.  As  the  Boston  merchant  and  patriot,  William 
Phillips,  well  said:  "  Nothing  can  more  evidently  prove  the  ill  con- 
duct or  mismanagement  of  the  affairs  of  the  East  India  company  than 
their  becoming  exporters  of  tea  to  America — -a  paltrv  transaction,  un- 
worthy of  one  of  the  greatest  associated  bodies  in  Europe."  It  should 
be  added  here,  that  when  the  British  government  imdertook  to  relieve 
the  company  from  its  difficulties,  it  adopted  radical  measures  for  reform 
in  the  administration  of  its  affairs  and  in  the  government  of  India.  By 
the  Act  of  Regulation  of  1773  the  office  of  governor-general  was  estab- 
lished, and  Warren  Hastings  received  the  appointment. 

The  company  made  arrangements  to  ship  cargoes  of  its  tea  to  four 
American  ports,  Boston,  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Charleston.  In 
all  these  towns  the  aim  of  the  patriotic  citizens  was  to  prevent  payment 
of  duty  at  the  custom-house  and  the  introduction  of  the  article  into  the 
consmnption  of  the  country,  and  for  this  purpose  to  secure  its  return  to 
England  without  breaking  bulk.      At  Charleston   the  consignees   were 


(50  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

persuaded  to  resig-n  their  trust,  and  the  tea  sent  to  their  care  was 
brought  on  shore  under  guard,  and  stored  in  quasi  bonded  cellars,  where 
in  the  end  it  w^as  ruined  by  damp.  The  consignees  in  Philadelphia  and 
New  York,  convinced  that  it  would  be  imprudent,  if  not  useless,  to 
contend  with  the  spirit  which  was  abroad,  sent  back  the  tea-ships  which 
had  arrived  at  those  ports.  When  notice  had  been  received  in  Boston 
of  the  intended  shipment  thither,  a  town  meeting"  was  held  at  which  the 
agreement  not  to  purchase  or  use  tea  was  revived,  and  the  d&termina- 
tion  was  taken  that  it  should  not  be  landed.  The  consignees  w'ere  re- 
c^uested  not  to  receiv^e  it,  or  to  allow  it  to  be  taken  out  of  the  vessels, 
but  they  declined  to  give  any  assurances  of  compliance.  A  second 
meeting  was  convened,  and  it  was  voted  that  the  proposed  shipment  of 
tea  to  the  province  w^as  "  a  direct  attack  upon  the  liberties  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  that  whoever  should  receive  or  vend  the  tea  w^ould  prove  him- 
self an  enemy  to  the  country."  The  consignees  were  again  requested, 
by  a  committee,  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  cargoes  when  they 
arrived,  but  they  gave  evasive  and  unsatisfactory  answers,  and  the  ex- 
citement throughout  the  province  became  intense.  Not  even  the  stamp 
act  had  created  more  indignation  and  alarm. 

The  Boston  tea-ships  were  the  Darfi/iouth,  Captain  Hall,  the  Eleanor, 
Captain  Bruce,  and  the  Bcave7%  Captain  Coffin,  and  they  brought  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  chests.  The  consignees  were  Thomas  and  Elisha 
Hutchinson  (sons  of  the  governor),  Richard  Clarke  &  Sons,  Benjamin 
Faneuil,  jr.,  and  Joshua  Winslow.  They  petitioned  the  governor  and 
Council  to  take  measures  for  the  protection  of  the  property,  which,  they 
said,  should  be  landed  and  stored  but  not  exposed  for  sale,  until  they  could 
receive  fm-ther  instructions  from  England.  The  Council  hesitated  to 
interfere  in  the  business;  and,  at  length,  when  one  of  the  vessels,  the 
DartiHoutJi,  was  announced  as  having  arrived  in  the  lower  harbor,  it 
advised  the  governor  against  doing  or  permitting  what  had  been  pro- 
posed. The  DartiJiouth  came  into  port  on  Sunday,  and  early  the  next 
morning  the  people  crowded  in  such  numbers  to  Faneuil  Hall  that  an 
adjournment  to  the  Old  South  meeting-house  was  necessary.  Here  a 
resolution  presented  by  vSamuel  Adams  was  unanimously  adopted,  that 
"  the  tea  should  be  sent  back  to  the  place  from  whence  it  came,  at  all 
events,  and  that  no  duty  should  be  paid  on  it."  The  consignees  asked 
for  time  for  ccmsultation,  and,  "out  of  great  tenderness,"  this  was 
granted.  To  prevent  surprise,  however,  a  guard  of  twenty-five  citizens 
Was  appointed  to  watch  the  ship,  which  was  moored  at  Griffin's,  after- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  61 

ward  Liverpool,  wharf.  The  Eleanor  and  Beaver  arrived  a  few  days 
later,  and  were  placed  under  the  same  watch  and  charge.  The  IGth 
of  December  was  the  latest  day,  under  the  customs  regulations,  for  the 
entry  of  the  first  cargo,  and,  in  the  mean  time,  negotiations  had  been  in 
progress  between  the  officers  and  owners  of  the  ships  and  the  consignees 
of  the  tea  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  various  authorities  and  the  citizens' 
committees,  on  the  other;  but  no  satisfactory  arrangement  could  be 
reached.  Another  mass  meeting  crowded  the  old  meeting-house,  in 
the  pulpit  of  which  patriotic  orators  had  spoken  and  devout  clergymen 
had  preached  and  prayed,  and  whose  walls,  not  many  months  later, 
were  to  be  subjected  to  sacrilegious  punishment  for  the  uses  to  which 
they  had  been  put  in  the  interest  of  the  popular  liberties.  The  session 
lasted  from  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  imtil  darkness  had  fallen  upon 
the  town ;  the  last  attempts  had  been  made  with  the  customs  authorities 
and  with  the  governor,  to  supply  the  vessels  with  passes  for  the  return 
voyage,  and  had  failed,  and,  finally,  Samuel  Adams  closed  the  pro- 
ceedings with  the  pregnant  words,  "We  can  do  no  more  to  save  the 
coimtry. "  A  momentary  silence  followed;  and  then  a  shout  was  heard 
like  a  war-whoop,  and  forty  or  fifty  men,  disguised  as  Indians,  hurried 
down  Milk  street  to  the  wharf  at  which  the  three  vessels  lay.  The 
holds  were  opened,  the  tea  chests  were  brought  up  to  the  decks  and 
split  open  with  hatchets,  and  in  three  hours'  time  all  their  contents 
were  emptied  into  the  water.  No  other  property  was  injured,  and  the 
deed  having  been  done,  every  man  went  to  his  own  house,  and  the 
town  was  as  quiet  as  if  nothing  had  occurred.  Few  of  the  inhabitants 
knew  beforehand  that  the  Gordian  knot  was  thus  to  be  cut. 

Parliament  was  in  session  when  the  news  of  the  destruction  of  the 
tea  reached  England,  and  the  anger  and  indignation  of  the  court  party 
knew  no  bounds.  All  other  legislation  was  laid  aside,  Boston  became 
the  principal  object  of  attention,  and  steps  were  at  once  taken  for  the 
prompt  punishment  of  the  recalcitrant  town.  Lord  North  brought  in  a 
bill,  now  known  as  the  Boston  Port  Bill,  which  provided  for  the  with- 
drawal of  the  customs  officers,  and  forbade  the  landing  and  discharg- 
ing, the  lading  and  shipping  of  goods,  wares  and  merchandise  at  the 
town  or  within  the  harbor.  It  was  to  be  unlawful  to  load  or  unload 
any  vessel  with  merchandise  in  quantity  or  any  of  any  sort,  except  mil- 
itary and  other  stores  for  his  Majesty's  service,  and  except  also,  "  any 
fuel  or  victual  brought  coastways  from  any  part  of  the  continent  of 
America  for  the  necessary  use  and  sustenance  of    the  inhabitants  of 


C2  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  said  town."  This  simimary  measure  passed  the  House  of  Com- 
mons without  a  division,  and  the  House  of  Lords  without  a  dissenting 
vote. 

A  few  days  later,  to  "prove  that  coneiliation,  not  revenge,  was  pre- 
dominant in  Britain,"  an  immediate  repeal  of  the  tax  on  tea  was  pro- 
posed, but  only  forty-nine  inembers  of  the  House  of  Commons  voted  in 
favor  of  the  proposal,  while  nearly  four  times  that  number  voted  against 
it.  Edmund  Burke  was  one  of  the  minority,  and  in  the  course  of  a 
masterlv  speech,  in  which  he  reviewed  the  doings  of  the  ministry  dur- 
ing the  previous  ten  3^ears,  he  said:  "Let  us  act  like  men;  let  us  act 
like  statesmen.  Let  us  hold  some  sort  of  consistent  ccmduct.  Leave 
the  Americans  as  they  anciently  stood.  Do  not  burden  them  by  taxes. 
When  you  drive  him  hard,  the  boar  will  surely  turn  upon  the  hunters. 
If  our  sovereignty  and  their  freedom  cannot  be  reconciled,  which  will 
they  take?  They  will  cast  your  sovereignty  in  your  face.  Nobody  will 
be  argued  into  slavery." 

The  port  bill  was  published  in  the  colonies  with  a  black  border  around 
it,  as  though  it  related  to  a  funeral.  It  was  to  be  enforced  relentlessly, 
and  a  military  governor  for  Massachusetts,  General  Gage,  was  sent  over 
as  the  successor  of  Mr.  Hutchinson.  On  the  day  of  the  departure  of 
the  latter  from  his  native  town,  never  to  return,  the  punitive  law  went 
into  effect.  This  was  the  first  of  June,  1774.  At  noon  the  custom 
house  was  closed,  and  the  sessions  of  the  courts  were  suspended.  The 
people  made  no  opposition,  but  the  church  bells  were  tolled,  emblems 
of  mourning  were  displayed,  and  the  day  was  observed  not  only  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, but  in  Virginia  and  other  colonies,  as  one  of  fasting  and 
prayer.  To  the  devoted  town  the  blow  was  overwhelming.  In  one 
way  or  another  almost  all  its  inhabitants  lived  by  ocean  commerce. 
Palfrey  had  the  impression,  but  he  did  not  make  the  statement  with  ab- 
solute certainty,  that  in  177'2,  when  its  shipping  interests  were  already 
much  crippled,  five  hundred  and  eighty-seven  vessels  were  entered  at 
its  custom-house,  and  four  hundred  and  eleven  were  cleared;  that 
meant  one  thousand  arrivals  and  departures  from  and  to  foreign  ports. 
To  close  the  harbor  to  navigation  was  to  strike  at  everybody,  "  from 
those  in  easy  circumstances,  to  those  who  depended  for  their  day's  liv- 
ing on  their  day's  work.  Business  of  all  kinds  came  to  a  stand-still. 
Men  of  property  received  no  rents.  Mechanics  had  no  employment. 
Laboring  men  could  earn  no  wages." 

It  was  supposed  in  England  that  the  commerce  of  the  colonies  would 
be  carried  on  at  rival   ports,  whose  merchants  would  lie  quick  to  profit 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  G3 

by  the  calamity  which  had  befallen  the  chief  town.  So  far  from  this, 
the  people  at  these  rival  ports  were  seeking  to  lighten  the  sufferings 
which  Boston  had  incurred  for  their  sake  and  for  the  sake  of  the  whole 
country.  vSalem  and  Marblehead,  the  next  most  important  places  on 
the  Massachusetts  coast,  offered  to  the  Boston  merchants  the  gratuitous 
use  of  their  wharves  and  Avarehouses,  and  the  services  of  their  men  in 
discharging  and  loading  their  vessels.  Salem,  m  particular,  sent  a 
memorial  to  General  Gage,  breathing  the  noblest  spirit,  and  declaring 
that  its  citizens  would  be  dead  to  every  idea  of  justice,  and  lost  to  all 
feelings  of  humanity,  if  they  could  for  a  moment  think  of  raising 
their  fortunes  on  the  ruins  of  their  suffering  neighbors.  A  com- 
mittee at  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  wrote:  "We  sincerely  wi.sh 
you  resolution  and  prosperity  in  the  common  cause,  and  shall  ever 
view  3^our  interest  as  our  own."  Two  cargoes  of  tea  arrived  at 
Portsmouth  during  the  summer,  but  the  popular  feeling  was  so 
strong,  the}^  were  speedily  ordered  to  Halifax.  In  the  mean  time  con- 
tributions for  the  relief  of  those  who  were  destitute  in  Boston  came  in 
from  the  country  towns  of  Massachusetts,  from  other  parts  of  New  Eng- 
land, from  the  colonies  further  south, and  even  from  Canada.  Outside 
Massachusetts,  the  largest  contribution  came  from  South  Carolina,  which 
gave  about  three  thousand  pounds.  But  while  money,  food  and  fuel 
were  coming  in  for  the  use  of  the  townspeople,  the  farmers  refused  to 
sell  supplies  for  the  troops  quartered  in  Boston.  "The  straw  pur- 
chased for  their  service  was  daily  burned,  vessels  with  brick  intended 
for  the  army  were  sunk,  and  carts  laden  with  wood  overturned."  Lord 
North  had  said  that  Boston  alone  was  to  blame  for  having  set  an  ex- 
ample of  resistance  and  defiance,  and,  therefore,  that  Boston  ought  to 
be  the  principal  object  of  attention  for  punishment.  It  was  soon  made 
apparent  that  Boston  had  not  hitherto  acted,  and  was  not  now  suffering, 
for  itself  alone. 

On  the  ITth  of  June,  iTt-t,  just  twelve  months  before  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  it  was  voted  at  a  great  meeting  in  Faneuil  Hall,  to  write 
to  the  other  colonies  that  "  we  are  not  idle;  that  we  are  deliberating 
upon  the  steps  to  be  taken  in  the  present  exigencies  of  our  public  af- 
fairs ;  that  our  brethren,  the  landed  interest  of  this  province,  with  an 
unexampled  spirit  and  unanimity  are  entering  into  a  non-consumption 
agreement  ;  and  that  we  are  waiting  with  anxious  expectation  for  the 
result  of  a  Continental  Congress,  whose  meeting  we  impatienth^  desire, 
in  whose. firmness  and  wisdom  we  confide,  and  in  whose  determination 


G4  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

we  shall  cheerfully  acquiesce.  "  When  the  Congress  met  in  Philadelphia 
in  September,  the  delegates  resolved  unanimously  that  after  the  first 
day  of  the  following  December  there  should  be  no  importation,  pur- 
chase, or  use  of  commodities  from  Great  Britain  or  Ireland,  and  that 
after  a  year,  "  unless  the  grievances  of  America  are  redressed  before 
that  time,  exportations  to  those  countries  froin  the  colonies  should 
cease."  To  carry  out  these  views,  a  "non-importation,  non-consump- 
tion, and  non-exportation  agreement  or  association  was  entered  into," 
to  which  each  member  subscribed  his  name  "in  token  of  binding  his 
constituents  as  well  as  himself." 

"Every  eye, "  says  Barry,  "was  now  fixed  upon  Boston,  once  the 
seat  of  commerce  and  plenty,  and  inhabited  by  an  enterprising  and 
hospitable  people.  The  cause  in  which  it  suffered  was  regarded  as  the 
common  cause  of  the  country.  A  hostile  fleet  lay  in  its  harbor;  hostile 
troops  paraded  its  streets.  The  tents  of  an  army  dotted  its  Common ; 
cannon  were  planted  in  commanding  positions.  Its  port  was  closed ; 
its  wharves  were  deserted ;  its  commerce  was  paralyzed ;  its  shops  were 
shut ;  and  many  were  reduced  from  affluence  to  poverty.  Yet  a  reso- 
lute spirit  inspired  them  still."  We  quote  from  a  Boston  letter,  dated 
January  21,  1775:  "The  town  of  Boston  is  a  spectacle  worthy  of 
the  attention  of  a  Deity,  suffering  amazing  distress,  yet  determined  to 
endure  as  much  as  human  nature  can,  rather  than  betray  America 
and  posterity."  Nor  was  this  spirit  confined  to  any  one  class.  The 
mechanics,  who  had  done  so  much  to  advance  the  prosperity  of  the 
town,  and  who  now  acted  as  patrols,  wannly  supported  the  patriot 
cause.  In  vain  did  the  loyalists  tempt  them  to  compliance  with  the 
wishes  of  the  authorities ;  and  when  their  services  were  recjuired  at  the 
barracks,  "all  the  carpenters  of  the  town  and  country"  left  oft"  work, 
and  gold  was  powerless  to  change  their  purpose,  though  "hundreds 
were  ruined  and  thousands  were  half  starved."  General  Gage  wrote 
to  Lord  Dartmouth:  "I  was  premature  in  telling  your  lordship  that 
the  Boston  artificers  would  work  for  us.  This  refusal  has  thrown  us 
into  difficulties."  He  had  to  send  to  New  York  for  workmen,  and  did 
not  obtain  them  easily  there. 

We  must  now  see  how  the  intelligence  of  what  was  passing  in  New 
England  was  received  in  London.  In  opening  the  new  Parliament,  in 
which  the  ministry  was  stronger  even  than  it  had  been  in  the  old,  the 
king  said :  "  It  gives  me  much  concern  that  I  am  obliged  to  inform 
you  that  a  most  daring  spirit  of  resistance  and  disobedience  to  the  law 


TRADE   AND   COMMERCE.  G5 

still  unhappily  prevails  in  the  province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay,  and 
has  in  divers  parts  of  it  broke  forth  in  fresh  violences  of  a  very  criminal 
nature.  These  proceedings  have  been  countenanced  and  encouraged 
in  other  of  my  colonies,  and  unwarrantable  attempts  have  been  made 
to  obstruct  the  commerce  of  this  kingdom  by  unlawful  combinations.'' 
Lord  North  had  assured  the  last  Parliament  that  "  by  punishing  Boston 
all  America  would  be  struck  with  a  panic."  "The  very  contrary, "  now 
said  Mr.  Burke,  "is  the  case.  The  cause  of  Boston  is  become  the  cause 
of  all  America.  By  these  acts  of  oppression  you  have  made  Boston  the 
Lord  Mayor  of  America."  The  ministry,  however,  and  the  king, 
whose  blind  behest  they  obeyed  with  all  subserviency,  had  learned 
nothing  and  could  be  taught  nothing  by  experience;  and,  unhappily, 
both  ministry  and  king  might  rely  implicitly  on  the  support  of  a  House 
of  Commons,  whose  seats  had  become  an  article  of  brokerage  and 
inerchandise.  Our  present  narrative  has  to  do  only  with  those  puni- 
tive and  repressive  measures  which  bore  directly  upon  the  trade  and 
commerce  of  the  colonies,  and  under  which  Massachusetts  and  Boston 
suffered  the  more  severely,  because  their  commercial  interests  were  so 
extensive  and  so  important.  All  the  measures  adopted  at  this  time,  as 
Josiah  Quincy  was  assured  in  London  by  ex-Governor  Pownall,  "were 
planned  and  pushed  forward"  by  his  two  successors  in  the  governor- 
ship of  Massachusetts,  Francis  Bernard  and  Thomas  Hutchinson. 

The  Restraining  Bill,  which  was  enacted  in  the  spring  of  1775,  and 
which  undertook  to  deal  with  the  commerce  of  all  New  England,  was 
' '  calculated  in  no  slight  degree  to  heap  fresh  fiiel  on  the  flames  already 
burning  in  Aineric a. "  "This  measure,"  said  Mr.  Burke,  "is  in  effect 
the  Boston  Port  Bill,  but  upon  an  infinitely  larger  scale. "  And  he  said 
further :  ' '  Evil  principles  are  prolific  :  the  Boston  Port  Bill  begot  this 
New  England  bill ;  this  New  England  bill  will  beget  a  Virginia  bill : 
again,  a  Carolina  bill ;  and  that  will  beget  a  Pennsylvania  bill,  till,  one 
b}'  one,  Parliafnent  will  ruin  all  its  colonies,  and  root  up  all  their  com- 
merce, and  the  statute  book  become  nothing  but  a  black  and  bloody 
roll  of  proscription,  a  frightful  code  of  rigor  and  tyranny,  a  monstrous 
digest  of  acts  of  penalty,  incapacity  and  general  attainder ;  so  that,  open 
it  where  you  will,  you  will  find  a  title  for  destroying  some  trade  or 
ruining  some  province."  The  bill  in  question  forbade  trade  from  New 
England  ports,  except  to  the  British  Lslands  and  the  British  West  India 
Islands.  An  amendment  providing  that  the  colonies  might  carry 
coastwise,  and  from  one  port  to   another,    "fuel,  corn,  meal,  flour,   or 


00  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

other  victual,"  was  rejected  by  a  lar^-e  majority.  The  bill  also  pro- 
hibited the  resort  of  the  fishing  vessels  of  New  Eng-land  to  the  Banks 
of  Newfoundland.  "The  prejudice,"  says  Botta,  in  his  "  History  of  the 
Revolution,"  "that  must  have  resulted  from  this  act  to  the  inhabitants 
of  New  England  may  be  calculated  from  the  single  fact  that  they  an- 
nually employed  in  this  business  about  forty-six  thousand  tons  and  six 
thousand  seamen ;  and  the  produce  realized  from  it  in  foreign  markets 
amounted  to  three  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  pounds  sterling." 
"The  trade  arising  from  the  cod-fishery  alone  at  that  period,"  says 
Sabine,  "furnished  the  northern  colonies  with  nearly  half  of  their  re- 
mittances to  the  mother  country,  in  payment  for  articles  of  British 
manufacture,  and  was  thus  the  very  life-blood  of  their  commerce." 
From  some  of  the  questions  asked  when  the  bill  was  in  committee, 
it  would  seem  that  the  ministry  indulged  the  hope  that  many  of  the 
fishermen  would  abandon  their  homes  in  Massachusetts  and  emigrate 
to  the  more  loyal  province  of  Nova  vScotia,  rather  than  remain  idle  and 
suffer,  perhaps,  for  the  necessaries  of  life,  under  the  pressure  of  this 
restrictive  legislation.  But  no  one  who  really  knew  these  liberty-loving 
men  could  have  entertained  such  a  thought  for  a  moment. 

Let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  what  Boston  was  at  the  period  of  tran- 
sition from  what  we  may  call  moral  suasion  to  physical  force.  It  had 
a  population  of  about  seventeen  thousand,  homogeneous,  industrious,  in- 
telligent and  self-respecting  people.  The  natural  features  of  the  local- 
ity had  been  changed  but  slightly  during  the  century  and  a  half  which 
had  passed  since  it  was  visited  for  the  first  time  by  the  Pljmiouth  settlers. 
"  The  original  peninsula,  with  its  one  broad  avenue  by  land  to  connect 
it  with  the  beautiful  country  by  which  it  was  surrounded,  had  suffi- 
ciently accommodated  its  population  without  much  alteration  of  the 
land,  or  without  much  encroachment  on  the  sea."  Hutchinson  said  of 
the  province  of  Massachusetts  Bay  at  this  time:  "  In  no  independent 
state  in  the  world  could  the  people  have  been  more  happy."  Boston, 
more  than  any  other  town,  represented  this  prosperity.  "  It  was  not 
only  the  metropolis  of  Massachusetts  and  the  pride  of  New  England, 
but  it  was  the  commercial  emporium  of  the  colonies." 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Port  Bill  and  the  Restraining  Bill, 
everything  was  changed.  Not  only  the  foreign  trade,  but  all  the 
coastwise  traffic  of  the  port,  including  the  movements  of  the  humblest 
craft,  was  arrested.  "  Did  a  lighter  attempt  to  land  hay  from  the 
islands,  or  a  boat  to  bring  in  sand  from  the  neighboring  hills,  or  a  scow 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  67 

to  freight  to  it  lumber  or  iron,  or  a  float  to  land  sheep,  or  a  farmer  to 
carry  marketing  over  in  the  ferry-boats,  the  arg-iis-eyed  fleet  was  ready 
to  see  it,  and  prompt  to  capture  or  destroy.  Not  a  raft  or  a  keel  was 
allowed  to  approach  the  town  with  merchandise.  Many  of  the  stores, 
especially  all  those  on  Long  Wharf,  were  closed.  In  a  word,  Boston 
had  entered  on  its  season  of  suffering.  Did  its  inhabitants  expostulate 
on  the  severity  with  which  the  law  was  carried  out,  the  insulting  reply 
was  that  to  distress  them  was  the  very  object  of  the  bill."  The  story 
of  humiliation  and  distress,  as  we  read  it,  recalls  the  lamentation  of  the 
prophet:  "  How  doth  the  city  sit  solitary,  that  was  full  of  people!  how 
is  she  become  as  a  widow!  she  that  was  great  among  the  nations,  and 
princess  among  the  provinces,  how  is  she  become  tributary!  " 

During  the  month  of  vSeptember,  1774,  Boston  Neck  was  fortified  by 
Governor  Gage,  and  from  this  time  forward  the  inhabitants,  so  far  as 
they  were  able,  began  to  leave  the  town.  After  "the  battle  of  the 
minute-men,"  at  Lexington  and  Concord,  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775, 
this  migration  was  increased ;  for  the  town  was  cut  off  from  all  inter- 
course with  the  country,  and  was  deprived  of  its  usual  supplies,  by  land 
as  well  as  by  water,  of  provisions,  fuel  and  other  necessaries.  A  similaf 
exodus  went  forward  from  Charlestown,  which  was  included  in  the 
scope  of  the  Port  Bill,  and  of  whose  population  only  two  hundred,  out 
of  between  two  and  three  thousand,  remained  when  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill  was  fought.  Before  this  battle,  both  parties  were  skir- 
mishing to  secure  the  stock  on  the  islands  in  the  harbor.  On  the  12th 
of  June  martial  law  was  proclaimed,  and  on  the  17th  came  the  battle, 
after  which  Boston  was  a  beleaguered  town.  During  the  following 
month  opportunity  to  leave  it  was  given  to  those  who  desired  to  do  so, 
as  the  scarcity  of  provisions,  present  and  prospective,  made  the  in- 
habitants a  burden  to  General  Gage,  but  no  plate  could  be  carried 
away,  or  money  in  excess  of  five  pounds  to  each  person.  In  September 
a  snow  arrived  from  Cork  "laden  with  claret,  pork  and  butter,"  and, 
at  or  about  this  time,  a  British  sympathizer  wrote  in  the  best  of  spirits 
as  follows:  "  Such  is  the  abundance  of  fuel  and  provision  for  man  and 
beast  daily  arriving  here,  that  instead  of  being  a  starved,  deserted 
town,  Boston  will  be  this  winter  the  emporium  of  America  for  plenty 
and  pleasure."  "  Our  works,"  said  Lieutenant  Carter,  on  the  19th  of 
October,  ' '  are  daily  increasing ;  we  are  now  erecting  redoubts  on  the 
eminences  on  Boston  Common,  and  a  meeting-house  [the  Old  South] 
where  sedition   has  been  often  preached,  is  clearing  out,  to  be  made  a 


r,8  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ri(linj4--h<mse  for  the  light  drao-oons. "  But  the  sano-uine  predictions  of 
the  autumn  were  not  fulfilled.  The  investment  of  the  town  by  the 
Revolutionary  army  was  so  close  and  complete  that  scarcity  and 
famine  began  to  stare  both  soldiers  and  citizens  in  the  face.  This  is 
the  state  of  things  reported  on  the  14th  of  December:  "  The  distress 
of  the  troops  and  inhabitants  in  Boston  is  great  beyond  all  possible  de- 
scription. Neither  vegetables,  flour,  nor  pulse  for  the  inhabitants; 
and  the  king's  stores  so  very  short,  none  can  be  spared  from  them ;  no 
fuel,  and  the  winter  set  in  remarkably  severe.  The  troops  and  inhab- 
itants absolutely  and  literally  starving  for  want  of  provisions  and  fire. 
Even  salt  provision  is  fifteen  pence  sterling  per  pound."  The  supply 
of  fuel  being  exhausted,  orders  were  issued  authorizing  working  par- 
ties to  take  down  the  Old  North  meeting-house,  and  about  one  hun- 
dred old  wooden  houses.  One  of  these  houses  was  the  Old  South 
parsonage  opposite  vSchool  street,  the  venerable  building  in  which 
Cxovernor  Winthrop  spent  the  last  four  or  five  years  of  his  life,  in  which 
the  Rev.  John  Norton,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Willard,  the  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Pemberton,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Sewall,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Prince  had 
lived  successively,  and  in  which  Mr.  Prince  wrote  his  "Annals."  It  had 
been  leased  a  short  time  previously  to  Benjamin  Pierpont  for  business 
purposes,  the  tide  of  trade  in  its  course  southward  having  reached  that 
point.  The  building  next  to  it  on  the  north,  on  the  corner  of  Spring 
Lane,  was  occtipied  as  a  wholesale  and  retail  store  by  Gilbert  Deblois. 
' '  The  pursuits  of  commerce  and  of  the  mechanic  arts,  the  freedom 
of  the  press,  of  speech  and  of  public  meetings,  the  courts,  the  churches 
and  the  schools,  were  all  interrupted. "  Small-pox  added  to  the  horrors ; 
and  all  who  were  in  sympathy  with  the  patriot  cause  longed  to  leave 
the  town,  "and  to  breathe,  though  in  poverty  and  exile,  the  free  air  of 
the  neighboring  hills."  General  Howe,  who  had  succeeded  General 
Gage  in  the  command,  was  only  too  glad  to  promote  their  departure, 
and,  during  the  first  part  of  the  winter,  hundreds  were  permitted  to  go 
in  boats  to  Point  Shirley,  whence  they  dispersed  into  the  country.  In 
January  the  weather  moderated,  the  harbor  was  freed  from  ice,  and, 
supplies  having  arrived,  by  a  general  order,  the  demolition  of  houses 
ceased.  In  the  mean  time  the  besieging  army  under  General  Washing- 
ton was  not  idle.  For  want  of  amminiition  it  could  not  attempt  to 
carry  the  town  by  assault,  but  the  hope  and  purpose  were  by  means  of 
its  strategy  to  compel  the  British  army  to  withdraw  from  the  peninsula. 
During  a  severe  cannonade  which  occupied  the  attention  of  the  invested 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  69 

troops,  General  Washington,  on  the  night  of  the  -ith  of  March,  took  pos- 
session of  the  Dorchester  Heights.  On  the  Tth  General  Howe  decided  to 
evacuate,  and,  ten  days  later,  he  took  his  departure.  A  young  captain, 
Jedediah  Huntington,  whose  son,  early  in  the  next  century,  was  to  be 
a  minister  of  the  Old  South  Church,  wrote  to  his  father  from  the  camp 
on  the  evening  of  March  IT:  "This  morning  we  had  the  agreeable 
sight  of  a  number  of  ships  leaving  the  town  of  Boston  with  a  large 
number  of  boats  full  of  soldiers,  about  ten  of  clock  several  lads  came 
to  our  out  centries  and  informed  us  that  the  troops  had  entirely  left 
the  town  and  that  the  selectmen  were  coming  out  to  see  us,  soon  after 
we  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Messrs.  Austin,  Scollay,  Marshall,  &c., 
they  had  an  interview  with  the  general  and  gave  him  the  best  intelli- 
gence they  could  concerning  the  state  of  the  town  and  the  intentions  of 
the  enemy — the  enemy  are  now  all  lying  between  the  castle  and  light- 
house in  full  view  from  the  town  and  make  a  very  formidable  appear- 
ance." 

Boston  was  not  injured  so  much,  either  by  the  bombardment  or  by 
the  action  of  the  British  soldiery,  as  had  been  reported.  Dr.  Warren, 
a  brother  of  the  hero  who  fell  on  Bunker  Hill,  and  one  of  those  who 
entered  the  town  as  soon  as  the  evacuation  had  been  accomplished, 
wrote  in  his  diary :  ' '  The  houses  I  found  to  be  considerably  abused 
inside,  where  they  had  been  inhabited  by  the  common  soldiery,  but 
the  external  parts  of  the  houses  made  a  tolerable  appearance.  The 
streets  were  clean,  and,  iipon  the  whole,  the  town  looks  better  than  I 
expected."  A  small  number  of  troops  took  formal  possession,  and 
fortifications  were  erected  at  various  points  to  guard  against  possible 
attacks  from  the  sea.  The  inhabitants  returned  more  slowly  than  they 
would  have  done  but  for  the  presence  of  the  small-pox,  and  although, 
during  the  spring,  the  selectmen  reported  that  the  disease  was  confined 
to  the  hospitals  in  the  west  part  of  the  town,  it  was  some  time  before 
the  streets  resumed  their  old  appearance  of  cheerfulness  and  activity. 
The  summer  was  a  sickly  one,  and  business  revived  slowly.  The 
Boston  Gazette,  which  had  been  printed  in  Watertown  during  the  siege, 
did  not  return  to  Boston  until  November  -t,  and  the  Provincial  Congress 
did  not  convene  here  until  November  VI. 

There  was  a  wide  gulf  between  the  Boston  of  the  provincial  days 
and  the  Boston  after  the  siege.  With  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
provincial  existence  had  come  to  an  end.  As  has  been  well  said :  ' '  Amer- 
ican history  is  divided  into  two  parts — the  history  of  the  colonies,  and 


to  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  history  of  the  United  States;  and  between  these  two  portions — - 
between  the  Declaration  and  the  Treaty  of  Paris — lie  six  years  of  war." 
Several  hundred  of  the  inhabitants  of  Boston,  loyal  notwithstanding 
all  that  had  happened  to  the  British  crown,  accompanied  General  Howe 
to  Nova  vScotia,  among-  them  many  who  had  been  most  prominent  in 
commerce,  in  public  affairs,  and  in  the  churches.  New  men  took  the 
places  which  had  been  made  vacant  in  business  and  other  circles. 
Salem  had  threatened,  since  the  passage  of  the  port  bill,  to  become  the 
rival  of  Boston ;  but,  now,  the  commerce  of  that  town,  and  of  the  entire 
north  shore,  began  to  centre  here.  At  first  much  of  the  business  was 
outside  strictly  commercial  lines,  that  is  to  say,  it  consisted  in  the 
fitting  out  and  maintenance  of  privateers,  and  it  proved  very  profitable 
to  those  engaged  in  it ;  l)ut  this  soon  gave  place  to  the  movements  of 
more  regular  and  legitimate  trade.  According  to  an  index  prepared 
by  Dr.  Edward  Strong,  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  vessels  belonging 
to  Boston  were  commissioned  as  privateers,  twenty  in  ITTO,  thirty-one 
in  1777,  and  a  larger  number  annually  as  the  war  went  on.  The 
earliest  was  the  Lady  Washington^  of  thirty  tons,  April  22,  177G.  She 
was  followed  by  the  Yankee,  W^irrcn,  Independence,  Wolfe,  Speedwell, 
Viper,  Reprisal,  A  niericau  Tartar,  Revenge,  Sturdy  Beggar,  True  Blue, 
etc.,  etc. 

Three  months  before  the  promulgation  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, April  (i,  1770,  a  measure  was  carried  in  the  Continental 
Congress,  by  which  the  thirteen  colonies  abolished  British  custom- 
houses, prohibited  the  importation  of  slaves,  and  opened  all  their  ports 
to  the  commerce  of  the  world,  excepting  those  still  held  by  the  British 
troops.  Samuel  Adams  wrote  to  Joseph  Hawley  that  the  "United 
Colonies  had  torn  into  shivers  the  British  acts  of  trade."  For  a  short 
period  almost  absolutely  free  trade  prevailed. 

While  there  was  a  reserve  of  accumulated  wealth  in  Boston,  which 
was  of  the  utmost  value  to  the  town  in  this  period  of  transition,  and 
which  enabled  it  to  cope  with  many  of  the  troubles  involved  in  the 
great  disaster  of  war,  personal  suffering  and  individual  loss  were  very 
great.  The  burden  of  taxation  bore  heavily  on  the  majority;  there 
was  a  serious  depreciation  of  the  paper  currency,  and  a  corresponding 
advance  in  the  prices  of  commodities,  and  vain  endeavors  were  made 
from  time  to  time  to  check  this  advance  in  prices  by  legislative  enact- 
ment. The  Rev.  John  Eliot,  writing,  June  17,  1777,  to  his  friend  the 
Rev.  Jeremy  Belknap,   then  settled  at  Dover,  New   Hampshire,  said, 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  71 

"We  are  all  starving-  here,"  and  he  complained  that  as  a  result  of  a 
recent  "regulating  bill,"  people  would  not  bring  provisions  into  the 
town,  and  it  was  impossible  to  procure  the  necessaries  of  life.  In  an- 
other letter,  March  IT,  17T0,  Mr.  Eliot  wrote:  "The  miseries  of  famine 
are  now  mingled  with  the  horrors  of  war.  The  poor  people  in  the 
almshouse  have  been  destitute  of  grain  and  other  necessaries  these 
many  days.  Many  respectable  families  are  almost  starving."  A  few 
months  before,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Chauncy,  minister  of  the  First  Church,  in 
a  sermon  before  the  State  authorities,  made  a  strong  representation  of 
the  injury  and  hardship  inflicted  on  the  clergy  by  the  depreciation  of 
the  currencv,  "  and  withal  a  redress  of  their  wrongs  was  decently  and 
solemnly  urged;  "  but  nothing  was  done  for  their  relief.  Another  cor- 
respondent of  Dr.  Belknap,  Mr.  Ebenezer  Hazard,  afterward  post- 
master general,  wrote  in  1780:  "Boston  affords  nothing  new  but 
complaints  upon  complaints.  I  have  been  credibly  informed  that  a 
person  who  used  to  live  well  has  been  obliged  to  take  the  feathers  out 
of  his  bed  and  sell  them  to  an  upholsterer  to  get  money  to  buy  bread. 
Many  doubtless  are  exceedingly  distressed,  and  yet,  such  is  the  infatu- 
ation of  the  day,  that  the  rich,  regardless  of  the  necessities  of  the  poor, 
are  more  luxurious  and  extravagant  than  formerly.  Boston  exceeds 
even  Tyre,  for  not  only  are  her  merchants  princes,  but  even  her 
tavern-keepers  are  gentlemen.  May  it  not  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre 
than  for  her !  There  can  be  no  surer  sign  of  a  decay  of  morals  than 
the  tavern-keepers  growing  rich  fast. "  It  it  said  that  John  Hancock 
issued  invitations  to  a  ball,  November,  1780,  printed  on  the  backs  of 
plaving-cards,  showing  a  scarcity  in  other  things  besides  the  necessaries 
of  life. 

We  cpiote  once  more  from  the  Rev.  John  Eliot,  under  date  of  March 
39,  1780:  "The  town  of  Boston  is  really  poor.  If  some  brighter 
prospects  do  not  open,  it  is  my  opinion  that  we  cannot  subsist.  You 
are  sensible  how  much  depends  upon  our  trade.  Let  this  one  instance 
of  our  going  downwards  convince  you.  An  outward  bound  cargo  can- 
not be  purchased  for  the  whole  amount  of  the  vessel  and  cargo  return- 
ing safely  to  the  wharf.  Thus  the  balance  is  against  us,  supposing  no 
risk.  What  then  can  be  the  emoluments  of  trade,  when  the  vessels  are 
so  much  exposed  to  every  danger  from  the  ire  of  Neptune  equally  with 
the  attacks  of  British  cruisers?  Many  widowed  families  add  to  the 
distress  of  the  North  End,  who  were  in  good  circumstances  before  the 
commencement  of  this  tedious  season.    Most  of  the  ready  money  which 


72  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

was  in  the  town,  the  country  people  have  drained^ — snch  was  the  neces- 
sity of  obtaining;-  fuel  at  any  price.  One  effect  these  things  have  upon 
all  orders  of  men  in  the  sea-ports, — ^a  hearty  wish  for  peace,  which 
sentiment  did  not  pervade  the  mobility  till  the  present  time." 

With  this  distress — -almost  side  by  side  with  it — there  was  an  expend- 
iture of  money,  and  an  ostentatious  display,  especially  on  the  part  of 
those  who  had  just  come  into  the  possession  of  wealth,  such  as  had 
never  been  known  before  in  Massachusetts.  We  quote  from  an  his- 
torian of  the  period  on  this  point,  because  his  statement  of  the  case  ex- 
plains the  reverses  which  followed  when  the  inevitable  reaction  came : 
"The  usual  consequences  of  war  were  conspicuous  upon  the  habits  of 
the  people  of  Massachusetts.  Those  of  the  maritime  towns  relapsed 
into  the  voluptuousness  which  arises  from  the  precarious  wealth  of  naval 
adventures.  An  emulation  prevailed  among-  men  of  fortune  to  exceed 
each  other  in  the  full  display  of  their  riches.  This  was  imitated  among 
the  less  opulent  classes  of  citizens,  and  drew  them  off  from  those  prin- 
ciples of  diligence  and  economy  which  constitute  the  best  support  of  all 
governments,  and  particularly  of  the  republican.  Besides  which,  what 
was  most  to  be  lamented,  the  discipline  and  manners  of  the  army  had 
vitiated  the  taste,  and  relaxed  the  industry  of  the  yeomen.  In  this  dis- 
position of  the  people  to  indulge  the  i;se  of  luxuries,  and  in  the  ex- 
hausted state  of  the  country,  the  merchants  saw  a  market  for  foreign 
manufactures.  The  political  character  of  America,  standing  in  a  re- 
spectable view  abroad,  gave  a  confidence  and  credit  to  individuals  here- 
tofore unknown.  This  credit  was  improved,  and  goods  were  imported 
to  a  much  greater  amount  than  could  be  consumed  and  paid  for." 

Peace  came  at  last ;  and  although  there  were  public  debts,  vState  and 
national,  to  be  provided  for,  and  heavy  taxation  to  be  endured,  and  an 
inheritance  of  trouble,  of  one  kind  and  another,  left  by  the  war,  to  be 
carried  for  a  long  time  to  come,  every  one  rejoiced  at  the  daw^n  of  the 
auspicious  day  which  seemed  to  be  rising  upon  the  young  nation. 
In  reply  to  an  address  from  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts,  General 
Washington  wrote,  March  20,  lT,So:  "Happy,  inexpressibly  happy, 
in  the  certain  intelligence  of  a  general  peace,  which  was  concluded  on 
the  20th  of  January  last,  I  feel  an  additional  pleasure  in  reflecting  that 
this  glorious  event  will  prove  a  sure  means  to  dispel  the  fears  expressed 
by  your  Commonwealth  for  their  northeastern  boundary,  that  territory 
being  by  the  treaty  secured  to  the  United  States  in  its  fullest  extent." 
It  would  have  been  well  for  both  countries,  if  the  sentiments  expressed 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  73 

in  the  preamble  to  the  treaty  of  peace  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States  conld  have  been  permanently  adhered  to  as  the  basis 
for  all  their  future  dealings  with  each  other:  "Whereas  reciprocal 
advantages  and  mutual  convenience  are  found  by  experience  to  form 
the  only  permanent  foundation  of  peace  and  friendship  between  states, 
it  is  agreed  to  form  the  articles  of  the  proposed  treaty  on  such  princi- 
ples of  liberal  equity  and  reciprocity,  as  that  partial  advantages,  those 
seeds  of  discord,  being  excluded,  such  a  beneficial  and  satisfactory 
intercourse  between  the  two  countries  may  be  established,  as  to 
promise  and  secure  to  both,  perpetual  peace  and  harmony." 

With  the  advent  of  peace,  every  description  of  merchandise  arrived 
from  abroad  in  large  quantities,  and  prices  fell  rapidly.  Many  repre- 
sentatives of  English  houses  made  their  appearance,  and  some  Boston 
business  men  returned  who  had  been  living  in  England  during  the  war; 
and  all  brought  speculative  ventures  with  them.  The  newspapers  of 
the  time  are  filled  with  advertisements  of  goods  just  received  from 
British  and  other  European  ports.  "  For  example :  ' '  Gilbert  &  L. 
Deblois  hath  imported  in  the  last  ships  from  London  a  large  and 
general  assortment  of  piece  goods  and  hardwares."  "  N.  B.  Those 
who  please  them  with  their  custom  may  depend  upon  great  penny- 
worths."  "William  Foster  &  Co.  have  received  by  the  last  vessels 
from  Europe  a  beautiful  assortment  of  picked  goods."  "William 
De  Blois  most  respectfully  informs  the  merchants,  captains  of  ships, 
and  the  public,  that  he  has  just  received  from  London,  in  the  Britan- 
nia, Captain  Lambert;  HopL\  Captain  Fellows;  and  Minerva,  Captain 
Hodgson,  a  large  and  compleat  assortment  of  ship  chandlery."  Na- 
thaniel Ingraham,  who  had  just  arrived  in  the  Rosamond,  Captain  Love, 
from  London,  offers  for  sale  merchandise  from  that  and  other  ports, 
and  adds :  ' '  The  goods  having  been  purchased  before  the  peace,  wall 
be  sold  cheaper  than  any  purchased  since."  "  N.  B.  Excellent  Cheshire 
cheese  and  a  few  hampers  best  London  porter."  We  find  this  an- 
nouncement under  date  of  June  5,  1783 :  "  This  morning  arrived  a  ship 
from  Cork,  loaded  with  beef,  pork  and  butter."  The  first  publication 
in  the  papers  of  the  inward  entries  and  the  outward  clearances  at  the 
custom-house  appears  on  the  7th  of  August  in  the  same  year.  Most  of 
the  English  trade  of  Boston  was  carried  on  through  London,  with  an 
occasional  vessel  arriving  from  or  sailing  for  Liverpool.  We  read  under 
date  of  November  -27:  "For  Liverpool  in  Great  Britain,  the  Brig 
Juno,  Peter  Cunningham  master,  lying  at  Tileston's  Wharf."  Novem- 
10 


74  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ber  13:  "Paul  Revere,  directly  opposite  Liberty  Pole,  South  lind, 
Boston,  has  imported  and  will  sell  '  hardware  and  cutlery  '  at  a  very 
low  advance  for  cash." 

During  the  years  1770  to  1775  the  exports  from  Great  Britain  to  all 
the  American  colonies  had  averaged  about  three  millions  sterling  annu- 
ally. Dr.  Price,  an  able  economist,  and  a  steadfast  friend  of  the  newly 
independent  States,  estimated  that  this  average  wcnild  be  reached  and 
passed  in  1783.  Writing  in  that  year  he  said:  "Allowing  for  the 
increased  quantities  of  rum,  teas,  and  various  entered  or  unentered 
importations  from  other  countries  than  Britain,  the  estimate  of  goods 
from  all  Europe  may  be  now  put  at  three  millions  and  a  half  sterling, 
exclusive  of  tea,  brandy,  rum  and  wine."  He  predicted  that  it  woiild 
be  some  time  before  trade  could  "  get  iiito  the  regular  course  of  circu- 
lation, and  the  exports  be  favorable  to  tally  with  the  imports."  The 
exports  from  the  United  vStates  were  rice,  indigo,  flour,  tobacco,  tar, 
beef,  pork,  fish,  oil  and  lumber.  The  worst  apprehensions  of  the  com- 
mercial world  were  soon  realized ;  supply  far  outran  demand ;  prices 
declined  to  a  ruinous  point ;  bankruptcies  multiplied,  and  in  the  absence 
of  exports  in  adequate  quantity,  the  country  began  to  lose  its  specie  at 
a  serious  rate.  In  a  London  paper  of  March  9,  1784,  we  read :  "  Two 
ships  are  arrived  in  our  river  from  Boston  in  New  England,  both  in 
ballast,  not  having  been  able  to  procure  cargoes  of  any  kind,  though 
they  had  (what  is  most  desirable  in  that  country)  specie  to  pay  for  all 
they  should  have  brought  away.  It  appears  from  hence  that  the 
northern  parts  of  the  American  States  are  in  a  much  worse  situation 
than  the  provinces  to  the  southward.  Boston  was  once  the  most 
flourishing  place  in  America,  and  employed  near  five  hundred  sail  of 
shipping,  besides  coasting  and  fishing  vessels,  which  were  numerous  to 
a  degree.  Besides  the  trade  which  subsisted  within  themselves,  they 
were  to  America  what  Holland  has  been  to  Europe — the  carriers  for  all 
the  other  colonies.  At  present  their  distillery  is  entirely  at  a  stand ; 
their  peltry  and  fur  trade,  once  so  considerable,  is  entirely  over;  the 
fishery  is  exceedingly  trifling;  instead  of  the  vast  exports  of  hemp, 
flax,  tar,  pitch,  turpentine,  staves,  lumber  and  provisions,  the  only 
thing  that  offered  at  Boston,  when  the  ab<n'e  ships  sailed,  was  train-oil, 
which  they  got  up  at  a  high  price." 

The  diversion  of  the  able-bodied  men  of  the  country  from  their 
wonted  industries  in  the  field  and  forest,  and  on  the  sea,  to  the  pursuits 
of  war,  was  sulScient,  of  course,  to  account  for  the  falling  otf  in  the 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  75 

siipplv  of  products  suitable  for  shipment  across  the  Atlantic,  and  the 
evil  could  not  be  remedied  immediately.  The  shipment  of  specie  could 
not  be  followed  up  for  any  length  of  time,  and  the  cessation  of  remit- 
tances at  last  brought  disaster  to  those  who  had  sold  or  consigned 
goods  from  beyond  the  sea.  London  dates  to  August  '27.  1784,  re- 
ported: "  No  less  than  five  great  American  houses  tumbled  in  the  city 
yesterday,  one  to  the  tune  of  ^140,000."  Again,  under  date  of  Sep- 
tember 3,  it  was  said:  "  But  few  large  fortunes  have  been  made  ship- 
ping goods  to  iVmerican  houses,  even  before  the  war.  Those  who  got 
money  in  that  country  had  stores  of  their  own,  kept  by  their  partners  . 
or  factors,  who  had  no  separate  interest,  and  were  anxious  to  make 
early  remittances.  Where  the  same  plan  has  been  followed  (with  this 
difference,  that  no  credit  has  been  given)  money  was  got  last  year,  and 
to  these  people  the  prospects  of  this  summer  are  by  no  means  discour- 
aging. "  And  later  (September  -24:) :  "  Very  few  of  the  last  orders  from 
America  will  be  executed,  as  the  tradesmen  are  coming  to  their  senses. 
Verv  few  dollars  make  their  appearance  now ;  indeed,  the  new  States 
are  almost  exhausted  of  .specie  already."' 

The  shipbuilding  interest  in  New  England  also  suffered  for  a  time. 
In  a  London  paper  of  August,  1784,  we  read:  "The  merchants  of  Lon- 
don, Bristol,  Liverpool,  and  Glasgow,  who  used  to  send  agents  to 
America  to  contract  for  building  ships  for  our  foreign  trade,  finding 
the  impolicy  of  such  a  measure,  have  now  come  to  a  resolution  of  giv- 
ing employment  to  the  British  subjects  at  home,  instead  of  enriching 
the  carpenters  of  the  United  States.  By  excluding  American  compet- 
itors, we  shall  augment  the  valuable  race  of  shipwrights;  and  the  pub- 
lic as  well  as  private  interest  will  be  promoted  by  introducing  gradu- 
ally from  Scotland  and  Wales,  competitors  even  into  the  Thames,  by 
means  of  their  cheaper  fabricks.  The  insurance  from  London  to  any 
port  of  America  is  now  done  at  five  per  cent." 

Bradford  says:  "  The  excessive  importations  of  1784  and  1785,  and 
the  drain  of  specie  which  followed,  had  the  effect  of  deranging  the  State 
finances ;  for  many  who  had  been  extravagant  in  their  purchases  thought 
it  first  necessary  to  pay  the  debts  they  had  thus  incurred,  so  far  as  they 
were  able,  and  to  leave  the  payment  of  their  taxes  to  a  future  day. 
Had  the  taxes  from  1781  to  1784  been  promptly  paid,  the  pressure  in 
the  years  which  followed  would  have  been  less  severe." 

It  might  well  have  been  supposed  by  the  people  of  the  Ignited  wStates 
that,   having  achieved  their  political  independence,    their  commercial 


76  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

enterprise  mioht  now  have  free  play  upon  the  ocean;  and  that  although 
they  could  no  longer  lay  claim  to  the  precise  privileges  and  immunities 
which  they  had  formerly  enjoyed  as  subjects  of  the  British  crown,  they 
would  be  able  to  put  in  exercise  on  the  sea,  no  less  than  on  the  land, 
all  the  rights  attaching  to  citizens  of  a  sovereign  state.  But  if  such 
was  their  expectation,  they  were  soon  to  be  disappointed.  The  same 
mischievous  disposition  as  of  old,  to  prescribe  and  to  limit  the  channels 
in  which  American  trade  should  flow,  was  manifested  by  the  British 
government,  notwithstandmg  the  results  of  war  and  the  dismember- 
ment of  the  empire  which  this  policy,  persisted  in,  had  brought  to  pass. 
It  had  been  found  impracticable  to  negotiate  a  commercial  treaty  in 
behalf  of  the  United  vStates  with  Great  Britain,  and  another  course  of 
restrictive  legislation  was  now  entered  upon  by  the  government  of  the 
latter  coiintry,  more  severe  in  some  respects,  and  certainly  more  gall- 
ing to  the  people  of  the  former,  than  that  which  previously  had  driven 
them  into  rebellion.  But  for  this  adherence  of  the  mother  country  to 
the  old  policy  of  selfishness  and  exclusion,  the  animosities  on  the  part 
of  her  children  and  cpiondam  subjects,  which  were  the  natural  result 
of  the  war  waged  by  them  for  separation  and  independence,  might 
speedily  have  been  healed.  But  their  commercial  freedom  was  to  be 
assailed  again,  and  at  the  very  point  at  which  they  had  been  made  to 
suffer  previously  —  their  intercourse  with  the  British  West  India 
Islands.  They  were  forbidden  to  carry  their  fish  thither ;  American 
vessels  were  not  allowed  to  take  the  products  of  the  islands  to  Eng- 
land; only  American  products  might  be  imported  direct  from  the 
United  States  to  the  ports  of  Great  Britain,  not  even  British  ships  be- 
ing permitted  to  bring  West  India  products  as  formerly  from  New 
England.  No  wonder  that  these  gallmg  restrictions  aroused  a  new 
spirit  of  resentment  in  those  against  whom  they  were  put  into  exer- 
cise, culminating  at  length  in  a  second  war,  which  was  to  secure  for 
them  absolutely  commercial  freedom. 

The  prohibition  relating  to  fish  was  promulgated  in  July,  1783.  The 
order  in  council  by  which  it  was  imposed  was  thought  to  have  been  se- 
cured by  loyalist  or  tory  influence.  It  was  aimed,  no  doubt,  at  the 
American  fisheries,  and  was  intended  to  encourage  those  of  Nova 
vScotia  and  Newfoundland.  We  have  already  spoken  of  the  importance 
of  the  trade  with  the  West  Indies  to  the  merchants  of  Boston  —  the  ex- 
change of  Hsh  for  sugar,  rum  and  molasses;  this  trade  was  now 
destroyed.     Congress  declared  that  retaliatory  measures  were  neces- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  77 

sary  in  order  that  American  commerce  should  not  pass  into  the  hands 
of  foreigners,  and  it  asked  to  be  invested  with  powers  from  the  States 
to  provide  for  the  exigency,  but  no  adecpiate  authority  was  or  could  be 
conferred  upon  the  confederacy. 

The  West  India  merchants  and  planters  suffered  almost  as  much 
from  these  trade  restrictions  as  did  the  people  of  New  England.  In  a 
letter  from  Jamaica,  dated  February  20,  1784,  to  a  Boston  merchant,  it 
was  said :  ' '  You  cannot  conceive  the  embarrassments  we  labour  under 
from  the  want  of  produce  of  your  country.  The  people  here  are  con- 
tinually cursing  first  the  king,  then  the  ministry,  and  lastly  the  gov- 
ernor."  A  letter  from  St.  Kitts,  written  a  few  weeks  earlier,  said:  "I 
am  happy  to  tell  you  that  by  the  last  ships  from  England  we  are  to 
have  a  free  trade  with  North  America  with  this  single  restriction,  that 
they  shall  not  be  the  carriers  of  any  of  the  produce  of  the  British  islands 
to  Great  Britain." 

An  order  in  council,  April  17,  1784,  permitted  only  immanufactured 
goods  (except  oil)  and  pitch,  tar,  turpentine,  indigo,  masts,  yards,  and 
bowsprits,  being  the  growth  or  production  of  any  of  the  United  vStates, 
to  be  imported  directly  from  them  into  any  of  the  ports  of  the  United 
Kingdom,  either  in  British  or  American  ships,  by  British  subjects  or 
by  any  of  the  people  inhabiting  in  or  belonging  to  the  said  United 
States,  or  any  of  them.  The  products  of  the  West  India  Islands  could 
be  exported  to  the  United  States  only  in  British  ships,  and  the 
products  of  the  United  vStates  could  be  imported  into  the  West  Indies, 
including  the  Bahamas  and  Bermudas,  only  by  "British  subjects  in 
British-built  vessels,  owned  by  His  Majesty's  subjects  and  navigated 
according  to  law."  These  are  specimens  of  the  much-vaunted  navi- 
gation acts,  which  some  among  us,  even  at  this  late  day,  extol  as  the 
highest  result  of  national  wisdom  and  enlightened  statesmanship,  and 
the  essential  features  of  which  they  would  perpetuate  in  the  com- 
mercial legislation  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  one  thing  to  impose  limitations  upon  the  commerce  of  other 
nations ;  it  is  quite  another  thing  to  accept  with  complacency  such  lim- 
itations, when  proposed  by  others  upon  ottrselves.  Upon  the  enter- 
prising merchants,  who  were  the  life  of  the  American  cities  and  towns 
over  one  hundred  years  ago,  the  impression  made  by  the  trade  regu- 
lations of  which  we  have  spoken  was  one  of  intense  indignation,  and 
they  determined  to  do  what  they  could  for  themselves  and  for  each 
other  in  self-defence.     A   meeting  of  merchants,  traders,  and  others. 


78  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

was  held  in  Boston,  in  Faneuil  Hall,  on  the  Kith  day  of  April,  1785,  at 
which  resolutions  were  adopted  which  were  aimed  at  "certain  British 
merchants,  factors  and  agents  from  England,"  "  now  residing  in  this 
town,  who  have  received  large  quantities  of  English  goods  and  are  in 
expectation  of  receiving  further  supplies,  imported  in  British  bottoms 
or  otherways,  greatly  to  the  hindrance  of  freight  in  all  American 
vessels."  The  honor  of  the  citizens  was  pledged  not  to  purchase  from, 
or  have  business  connections  wdth,  the  said  British  merchants,  factors, 
and  agents,  and  not  to  sell  or  let  to  them  warehouses,  shops,  houses, 
or  any  other  place  for  the  sale  of  their  goods.  A  committee  of  corres- 
pondence with  other  seaports  was  chosen,  and  another  committee, 
whose  duty  it  was  "to  approbate  whom  they  pleased."  This  second 
committee  consisted  of  Isaac  vSmith,  [ohn  Sweetser,  Josiah  Waters, 
Joseph  Russell,  Amasa  Davis,  John  Gardner  and  Thomas  Dawes. 
One  of  these  gentlemen,  Mr.  Russell,  wrote  to  a  friend:  "You  may 
well  suppose  our  commission  to  be  very  disagreeable.  We  have  as 
yet  approbated  only  one  gentleman,  and  he  was  recoinmended  by  a 
very  large  niimber  of  the  most  respectable  characters  of  the  town — 
Governor  Hancock  was  one  of  the  number — and  as  the  recommenda- 
tion came  from  such  a  large  proportion  of  the  community,  we  gave 
him  a  verbal  permission  to  land  and  store  his  effects.  It  is  a  matter 
of  doubt  whether  we  shall  give  approbation  to  any  others." 

In  July  of  the  same  year  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  passed  an 
act  for  the  regulation  of  navigation  and  commerce.  It  prohibited  the  ex- 
portation of  any  of  the  products  of  the  United  vStates  from  the  ports 
of  the  Commonwealth  in  British  ships,  until  the  removal  of  the  re- 
strictions imposed  by  Great  Britain  which  we  have  enuinerated ;  it  laid 
a  heavy  tonnage  duty,  a  light  inoney  tax,  and  double  duties  on  goods 
brought  into  Massachusetts  in  British  vessels.  A  Boston  merchant, 
writing  to  his  correspondent  in  Halifax,  said:  "  After  August  a  Brit- 
ish vessel  arriving  here  will  be  obliged  to  pay  five  pounds  a  ton,  and 
twenty-five  per  cent,  on  all  goods  on  board,  so  that  you  will  govern 
yourself  accordingly."  Bradford  says:  "The  General  Court  pro- 
hibited British  vessels  to  carry  the  products  of  the  State;  they  were 
also  forbid  entering  and  unlading  when  they  brought  cargoes  from 
ports  from  which  American  vessels  were  excluded,  and  only  three 
places  of  entry  were  allowed  within  the  vState. "  This  legislation  was 
made  to  apply  at  first  to  other  countries  besides  Great  Britain ;  but  it 
was  repealed,  so  far  as  it  related  to  them,  on  the  29th  of  November  in 
the  same  year. 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  79 

It  was  recognized  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean,  as  it  was  distinctly 
stated  by  our  own  public  men,  that  the  commercial  restrictions  and 
prohibitions,  in  fact,  the  whole  protective  policy,  to  which  the  United 
States  resorted  at  the  beginning  of  its  history,  were  made  use  of  as 
weapons  of  defence  and  retaliation ;  and  the  inference  is  plain,  that  a 
more  just  and  liberal  course  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain  and  other 
countries,  would  have  been  met  in  a  corresponding  spirit  of  liberality 
here.  It  was  said  in  a  London  newspaper:  "The  Americans  are 
form_ing  a  commercial  system  to  meet  that  of  this  coimtry,  and  of  those 
nations  who  have  restricted  their  carrying  their  own  produce  to  the 
ports  of  those  prohibited  nations.  A  circular  letter  was  written  from 
Philadelphia  to  the  merchants  of  the  other  great  trading  cities  on  the 
subject,  and  so  generally  approved  that  it  is  thought  restrictions  will 
soon  be  laid  on  the  trade  of  all  those  nations,  particularly  the  British, 
who,  it  is  alleged,  both  in  their  prohibitions  and  strictness  of  execution, 
have  manifested  greater  severity  than  others." 

Thomas  Jefferson  is  quoted  as  saying  in  1791:  "If  particular  na- 
tions grasp  at  undue  shares  of  our  commerce,  and  more  especially  if 
the}'  seize  on  the  means  of  the  United  States  to  convert  thein  into 
aliment  for  their  own  strength,  and  withdraw  them  entirely  from  the 
support  of  those  to  whom  they  belong,  defensive  and  protective  meas- 
ures become  necessary  on  the  part  of  the  nation  whose  marine  sources 
are  thus  invaded,  or  it  will  be  disarmed  of  its  defence,  its  productions 
will  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  nation  which  has  possessed  itself  exclusively 
of  the  means  of  carrying  them,  and  its  politics  may  be  influenced  by 
those  who  command  its  commerce."  The  Act  of  Congress  of  1817,  re- 
lating to  the  foreign  trade  of  the  country,  was  substantially  a  counter- 
part of  the  British  navigation  acts  then  in  force,  and  it  contains  the 
following  suggestive  proviso:  "  Provided,  nevertheless,  that  this  regu- 
lation shall  not  extend  to  the  vessels  of  any  foreign  nation  which  has 
not  adopted,  and  which  shall  not  adopt,  a  similar  regulation. "  Mr. 
William  S.  Lindsay,  the  historian  of  British  Shipping,  expressed  the 
opinion  that  the  government  of  the  L'^nited  vStates  was  fully  justified  in 
all  the  retaliatory  measures  adopted  at  this  period. 

To  come  back  to  Boston,  in  the  summer  of  1785,  it  is  said  that  there 
was  not  a  single  British  merchantman  in  the  harbor.  The  selfish 
policy  of  England  was  beginning  in  various  ways  to  react  upon  its  own 
people.  It  soon  became  apparent,  at  least  to  the  more  closely  observ- 
ant,  that  to  embarrass  the  American  merchant  was  to  embarrass  his 


so  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

English  creditor.  In  the  month  of  November,  London  dates  were  re- 
ceived in  Boston  to  vSeptember  3,  and,  among  other  news,  it  was  re- 
ported:  "Thursday,  three  capital  houses  in  the  city  were  obliged  to 
stop  payment,  on  account  of  the  remittances  from  America  not  arriving 
according  to  promise  for  goods  sent  to  that  country." 

The  intelligence  of  what  had  been  done  by  the  Legislature  of  Massa- 
chusetts made  a  great  impression  in  mercantile  circles  in  England ;  but 
the  government  was  not  to  be  turned  aside  from  the  policy  and  purpose 
to  which  it  had  committed  itself.  A  letter  from  the  West  Indies  reached 
Boston,  in  April,  lTH(i,  from  which  wc  quote:  "The  ministry  suppose 
they  have  now  put  a  finishing  stroke  to  the  building  and  increase  of 
American  vessels;  an  act  has  lately  been  passed  in  England,  and  in- 
structions arrived  in  February,  that  no  American-built  vessel  should  be 
employed  or  owned  by  British  subjects  on  any  pretence  whatever,  ex- 
cept such  as  were  built  before  the  year  ITTli;  and  in  case  of  dispute,  the 
carpenters  of  the  ships  of  war  are  to  determine  the  build.  American 
vessels  condemned  for  smuggling  are  to  be  burnt  hereafter,  not  sold." 
It  was  further  stated  that  three  hundred  sail  of  brigs,  schooners,  and 
sloops,  employed  in  the  trade  among  the  islands,  would  be  rendered 
useless  by  this  legislation.  The  American  shipping,  heretofore  em- 
ployed in  the  f(jreign  trade  of  Great  Britain,  had  been  a  good  deal  more 
than  half  as  much  as  the  British;  and  as  ships  could  be  built  in  New 
England  and  sold  in  Britain  for  one-third  less  than  British-built  ves- 
sels, there  had  been  a  constant  demand  there  for  them. 

The  merchants  of  Boston  did  not  allow  themselves  to  be  discouraged 
by  the  annoyances  and  hindrances  to  which  they  were  subjected, 
in  the  unequal  struggle  in  which  they  were  compelled  to  engage.  On 
the  contrary,  they  were  at  this  very  time  pushing  out  towards  more 
distant  fields  of  eiTort  and  enterprise,  where  they  were  to  reap  larger 
and  richer  results  than  they  had  yet  reached.  They  not  only  did  not 
propose  to  abandon  to  their  rivals  the  trade  of  the  Atlantic  which  they, 
and  their  fathers  before  them,  had  prosecuted  so  successfully ;  they  de- 
termined to  participate  in  the  commerce  of  more  distant  seas,  expect- 
ing, no  doubt,  that  they  would  thus  avoid  the  vexatious  interference 
with  which  they  had  long  contended  nearer  home.  The  Nr^c  York 
Gazetteer  said:  "Thank  (iod!  the  intrigues  of  a  Christian  court  do 
not  influence  the  wise  decrees  of  the  Eastern  world." 

In  July,  1T.S4,  we  find  an  advertisement  of  "fresh  teas  taken  out  of 
an    Indiaman,    and  brought   by  Captain   Hallet  from  the  Cape  of  Good 


TRADE   AND   COMMERCE.  81 

• 
Hope,"  to  be  had  at  Penuel  Bowen's  store  in  Dock  Square.  American 
enterprise  was  now  venturing-  beyond  the  Cape,  and,  not  unnaturally, 
the  European  merchants  who,  thus  far,  had  had  it  all  their  own  way  in 
that  part  of  the  world,  were  prompt  with  their  predictions  of  failure.  A 
London  paper  of  March  Id,  1785,  made  this  remark:  "The  Americans 
have  given  up  all  thought  of  a  China  trade,  which  never  can  be 
carried  on  to  advantage  without  some  settlement  in  the  East  Indies. 
The  ship  they  fitted  out  for  China,  soon  after  the  peace,  has  been 
offered  to  sale  in  France  for  a  sum  less  than  the  outfit."  The  judg- 
ment thus  expressed  was  rather  premature,  for,  two  months  later, 
almost  to  a  day.  May  18,  the  ship  referred  to,  the  Empress  of  the  Seas, 
Captain  Greene,  arrived  at  New  York  from  the  East  Indies,  after  a 
round  voyage  of  fourteen  months  and  twenty-four  days.  vShe  had  sailed 
from  New  York  in  February,  1784,  touched  at  the  Cape  de  Verdes,  and 
reached  Canton  in  August.  vShe  was  a  vessel  of  three  hundred  and  sixty 
tons ;  and  her  lading  consisted,  for  the  most  part,  of  four  hundred  and 
forty  piculs  of  ginseng,  which  she  exchanged  at  Canton  for  teas  and 
manufactured  goods.  The  supercargo  of  the  EAiipress  of  the  Seas  on  this 
voyage  was  a  young  Bostonian,  vSamuel  Shaw,  who  had  served  on  General 
Knox's  staff  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  a  man  of  far-reaching  intelli- 
gence and  scholarly  accomplishments.  Mr.  Shaw  came  home  full  of 
enthusiasm  as  well  as  information ;  and  he  must  have  imparted  of  both 
to  his  friends  in  Boston,  for  we  cannot  but  associate  with  his  return  the 
following  advertisement  which  appeared  in  the  Independent  Chronicle, 
June  23,  1785:  "Proposals  for  building  and  fitting  out  a  .ship  for  the 
East  Indian  trade  have  been  approved  of  by  a  considerable  number  of 
citizens,  who  met  at  Mr.  Walter  Heyer's  in  King  street,  on  Thursday 
evening  last.  Several  gentlemen  are  named  to  receive  subscriptions, 
and  this  is  to  give  notice  that  another  meeting  is  appointed  on  Wednes- 
day evening  next,  at  the  same  house,  when  any  citizen  who  wishes  to 
become  interested  may  have  an  opportunity.  A  single  share  is  only 
$;3()0. "  Mr.  Shaw  sailed  again  from  New  York,  in  the  Hope,  Captain 
James  Magee,  February  4,  1786,  having  been  commissioned  as  American 
consul  at  the  port  of  Canton,  and  being  accompanied  by  Mr.  Isaac  Sears 
and  Captain  Thomas  Randall.  We  do  not  know  whether  the  project, 
advertised  as  we  have  cpioted,  was  carried  out ;  probably  it  was  not,  for 
money  was  scarce,  and  general  confidence  did  not  prevail ;  but  the  re- 
sult of  Mr.  vShaw's  visit  was  most  important,  as  we  shall  see. 

In  1784  the  publication  of  the  journals  of  the  great  navigator.  Captain 
Cook,  called  the  attention  of  the  commercial  w^orld   to   the   immense 
11 


82  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

number  of  sea-otter  to  be  found  on  the  Northwest  coast  of  America. 
"The  fur  of  this  animal,  which  was  first  introduced  into  commerce  in 
17"2o,  is  described  as  a  beautiful,  soft,  close,  jet-black."  A  young  Ameri- 
can, John  Ledyard,  who  sailed  with  Captain  Cook,  and  published  his 
private  journal  in  Hartford  in  1783,  dedicating  it  to  Governor  Trumbull, 
is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  man  in  America  or  Europe  to  advo- 
cate the  opening  of  a  trade  in  furs  between  the  Northwest  coast  and 
China.  He  sought  to  convince  the  merchants  of  New  York  of  the 
advantages  of  such  an  enterprise,  but  his  proposal  seems  to  have  been 
regarded  as  visionary.  A  few  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Boston,  after 
much  deliberation,  determined  to  embark  in  this  new  trade,  namely, 
Joseph  Barrell,  Samuel  Brown,  Charles  Bulfinch,  John  Derby  (or  Darb}^), 
and  Crowell  Hatch;  and  a  wealthy  New  York  merchant,  John  Marsden 
Pintard,  associated  himself  with  them.  These  gentlemen  formed  a 
company,  and  bought  the  ship  Colmnhia  (built  in  Scituate,  in  1773), 
two  hundred  and  twelve  tons,  and  the  sloop  ]VasIii)igto]i,  ninety  tons; 
they  put  Captain  John  Kendrick  in  command  of  the  expedition,  with 
Captain  Robert  Gray  in  charge  of  the  sloop.  The  vessels  took  their 
departure  from  Boston,  September  30,  1787,  and  doubled  Cape  Horn 
in  the  following  April.  They  carried  out  with  them  a  large  number  of 
pewter  medals,  with  a  fair  relief  of  the  vessels  upon  them,  and  the  fol- 
lowing legend:  ''Columbia  and  Was/iiiigtoii,  commanded  by  J.  Ken- 
drick. Fitted  at  Boston,  N.  America,  for  the  Pacific  Ocean  by  J.  Bar- 
rell, S.  Brown,  C.  Bulfinch,  J.  Darby,  C.  Hatch,  J.  M.  Pintard,  1787." 
As  the  State  of  Massachusetts  had  just  established  a  mint  in  Boston  for 
the  coining  of  cents  and  half-cents,  the  medals  were  probably  struck 
there.  A  few  were  struck  in  silver  and  bronze,  and  one  of  the  latter  is 
in  the  possession  of  the  Massachusetts  Histc  rical  vSociety,  the  gift  of 
Mr.  Barrell  in  1791. 

The  old  prosperity  was  beginning  to  appear  again.  At  the  session  oi 
the  General  Court  in  the  spring  of  1787,  it  was  ordered  that  a  portion 
of  the  tax  then  in  process  of  collection  might  be  paid  in  public  securities, 
and  this  proved  a  great  accommodation  to  the  people,  who  were  able 
to  purchase  them  at  a  price  far  below  their  nominal  value.  From  this  time 
forward,  we  are  told,  the  commercial  interests  of  New  England  began 
to  improve.  They  had  reached  the  lowest  point  of  depression,  and  any 
change,  of  necessity,  must  have  been  for  the  better.  In  September, 
1787,  the  editor  of  the  Cent iiii'l  qnotcd  from  a  correspondent  in  Phila- 
delphia, who  said  that  a  few  days  before   "he  had  the  curiosity  to  go 


TRADE  AXD  COMMERCE.  83 

along  the  clocks  and  count  the  vessels  loading  and  unloading ;  and,  to 
his  great  mortification,  found  that  there  were  sixteen  under  British 
colours,  discharging  and  taking  in  their  cargoes,  and  but  one  solitary 
American,  which  was  loading  with  lumber  for  the  West  Indies."  The 
editor  added  that  the  case  was  very  similar  in  Boston. 

In  the  Independent  CIironich\  February  '28,  1T<S8,  we  find  a  paragraph 
informing  the  public  ' '  that  subscriptions  were  filling  up  to  build  three 
ships  for  the  encouragement  of  our  industrious  mechanics."  In  the 
same  paper  a  plan  is  urged  for  the  establishment  of  Chambers  of  Com- 
merce, one  in  each  State,  "  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  an  extensive 
trade  upon  such  principles  as  will  lastingly  cement  the  union  of  the 
whole  confederacy."  A  chamber  was  organized  in  New  York  in  17G8, 
and  an  attempt  had  already  been  made  to  establish  one  in  Boston.  A 
call  was  published  February  -23,  1785,  "for  a  meeting  of  merchants  this 
evening  at  six  o'clock  at  the  American  Coffee  House  on  that  important 
subject,  a  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  when  the  very  great  advantage 
of  this  institution  is  considered,  both  as  to  commerce  and  the  govern- 
ment at  large,  it  is  presumed  every  merchant,  who  wishes  well  to  either, 
will  give  his  punctual  attendance."  A  committee  was  appointed  at  this 
meeting  to  take  definite  action,  but  the  following  announcement  under 
date  of  June  '20,  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  merchants  were  apa- 
thetic on  the  subject:  "  The  merchants  are  informed  that  the  comrnittee 
appointed  to  form  a  Chamber  of  Commerce,  met  at  the  American  Cof- 
fee House  on  ^^londay  evening  last  in  order  to  lay  before  them  a  report 
— but  a  very  thin  meeting  obliged  them  to  adjourn  until  this  evening, 
then  to  meet  at  the  same  place  at  seven  o'clock,  where  a  general  at- 
tendance is  requested,  or  the  plan  must  be  entirely  dropt. "  The  sub- 
sequent attempt  in  1788  was  no  more  successful;  but  some  of  the  ob- 
jects of  the  proposed  chamber  were  met  by  the  Association  of  the 
Tradesmen  and  Manufacturers  of  the  town  of  Boston,  consisting  of  one 
representative  from  each  branch  of  business,  which  was  organized  in 
the  summer  of  1785,  for  mutual  defence  against  the  irregular  trade  car- 
ried on  bv  traders  and  factors  from  abroad.  A  circular  letter  was  ad- 
dressed "to  their  brethren  in  the  several  seaports  in  the  Union,"  by  a 
committee  of  the  association,  consisting  of  John  Gray,  Gibbons  Sharp, 
Benjamin  Austin,  jr.,  Sarson  Belcher,  William  Hawes,  and  Joshua 
Witherlee.  A  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  finally  established  in  Boston 
in  or  about  the  year  17Uo,  but  we  know  little  of  its  history.  Thomas 
Russell  was  its  first  president,  and  Stephen  Higginson  its  first  vice- 
president. 


84  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  constitution  framed  in  178T,  and  adopted  b}'  a  majority  of  the 
vStates  in  ITSS,  was  made  necessary  by  the  conditions  under  which  the 
people  of  the  country  were  obliged  to  conduct  their  business  affair-s. 
For  this  statement  we  have  the  authority  of  Fisher  Ames,  who  said  in 
the  First  Congress:  "I  conceive,  sir,  that  the  present  constitution  was 
dictated  by  commercial  necessity  more  than  any  other  cause.  The  want 
of  an  efficient  government  to  secure  the  manufacturing  interests  and  to 
advance  our  commerce,  was  long  seen  by  men  of  judgment,  and  pointed 
out  by  patriots  solicitous  to  promote  the  general  welfare."  Under  the 
influence  of  the  same  considerations,  the  merchants  of  Boston  and  the 
neighboring  towns  were  anxious  for  the  prompt  adoption  of  the  consti- 
tution by  the  vState  of  Massachusetts.  They  were  favorable  to  a  strong 
federal  authority,  which  should  increase  foreign  confidence  in  the  na- 
tional stability,  and  lead  to  satisfactory  commercial  relations  with 
European  states,  such  as  could  not  be  expected  under  a  less  positive 
central  government.  On  the  other  hand  we  are  told  that  the  long 
hesitancy  of  Rhode  Island,  which  was  the  last  member  of  the  confed- 
eracy to  adopt  the  constitution,  was  largely  due  to  her  desire  that  ' '  her 
superior  advantages  of  location,  and  the  possession  of  what  was  then 
supposed  to  be  the  best  harbor  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  should  not  be  sub- 
jected to  the  control  of  a  Congress,  which  was  by  that  instrument  ex- 
pressly authorized  to  regulate  commerce  w4th  foreign  nations,  and 
provide  that  no  preference  should  be  given  to  the  ports  of  any 
State." 

The  shipbuilding  industry  was  reviving  in  Boston,  as  we  have  seen, 
and  the  general  condition  of  trade  was  more  satisfactory  in  the  spring 
and  summer  of  178S  than  it  had  been  previously.  We  get  a  hint  of  this' 
by  way  of  London,  in  one  of  the  papers  of  which  city  it  was  said: 
"  Saturday  some  dispatches  were  received  from  Boston,  which  are  dated 
July  '20.  They  contain  an  account  of  the  builders  going  on  very  fast 
on  the  shipping;  that  four  large  ships  of  three  hundred  tons  were  to  be 
launched  the  beginning  of  August ;  that  trade  continued  brisk,  and  that 
everything  was  quiet  in  that  quarter."  In  August  the  exports  from  the 
port  of  Boston,  "  for  the  year  past,"  were  stated  to  have  been  ^145,- 
140  5j>-.  -^d.  The  principal  articles  were  boards  and  staves,  fish,  rum, 
flour  and  provisions,  pot  and  pearl  ashes,  furs,  oil,  candles,  leather  and 
shoes,  tea,  coffee,  molasses,  and  naval  stores.  We  give  a  few  of  the 
values:  Fish,  ^  (JO, 245;  New  England  rum,  /;  50,620;  oil,  ^34,804 
pot   and   pearl  ashes,   ^ 'JO, 485;    flour,   ^M;3,42();    flaxseed,   ^10,:)f;0 


M£ir5poliX5ILTv3]lLSilVE.§  SJLH.^Tni^  i^Dlic^rTo: 


-    TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  g5 

furs,  ^10,000.  Under  date  of  November  20,  1788,  we  find  the  ships 
Hc7-ciilcs  and  OuipJialc  advertised  for  the  Isles  of  France  and  India: 
"any  person  wishing  to  adventure  to  that  part  of  the  world  may  have 
an  opportunity  of  sending-  goods  on  freight.  The  terms  may  be  known 
by  applying  to  Thomas  Russell  at  his  store  in  Boston."  On  the  ^oth 
of  December  the  ship  .-J ^/rvv/Zz/rf  was  cleared  for  the  Isles  of  France; 
and  two  months  later  the  Astrcea,  belonging  to  Mr.  Derby,  of  Salem, 
sailed  for  Canton  with  an  assorted  cargo,  under  command  of  Captain 
Magee,  who  had  recently  completed  a  China  voyage  in  the  Hope.  It 
required  six  months  at  that  period  to  make  up  a  cargo  for  such  a  voy- 
age ;  iron  was  brought  from  the  Baltic,  wine  from  Madeira,  and  ginseng 
and  specie  from  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore.  Mr.  Thomas 
Handasyd  Perkins  accompanied  Captain  Magee  as  supercargo,  and  for 
the  community  in  which  he  was  to  become  an  eminent  merchant  and 
an  honored  citizen,  the  voyage  was  to  have  important  results. 

The  ship  Friendship  arrived  froin  Madras  April  10,  1780,  and  Nathan 
Bond,  a  few  days  later,  advertised  for  sale  by  auction  at  his  store  in 
Cornhill  her  cargo,  consisting  of  chintzes,  calicoes,  book-muslins,  ging- 
hams, cottons,  sheetings,  silks,  and  saltpetre.  Captain  Cleveland  in 
his  "Voyages"  refers  to  the  "active  and  lucrative  commerce  with  the 
Isles  of  France  and  Bourbon,  which  was  continued  up  to  the  period  of 
the  conquest  of  those  islands  by  the  British  (1810),  since  which  it  has 
nearly  ceased. "  Of  twenty-three  sail  of  American  vessels  which  ar- 
rived at  the  islands  in  1780,  sixteen  were  from  Boston  and  vSalem. 

One  of  the  first  subjects  pressed  upon  the  attention  of  the  Federal 
Congress  on  its  assembling  in  1780,  was  the  decline  of  the  deep-sea 
fisheries,  which  were  suffering  not  onh^  from  adverse  legislation  abroad 
but  from  tariff  duties  imposed  at  home.  Fisher  Ames  said :  ' '  Unless 
some  extraordinar}'  measures  are  taken  to  support  our  fisheries,  I  do 
not  see  what  is  to  prevent  their  inevitable  ruin.  It  is  a  fact,  that  near 
one-third  of  our  fishermen  are  taken  from  their  profession — not  for 
want  of  skill  and  abilities  in  the  art,  for  here  they  take  the  rank  of 
every  nation  on  earth — but  from  the  local,  chilling  policy  of  foreign 
nations,  who  shut  us  out  from  the  avenues  to  market.  If,  instead  of 
protection  from  the  government,  we  extend  to  them  oppression,  I 
shudder  for  the  consequences."  Elbridge  Gerry  said  in  the  same  de- 
bate: "  I  will  not  reiterate  the  arguments  respecting  the  fisheries:  it  is 
well  known  to  be  the  best  nursery  for  seamen  ;  the  United  States  have 
no  other,  and  it  never  can  be  the  intention  of  gentlemen  to  leave  the 


g6  Suffolk  county. 

navigation  of  the  Union  to  the  mercy  of  foreij^-n  powers.  It  is  of 
necessity,  then,  that  we  lay  the  foundation  of  our  maritime  importance 
as  soon  as  may  be,  and  this  can  be  done  only  by  encourag-ino-  our  fish- 
eries. It  is  well  known  that  we  have  a  number  of  rivals  in  this  busi- 
ness desirous  of  excluding  us  from  the  fishing  banks  altogether.  This 
consideration,  of  itself,  is  sufficient  to  induce  a  wise  legislation  to 
extend  every  encouragement  to  so  important  a  concern."  In  response 
to  these  representations  and  appeals,  Congress  passed  an  act  allowing 
a  bounty  on  dried  and  pickled  fish  exported  from  the  United  States, 
and  imposing  a  duty  on  foreign  fish  imported  into  the  country.  Two 
or  three  years  later  a  specific  allowance  to  vessels  employed  in  the  cod- 
fishery,  graduated  according  to  the  size  of  the  vessels,  was  substituted 
for  the  bounty  on  exported  fish. 

It  was  announced  in  one  of  the  papers,  Jtily  3,  1788:  "  Orders  have 
been  sent  from  an  American  agent  in  China  for  building  a  ship  of  eight 
hundred  tons  for  that  trade.  We  learn  with  pleasure  that  the  vessel  is 
to  be  built  in  this  town."  Mr.  Samuel  Shaw  was  the  agent  referred 
to,  and  the  vessel  was  the  Massachusetts,  which,  however,  was  not 
built  in  Boston,  but  at  Germantown,  a  promontory  in  the  present  town 
of  Quincy.  She  was  the  largest  merchant  vessel  which  at  that  time 
had  been  built  on  this  continent,  her  keel  being  one  hundred  and  six- 
teen feet  in  length.  She  was  a  frigate-built  ship,  of  eight  hundred  and 
twenty  tons,  pierced  for  thirty-six  guns,  of  a  remarkably  fine  model, 
and  constructed  in  the  most  thorough  manner.  vShe  was  launched,  or 
as  the  newspapers  put  it,  she  "  slipt  into  her  devoted  element,"  in 
September,  1789,  in  the  presence  of  thousands  of  spectators.  Both  the 
English  and  French  naval  commanders,  at  that  time  visiting  Boston  in 
national  ships,  expressed  their  admiration  of  the  model  of  the  new 
vessel,  and  it  was  afterward  pronounced  as  nearly  perfect  as  the  then 
state  of  the  art  would  permit,  by  naval  commanders  who  saw  her  in 
the  East  Indies.  The  parties  in  interest  were  Messrs.  M.  M.  Hays, 
State  street,  Samuel  Parkman,  Merchants'  Row,  William  wShaw, 
"  opposite  the  Golden  Ball  "  in  Dock  Square,  and  Samuel  Shaw,  who 
had  returned  from  China  to  take  charge  of  the  venture.  With  Captain 
Job  Prince  as  commander,  and  a  crew  of  seventy-five  officers  and  men, 
and  with  twenty  mounted  guns,  the  Massachusetts  took  her  departure 
at  the  end  of  March,  1790,  firing  a  federal  salute  as  she  passed  the  fort. 
She  made  the  passage  to  Batavia  in  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  days, 
landed  cargo  there,  and  proceeded  to  Canton,  where  she  was  sold  to 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  87 

ag-ents  of  the  Portuguese  government  for  $65,000.  Mr.  Shaw  came 
back  to  the  United  vStates  to  procure  another  ship  and  prepare  for  an- 
other voyage.  From  this  fourth  voyage  he  did  not  live  to  return. 
Robert  Gould  Shaw,  a  prominent  Boston  merchant  of  the  next  gener- 
ation, was  his  nephew. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  Massac/utsctts  had  started  on  her  long  voyage, 
the  Ecdcralist  arrived  at  New  York  from  Canton,  bringing  news  of  the 
Columbia  and  the  Washington.  These  vessels  had  reached  Nootka 
Sound  in  September,  17<S(S,  and  passed  the  winter  in  Friendly  Cove,  on 
what  is  now  known  as  Vancouver  Island.  Having  secured  a  good  cargo 
of  furs,  Captain  Kendrick  decided  to  send  Captain  Gray  home  to  Bos- 
ton with  the  Columbia  while  he  remained  cruising  with  the  sloop.  Ac- 
cordingly, Captain  Gray  sailed  July  30,  1789,  for  Canton,  calling  at  the 
Hawaiian  Islands  for  provisions,  with  his  cargo  consigned  to  Messrs. 
Shaw  &  Randall.  The  furs  were  sold  at  a  much  lower  price  than  had 
been  expected ;  the  ship  was  loaded  with  teas  and  arrived  in  Boston 
August  10,  171)0,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  three  years,  and  having 
sailed  about  forty -nine  thousand  miles  by  her  log.  She  was  received 
with  the  greatest  enthusiavSm ;  it  seemed  as  though  the  whole  popula- 
tion of  the  town  were  assembled  on  the  wharves  to  welcome  her,  and 
her  salutes  were  returned  from  the  castle  and  from  the  town  artillery. 
General  Lincoln,  the  collector  of  the  port,  went  on  board  with  a  party 
of  friends,  and  Governor  Hancock  gave  a  reception  to  the  owners  and 
officers,  which  was  largely  attended.  Captain  Gray  walked  up  State 
street  in  the  procession  with  a  young  Hawaiian  chief  at  his  side,  the 
first  of  that  race  ever  to  visit  the  United  States.  It  was  said  in  one  of 
the  newspapers  of  the  day:  "  To  Messrs.  Barrell,  Brown,  Bulfinch, 
Hatch,  Darby,  and  Pintard,  who  planned  the  voyage,  their  country  is 
indebted  for  this  experiment  in  a  branch  of  commerce  before  unessayed 
by  Americans.  .  .  .  The  Columbia  and  Washington  are  the  first 
American  vessels  who  have  circumnavigated  the  globe,  and  the  Wash- 
ington, which  is  only  of  ninety  tons  burthen,  is  the  first  sloop  of  any 
nation  ever  sent  on  so  great  a  voyage." 

The  arrivals  from  abroad  at  the  port  of  Boston  in  the  year  1700  were 
(50  ships,  7  snows,  15!)  brigs,  170  schooners,  59  sloops;  total,  455.  This 
was  exclusive  of  the  vessels  employed  in  the  coasting  trade,  which  were 
supposed  to  amount  to  1,200  sail.  The  duties  on  tonnage,  foreign  and 
American,  collected  in  Massachusetts,  say  on  197,308  tons,  from  Octo- 
ber 1,  1789,  to  September  30,  1790,  amounted  to  $21,027,  and  the  net 


88  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

amount   of  duties   collected   on    <4"oods,  wares   and   merchandise   in  the 
same  year  was  $o2(),4;iO. 

The  voyag-e  of  the  Columbia  round  the  g'lobe  had  broug'ht  more  re- 
nown to  its  fla;4-  than  profit  to  its  owners,  and  Mr.  Derby  and  Mr.  Pin- 
tard  sold  out  their  shares;  but  the  others  were  sufficiently  sang-uine  to 
send  out  the  ship  again  on  the  same  errand  as  before,  and  she  sailed  on 
the  28th  of  vSeptember,  1700,  with  Captain  Gray  in  command  and  Rob- 
ert Haswell  as  first  officer.  They  reached  the  Northwest  Coast  in  the 
month  of  June  next  following,  and  established  headquarters  in  Clayo- 
C[Uot  Sound.  They  put  up  a  log  house,  and,  during  the  winter,  built  a 
sloop  of  forty-four  tons  which  they  called  the  Adventure.  In  the  spring 
of  1702  Captain  Gray  sent  the  Adventure  to  the  northward,  under  Cap- 
tain Haswell,  to  collect  skins,  while  he  cruised  in  the  Colunihia  to  the 
southward,  for  the  same  purpose.  When  in  latitude  40°  10',  he  saw  a 
long  stretch  of  breakers,  and  he  was  convinced  that  he  was  off  the 
mouth  of  a  great  river.  He  approached  the  bar  several  times,  but 
the  outsetting  current  was  so  strong  that  he  could  not  cross  it,  although 
he  waited  several  days  in  the  hope  of  doing  so.  On  the  20th  of  April, 
near  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  he  fell  in  with  the  English  commander, 
George  Vancouver,  who  had  just  arrived  on  the  coast  from  England  with 
three  naval  vessels,  on  a  voyage  of  exploration;  he  had  served  as  a  mid- 
shipman under  Captain  Cook,  and  was  soon  to  discover  the  island  which 
bears  his  name.  Captain  Gray  told  Captain  Vancouver  of  his  recent 
experience  off  the  breakers  in  latitude  4fi'^,  to  which  the  latter  replied 
that  he  had  seen  an  opening  in  that  latitude  two  days  before,  but  sup- 
posing it  to  be  a  small  river,  he  had  not  thought  it  worthy  of  further 
attention.  Captain  Gray  determined  to  follow  the  exploration  still 
further,  and  headed  again  for  the  breakers.  At  daybreak  on  the  11th 
of  May  he  made  out  the  entrance  to  the  river,  and,  the  wind  being 
favorable,  he  bore  awav,  and  ran  in,  under  full  sail,  through  the 
breakers.  He  soon  found  himself  in  a  magnificent  stream  of  fresh 
water,  four  or  five  miles  wide,  up  which  he  sailed  ten  miles  and  then 
anchored  in  ten  fathoms.  Gn  the  14th  the  ship  stood  up  the  river  four- 
teen miles  further,  and  being  convinced  that  it  was  navigable  for  an 
indefinite  distance,  the  captain  decided  to  return.  On  the  10th  he 
landed  with  his  crew  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  formally  nained 
it,  after  his  ship,  the  Columbia,  raising  the  flag,  and  planting  some  coins 
under  a  pine-tree,  near  a  bold  headland  which  he  called  Cape  Hancock, 
and   opposite   a  knv   spit   on   the   other  shore   which   he  named  Point 


TRADE   AND   COMMERCE.  89 

Adams.  In  due  time  Captain  Gray  proceeded  to  China;  and.  on  the 
nth  of  February,  IT'.io,  he  sailed  for  home.  He  arrived  in  Boston  on 
the  evening-  of  the  '^dth  of  July,  bringing  the  latest  news  from  Captains 
Magee,  Kendrick  and  Ingraham;  he  reported  that  Mr.  John  Howell, 
formerly  editor  of  the  Argiis,  who  went  out  as  "historian  "  with  Cap- 
tain Magee,  had  gone  with  Captain  Kendrick  to  the  Northwest  Coast. 
"  The  Columbia,  when  passing  the  castle,  saluted  the  flag  of  the  United 
States,  which  salute  was  immediately  returned,  and  on  coming  t(^ 
anchor  she  gave  the  town  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns,  which  was  returned 
by  a  welcome  huzza. "  Her  second  voyage  had  been  even  more  brilliant 
in  achievement  than  the  first ;  but  the  owners  were  again  disappointed 
in  the  pecuniary  results,  and,  a  few  days  after  her  arrival,  she  was  ad- 
vertised by  Lewis  Hayt,  of  State  street,  to  be  sold  at  auction,  with  her 
inventor}^  at  one  of  the  wharves  in  Charlestown. 

Having  followed  the  fortunes  of  the  good  ship  Columbia  thus  far,  we 
must  return  in  our  narrative  to  1790.  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Perkins,  who 
accompanied  Captain  Magee  to  China  in  1789,  improved  his  time  dur- 
ing his  stay  there  in  making  himself  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the 
Chinese,  and  collecting  information  about  the  trade  of  the  empire  in  all 
its  branches.  In  particular  he  ascertained  the  commercial  value  of  the 
sea-otter  skins  and  other  furs  carried  thither  from  the  Northwest  Coast, 
and  this  knowledge  "formed  the  basis  of  action  for  him  afterward  in 
planning  numerous  voyages  and  directing  mercantile  operations  of  great 
importance  between  America,  Asia,  and  Europe."  Immediately  on  his 
return  to  Boston,  Mr.  Perkins  sent  the  brig  Hope.^  imder  Capt.  Joseph 
Ingraham,  who  had  sailed  as  first  officer  in  the  Columbia  on  a  voyage 
to  the  Northwest  Coast  and  China.  In  April,  1791,  Captain  Ingraham 
discovered  a  cluster  of  islands  in  the  Pacific,  a  few  iniles  south  of  the 
equator,  to  two  of  which  he  gave  the  names  of  Washington  and  Adams. 
The  islands  are  now  known  as  part  of  the  Marquesas  group,  but  the 
names  then  given  still  appear  on  the  maps.  The  main  objects  of  the 
voyage  of  the  Hope  were  defeated  by  untoward  circumstances,  biit  before 
this  could  have  been  known  in  Boston,  Mr.  Perkins  and  Captain  Magee 
had  built  another  vessel  for  the  same  trade.  A  paragraph  in  the  Inde- 
pendent Chronicle^  October  27,  1791,  informs  the  public  of  the  departure 
of  this  ship,  and  gives  us  a  glimpse  at  the  commercial  activity  then  pre- 
vailing in  the  town  :  "  Upwards  of  seventy  sail  of  vessels  sailed  from  this 
port  on  Monday  last  for  all  parts  of  the  world.  Among  them  was  the  ship 
Margaret^  James  Magee,  esq.,  commander,  bound  on  a  voyage  of  ob- 

12 


90  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

servation  and  enterprise  to  the  Northwest  Coast  of  this  continent.  This 
vessel  is  copper-bottomed,  and  is  said  to  be  the  best  provided  of  any 
one  that  ever  sailed  from  this  port."  Captain  Magee  carried  out  the 
frame  of  a  vessel  with  three  or  four  carpenters,  and  set  up  the  little 
craft  of  about  thirty  tons  under  Captain  vSwift,  then  the  chief  carpenter. 
The  schooner  collected  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  sea-otters  during 
the  season,  which  added  much  to  the  profits  of  the  voyage,  as  the, skins 
were  worth  thirty  or  forty  dollars  a  piece  when  Captain  Magee  reached 
China. 

The  duties  collected  at  the  ports  of  Massachusetts  during  the  year 
ended  September  ;50,  1791,  amounted  to  $420,707,  about  one-seventh  of 
the  total  collected  at  all  the  ports  of  the  United  States.  The  exports 
from  Massachusetts  in  the  fiscal  year  1792  were  valued  at  $o,3S9,922. 
Among  the  exports  from  Boston  in  1792  were  fifty  thousand  barrels  of 
pork  and  beef,  of  which  twenty  thousand  barrels,  at  least,  were  packed 
here.  The  foreign  entries  at  the  port  in  1793  were  o7<i,  the  foreign 
clearances  292.  The  following  is  from  a  descriptive  sketch  written  by 
Mr.  Thomas  Pemberton  in  J  794 :  "  There  are  eighty  wharves  and  quays, 
chiefly  on  the  east  side  of  the  town.  Of  these  the  niost  distinguished 
is  Boston  pier,  or  the  Long  Wharf,  which  extends  from  the  bottom  of 
State  street  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty-three  feet  into  the 
harbor.  Here  the  principal  navigation  of  the  town  is  carried  on;  ves- 
sels of  all  burdens  load  and  imload;  and  the  London  ships  generally 
discharge  their  cargoes.  It  is  the  general  resort  of  all  the  inhabitants, 
and  is  more  frequented,  we  think,  than  any  other  part  of  the  town." 
The  same  writer  says  further:  "  The  harbour  of  Boston  is  at  this  date 
(November,  1794),  crowded  with  vessels.  Eighty-four  sail  have  been 
counted  lying  at  two  of  the  wharves  only.  It  is  reckoned  that  not  less 
than  four  hundred  and  fifty  sail  of  ships,  brigs,  schooners,  sloops,  and 
small  craft  are  now  in  this  port." 

At  the  very  time  when  Mr.  Pemberton  was  writing  his  "  Description 
of  Boston,"  Edmund  Hart  was  laying  the  keel,  and  preparing  to  set  up 
the  frame  of  the  frigate  Constitution  at  his  wharf,  the  site  of  which  is 
now  covered  by  Constitution  Wharf.  To  show  the  capabilities  of  the 
town  for  the  construction  and  eqinpment  of  ships,  it  may  be  said  that 
Paul  Revere  furnished  the  copper,  bolts  and  spikes,  drawn  from  malle- 
able copper  by  a  process  then  new;  and  Ephraim  Thayer,  who  had  a 
sho])  at  the  South  End,  made  the  gun-carriages  for  the  frigate.  Her 
sails  were  made  in  the  Granary  building  at  the  corner  of  Park  and  Tre- 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  91 

mont  streets;  no  other  buildini^-  in  Boston  was  larg-e  enough  for  the  pur- 
pose. There  were  then  fourteen  rope-walks  in  Boston,  so  that  there 
coiild  be  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  cordag-e ;  and  there  was  an  incorpo- 
rated company  for  the  manufacture  of  sail-cloth,  whose  factory  was  on 
the  corner  of  Tremont  and  Boylston  streets,  and  which  was  encour- 
aged by  a  bount}'  on  its  product  from  the  General  Court ;  this  product 
had  increased  to  eighty  or  ninety  thousand  yards  per  annum,  and  is  said 
to  have  competed  successfully  with  the  duck  brought  from  abroad.  The 
anchors  came  from  Hanover  in  Plymouth  county,  and  a  portion  of  the 
timber  used  in  what  was  then  looked  upon  as  a  mammoth  vessel,  was 
taken  from  the  woods  of  Allentown,  on  the  borders  of  the  Merrimac, 
fifty  miles  awa}-.  The  Constitution  w^as  launched  October  21,  179T,  and 
proceeded  to  sea  on  her  first  cruise  August  13,  1798. 

The  foreign  commerce  of  those  days  required  not  only  large  capital 
for  its  successful  prosecution,  but  general  ability  of  a  high  order.  Com- 
prehensive and  authentic  information,  shrewd  and  sound  judgment, 
and  bold  enterprise  had  to  be  brought  together  in  combination,  when 
voyages  were  planned  which  were  to  compass  the  globe,  and  which 
were  to  be  prolonged  for  two  or  three  years.  All  the  requisite  qualities 
for  such  purposes  the  merchants  of  Boston  possessed ;  but  as  time  went 
on  and  their  operations  multiplied  and  extended,  serious  complications 
arose,  for  which  neither  they  nor  their  country  could  be  held  respon- 
sible, and  difficulties  and  dangers  presented  themselves,  which  no  fore- 
sight could  have  anticipated,  and  no  prudence  averted.  In  the  long 
wars  between  Great  Britain  and  France,  which  kept  the  whole  world  in 
a  turmoil,  the  commerce  of  neutrals  suffered  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  se 
verely  as  that  of  the  belligerents,  and  American  merchants  and  ship- 
owners found  themselves  almost  hopelessly  involved  to  their  constant 
annoyance,  and  often  to  their  very  great  loss.  England  claimed  the 
right  of  seizing  French  goods  from  American  vessels,  and  even  of  capt- 
uring neutral  ships  laden  with  breadstuffs  for  France.  Later  an  order 
in  council  arithorized  British  cruisers  to  seize  all  vessels  carrying  French 
goods  and  bound  to  a  French  colony. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1793,  a  few  da5^s  after  the  execution  of  Louis 
XVI,  the  French  government  declared  war  against  England  and  Hol- 
land. 

The  government  at  Washington,  and  the  more  conservative  portion 
of  the  community,  desired  and  honestly  sought  to  maintain  a  strict  neu- 
trality, as  between  the  combatants.     A  meeting  of  merchants  and  trad- 


.)•)  SUFFOLK  COUNFY. 

ers  was  held  in  Fancuil  Hall,  July  -^i,  at  which  the  Hon.  Thomas  Rus- 
sell was  president,  and  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Perkins  was  secretary.  A  com- 
mittee, consistint;-  of  Thomas  Russell,  vStephen  Higginson,  John  Coffin 
Jones,'  Nathaniel  Fellows,  Samuel  Brown,  Charles  Jarvis,  and  Eben 
Parsons,  reported  a  series  of  resolutions,  which  were  adopted  by  an 
unanimous  vote,  sustaining-  a  proclamation  recently  issued  (April 
^l-l)  by  President  Washington  in  favor  of  neutrality,  and  protesting 
against  the  fitting  out  of  armed  vessels  or  privateers  by  American  citi- 
zens. The  sentiment  of  the  meeting  was  this:  The  preservation  of 
neutrality  is  important  to  the  interest  and  honor  of  the  country. 

Party  feeling  was  intense,  and  it  divided  the  community  even  in  the 
presence  of  threatened  danger  from  abroad.  The  Federalists  had  a 
bias  of  which  they  were  more  or  less  unconscious,  for  Great  Britain, 
and  the  Republicans,  for  France.  Samuel  Adams,  in  his  first  address 
as  governor  of  Massachusetts,  quotes  from  Montesquieu;  and  his  biog- 
raplier  says  that  there  is  scarcely  a  document  of  his,  during  his  admin- 
istration, which  does  not  contain  evidences  of  his  decided  sympathy 
with  the  French  Revolution.  The  merchants  as  a  class  were  Federalists, 
and  it  was  charged  that  their  meeting  in  Fanueil  Hall  was  a  political 
demonstration,  and  that  it  had  been  held  for  party  purposes.  It  had 
been  asserted  at  the  meeting,  as  a  fact  generally  known  by  the  inhab- 
itants, that,  two  or  three  days  previously,  privateers,  fitted  out  and 
armed,  had  sailed  from  the  port,  and  that  others  were  now  fitting 
out,  some  manned  and  to  be  manned  partly  by  Frenchmen  and  partly 
by  citi/.ens  of  the  United  States.  A  town  meeting  was  convened,  there- 
fore, July  2(),  at  which  the  Hon.  Thomas  Dawes  presided,  and  it  was 
positively  declared  "that  there  was  no  just  foundation  for  the  assertion, 
but  that'  the  disposition  of  the  citizens  of  Boston  is  entirely  in  favor  of 
observing  the  rules  of  a  strict  neutrality  respecting  the  powers  at  war 

in  Europe." 

France,  as  a  reputed  friend  and  ally,  was  hardly  less  exacting  and 
overbearing  than  Great  Britain.  George  Cabot  spoke  the  truth  in  1707, 
when  he  said:  "History  will  recall  the  fact  that  France  has  been 
willing  to  see  us  independent  of  Britain,  but  not  independent  of  her- 
self.""'' There  w^as  a  treaty  between  the  United  States  and  France,  by 
which  "free  bottoms  were  declared  to  make  free  ships;"  but  this  prm- 
ciple  was  not  recognized  by  the  French  men-of-war  on  the  coast  in  their 
interference  with  American  commerce.  The  Columbian  Ccntind  of 
September    11,     I71i:3,    says:      "The    prizes    taken    by    the    Marseilles 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  03 

privateer,  now  in  this  port,  are  seven  in  number,  besides  the  ship  Presi- 
dent., of  Baltimore  ; "'  and,  in  reference  to  this  vessel,  it  is  added  :  "  wShe 
is  an  American  bi:ilt  and  reg-istered  vessel,  owned  by  Americans,  sail- 
ing- under  American  colors,  had  American  property  on  board,  and  has 
been  a  constant  trader  between  Maryland  and  Great  Britain.  The  pre- 
tence for  a  capture  was  that  she  had  English  property  on  board,  which, 
if  every  article  had  been,  would  not  warrant  the  outrage."  On  the 
other  hand,  the  British  vessels  of  war  captured  a  large  number  of 
American  ships  with  their  cargoes,  for  alleged  violation  of  the  paper 
blockade  of  the  French  ports,  and  on  the  suspicion  that  French 
property  was  covered  by  the  American  flag ;  and  this  suspicion  extended 
to  all  vessels  bound  to  or  from  a  French  port.  The  decisions  of  the 
prize  courts  were  often  arbitrary  and  flagrantly  unjust;  and  the  de- 
meanor of  the  naval  officers  was  in  many  instances  dictatorial  and  in- 
sulting. ]\Iuch  hardship  and  serious  disaster  ensued,  and  excitement 
and  indignation  prevailed  in  every  shipping  community  along  the  coast. 
But,  bad  a&  it  was  here,  the  state  of  things  in  England  was  far  worse. 
London  dates  in  the  Boston  papers  to  May  t>4,  1793,  reported:  ''The 
bankruptcies  in  England  are  numerous,  beyond  all  belief." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  merchants  of  Boston  held  September  l->,  1T93,  a 
committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Thomas  Russell,  Stephen  Hig- 
ginson,  John  Coffin  Jones,  Calet)  Davis,  and  David  vSears,  to  receive 
and  transmit  to  the  president  "authenticated  evidence  of  injuries  done 
to  our  commerce  by  the  armed  vessels  of  any  belligerent  power." 

Barry,  writing  of  this  period,  and  of  British  interference  with 
American  commerce,  says:  "Instead,  however,  of  resorting  to  force 
for  redress — though  an  embargo  for  thirty  days  and  sequestrating  reso- 
kitions  were  advocated  by  some — a  special  embassy  was  instituted  by 
Washington;  and  John  Jay,  a  man  of  the  loftiest  and  most  disinterested 
patriotism,  was  dispatched  to  the  Court  of  St.  James,  for  the  purpose 
of  negotiation."  There  was  a  temporary  embargo,  although  we  do  not 
find  it  mentioned  in  the  histories ;  for  the  Centinel,  the  organ  of  the 
Federalists  in  Boston,  reproduced  the  following  paragraph  from  a  Hali- 
fax newspaper  of  June  19,  \T.)\:  "Tuesday  arrived  several  vessels 
from  New  York  and  Boston.  These  vessels  have  been  for  a  long  time 
detained  in  the  American  States  by  the  embargo.  But  Congress,  find- 
ing at  length  that  the  embargo  effected  no  other  purpose  but  to  leave 
the  produce  of  their  farmers  to  perish  on  their  hands,  and  to  starve 
their  mechanics  in  their  seaports,  have  very  prudently  put  an  end  to  the 


94  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

measure,  to  the  great  reg'ret  of  the  merchants,  farmers,  and  fishermen 
of  Nova  Scotia,  whose  exertions  in  supplying  the  West  India  Islands 
have  been  such  as  to  show  what  this  country  is  capable  of  doing  in  any 
like  emergency. " 

Mr.  Madison,  then  in  Congress,  was  not  regarded  as  either  intelli- 
gent or  friendly  in  his  views  relating  to  American  commerce.  Com- 
paring him  with  Mr.  Ames  and  Mr.  Dexter,  of  Massachusetts,  the  Ccii- 
////r/ caustically  asks,  "Where  did  Mr.  Madison  acquire  his  knowledge 
of  coinmerce  ?  "  and  it  thus  answers  its  own  question  :  "  Not  surely  in 
the  interior  of  Virginia,  where  no  other  commerce  is  transacted  than 
buying  and  selling  of  negroes.  " 

The  burning  of  seven  rope-walks  and  other  property  on  the  8()th  of 
June,  17114,  was  one  of  the  memorable  events  in  the  history  of  the  town 
of  Boston.  These  walks  occupied  the  whole  west  side  of  Pearl  street, 
between  Milk  and  High  streets,  and  were  owned  respectively  by  Ed- 
ward Howe,  Jeffrey  Richardson,  vSamuel  Emmons,  John  Codman,  Will- 
iam McNeill,  Isaac  Davis  and  Nathaniel  Torrey.  The  weather  had 
been  warm  and  dry,  and  the  hemp,  cordage  and  tar  on  storage  made  a 
furious  fire.  A  large  number  of  stores  and  dwellings  were  burned,  a 
hundred  families  were  turned  out  of  house  and  home,  and  a  hmidred 
or  more  mechanics  were  deprived  of  daily  employment.  Among  those 
who  lost  their  stores  were  Thomas  Russell,  Thomas  Dawes,  vSamuel 
Dillaway  and  Nehemiah  vSomes;  and  Thomas  Lamb,  Nathaniel  Ap- 
pleton,  J(jb  Wheelwright  and  Daniel  Sergeant  were  among  those  who 
lost  their  dwelling  houses.  To  prevent  future  disaster  of  a  similar  nat- 
ure, the  townspeople  granted  the  flats  at  the  bottom  of  the  Common, 
— "  the  Old  Round  Marsh  " — for  the  erection  of  new  rope  factories  in 
place  of  tho.se  destroyed,  on  condition  that  no  more  should  be  built 
upon  the  old  site. 

On  the  l?th  of  August  the  "  copper-bottomed  "  ship  Margaret.,  Cap- 
tain Magee,  arrived  from  Canton  after  a  voyage  of  six  months,  "and 
we  doubt  not,"  said  the  announcement,  "  has  returned  with  I'emittances 
which  will  reward  the  enterprising  patriotism  of  the  owners."  vShe 
brought  the  news  of  the  lainented  death  of  Mr.  vSamuel  vShaw,  off  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  on  the  30tli  of  May. 

Mr.  Jay  arrived  in  England  June  15,  17'.i4,  and,  five  months  later, 
November  1!),  concluded  a  treaty  with  Lord  Grenville.  This  negotia- 
tion, which  meant  so  much  for  the  people  of  the  United  vStates,  was 
only  an  incident  in  the  administration  of  public  affairs  in  Great  Britain, 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  95 

and  it  is  not  strange,  perhaps,  that  there  is  no  reference  whatever  to  it 
in  Lord  Stanhope's  Life  of  Pitt,  when  we  remember  all  the  difficulties 
with  which  the  great  minister  was  contending  at  the  time.  The  cam- 
paign in  Holland  had  been  disastrous,  and,  during  the  next  winter,  that 
country  was  completely  (n'errun  by  the  French  troops.  Mr.  Pitt  wrote 
to  a  friend,  October  1-4,  1T*.»4:  "Nearer  home  than  Holland,  every- 
thing looks  ill."  AVhile  prosecuting  the  war,  he  had  to  deal  with  a 
powerful  opposition  at  home,  with  an  impracticable  sovereign,  with  a 
populace  on  the  verge  of  insurrection,  and  with  the  people  of  Ireland 
rent  asunder  by  religious  controversy.  Mr.  Jay's  treaty  was  received 
by  President  Washington  March  7,  1795,  and  its  ratification  was  ad- 
vised bv  him  June  24.  It  was  condemned  by  many  in  the  community, 
even  before  its  provisions  had  been  made  known,  and,  after  its  ratifica- 
tion by  the  Senate,  the  popular  feeling  was  largely  against  it.  Samuel 
Adams,  then  governor  of  Massachusetts,  was  among  the  patriots  who 
disapproved  of  it.  In  an  address  to  the  Legislature,  he  said:  "  I  am 
constrained,  with  all  due  respect  to  otir  constituted  authorities,  to  de- 
clare that  the  treaty  appears  to  me  to  be  pregnant  with  evil.  It  con- 
trols some  of  the  powers  specialh'  vested  in  Congress  for  the  security 
of  the  people ;  and  I  fear  that  it  may  restore  to  Great  Britain  such  an 
influence  over  the  government  and  people  of  this  country  as  may  not 
be  consistent  with  the  general  welfare."  One  of  his  principal  objec- 
tions related  to  the  clause  which  conceded  to  Great  Britain  the  right  to 
search  American  vessels  on  the  high  seas,  an  assumption  of  maritime 
power  to  which  he  thought  it  disgraceful  for  America  to  yield,  and 
which  a  firm  front  on  its  part  would  have  obliged  England  to  relinquish. 
At  a  town  meeting  held  in  Boston  July  13,  1795,  resolutions  were 
adopted  by  a  large  majorit}-  to  the  effect  that  the  treaty  was  "  injurious 
to  the  commercial  interests  of  the  LTnited  vStates,  derogatory  to  their 
national  honor  and  independence,  and  might  be  dangerous  to  the  peace 
and  happiness  of  their  citizens."  A  few  days  later,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  more  conservative  counsels  prevailed;  and  a 
memorial,  acquiescing  in  the  terms  of  the  treat}',  was  addressed  by  the 
Chamber  to  the  president,  in  replying  to  which,  he  expressed  "  his 
satisfaction  to  learn  that  the  commercial  part  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
whose  interests  were  thought  to  be  most  deeply  affected,  so  generally 
considered  the  treaty  as  calculated  npon  the  whole  to  procure  important 
advantages  to  the  country."  The  action  of  the  town  meeting  also  had 
been  sent  to  the  president,  who,  in  acknowledging  its  receipt,  says  one 


96  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

historian,  "  orave  a  gentle  rebuke  to  the  Bostonians  on  this  occasion, 
which  they  indeed  justly  deserved,  but  which  they  would  not  have  re- 
ceived from  any  other  president,  without  a  prompt  expression  of  their 
feeling's." 

Early  in  17'.)8  the  rulers  of  France  issued  a  decree  prohibiting  the 
entrance  into  a  French  port  of  any  vessel  which  at  a  previous  part  of 
her  v^oyage  had  touched  at  an  English  possession,  and  declaring  good 
prize  all  vessels  having  merchandise  on  board,  the  production  or  manu- 
facture of  England  or  her  colonies,  whoever  the  owners  of  the  merchan- 
dise might  be.  This  was  regarded  as  being  little  short  of  a  declaration 
of  war,  and  authority  was  given  to  the  American  navy  to  seize  vessels 
under  the  French  flag,  which  had  committed  encroachments  upon 
American  commerce ;  commercial  intercourse  between  France  and  the 
United  vStates  was  suspended ;  treaties  were  declared  to  be  no  longer 
binding  upon  the  latter;  and  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal  were 
authorized.  It  was  at  this  juncture,  when  French  ships  of  war  were 
capturing  American  vessels  under  the  pretence  that  they  were  carry- 
ing contraband  goods,  and  when  British  ships  of  war  were  claiming 
the  right  of  search  for  British  subjects  beneath  the  American  flag,  that 
the  outraged  patriotism  of  the  people  manifested  itself  in  a  notable 
way.  The  ladies  of  Charleston,  vSouth  Carolina,  built  ihe  John  Adams, 
and  tendered  her  to  the  government ;  the  inhabitants  of  Newburyport 
and  its  neighborhood  built  and  presented  the  McTriniac;  and  the  mer- 
chants of  Salem  built  and  presented  the  Fsscx,  the  first  ship  of  war  of 
the  United  States  to  double  both  the  Capes  of  Good  Hope  and  Horn. 
The  merchants  of  Boston  were  not  to  be  outdone  in  loyal  devotion  to 
the  government,  and  in  the  CcntincI  of  June  27,  1708,  the  following 
"  Notice  "  appeared:  "  A  subscription  will  be  opened  this  day  for  the 
raising  of  a  fund  to  purchase  or  build  one  or  more  ships  of  war,  to  be 
loaned  to  this  government  for  the  service  of  the  United  States.  Those 
who  would  wish  to  join  in  this  testimonial  of  public  spirit  are  requested 
to  meet  in  the  chamber  over  Taylor's  Insurance  office  [14  State  street], 
at  1  o'clock  precisely,  to  affix  their  signatures  and  make  the  necessary 
arrangements."  Three  days  later  it  was  stated  that  a  number  of  citi- 
zens had  met  at  Taylor's  Insurance  office,  in  response  to  the  call,  and 
that  "  last  evening  the  amount  subscribed  amounted  to  $11 5, 250  "  ;  and, 
further:  "  We  will  not  omit  mentioning  that  the  Hon.  William  Phillips 
added  $10,000  to  this  free-will  offering.  God  bless  him  for  it!  "  The 
subscription  loan  amounted  to  $i;}(J,500;  other  subscribers  were  David 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  97 

Sears,  Stephen  Hig-g-inson,  Eben  Parsons,  John  Codman,  Joseph 
Coolidg'e  &  Son,  Theodore  Lyman,  Boott  &  Pratt,  Samuel  Parkman, 
Samuel  Eliot,  Benjamin  Joy,  James  &  Thomas  H.  Perkins,  Thomas 
Walley,  Thomas  C.  Amory,  Benjamin  &  Nathaniel  (xoddard  and  Josiah 
Quincy. 

Only  a  few  weeks  before,  the  merchants  and  tradesmen  of  England 
had  offered  their  contributions  for  the  support  of  their  government  in 
its  great  exigency.  To  receive  the  gifts,  hustings,  as  though  for  an 
election,  had  been  raised  beneath  one  of  the  piazzas  of  the  Roj^al  Ex- 
change in  London,  and  the  receipts  on  the  first  day  were  ^-i'sOOO. 
Mr.,  afterward  Sir  Robert,  Peel,  father  of  the  future  prime-minister, 
and  a  manufacturer  of  calicoes  at  Bury,  in  Lancashire,  paid  in, 
from  a  loyal  impulse,  ^10,000.  In  relating  the  fact  Mr.  Macpherson, 
in  his  ' '  Histor}'  of  Commerce, "  asks :  "Is  there  an}^  other  country  on  the 
globe  that  could  produce  a  manufacturer  who  can  spare  such  a  sum?  " 
Certainly,  according  to  their  ability,  the  loyal  business  men  of  the 
United  States  were  as  generous  as  their  brethren  beyond  the  sea. 

On  the  22d  of  August,  1708,  the  keel  of  the  new  frigate  was  laid  in 
the  yard  of  Mr.  Hart,  the  builder  of  the  Cojistitution^  and  on  the  20th 
of  the  next  May,  receiving  the  name  of  Boston,  she  was  laimched,  with 
much  rejoicing,  in  the  presence  of  the  president  of  the  United  States, 
John  Adams,  the  lieutenant-governor  of  the  Commonwealth,  Moses 
Gill,  and  an  immense  concourse  of  spectators.  In  the  account  given  of 
the  launch,  it  w^as  said:  "  A  more  excellent  piece  of  naval  architecture 
cannot  be  produced  in  the  United  States.  The  dispatch  used  in  her 
construction,  the  neatness  of  her  workmanship,  with  the  superior 
quality  and  durability  of  her  material,  do  honor  to  Captain  Hart,  the 
master  builder.  Captain  Little,  her  commander,  the  superintending 
committee  of  subscribers,  and  to  the  mechanics  of  the  town.  She  is 
about  eight  hundred  tons,  and  has  the  figure  of  an  aboriginal  warrior 
for  her  head. "  The  Boston  was  rigged  and  ec|uipped  "with  patriotic 
celerit}^"  and,  on  the  12th  of  June,  she  hauled  off  into  the  stream  and 
began  to  enlist  her  crew^  She  sailed  on  her  first  cruise,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  George  Little,  July  25,  and  during  the  next  ten 
or  twelve  years  did  much  effective  work. 

Notwithstanding  the  perplexities  and  perils  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred as  superadded  to  the  ordinary  risks  of  ocean  commerce,  the 
merchants  of  Boston,  Salem,  and  other  communities  went  forward  in 
the  prosecution  of  their  plans  with  their  accustomed  energy  and  spirit. 

13 


98  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Captain  Cleveland,  in  his  journals,  nientions  four  Boston  ships  met  by 
him  on  the  Northwest  Coast  in  the  spring  of  IT'JO,  and  says  that  ten 
others  were  to  be  dispatched  thither  from  Boston  during  that  season; 
and  while  at  Calcutta,  in  the  following  winter,  he  records:  "During 
the  three  months  of  my  residence  in  Calcutta  no  less  than  twelve  ships 
were  laden  with  the  produce  and  manufactures  of  Hindostan  for  the 
United  States,  whose  cargoes  would  average  about  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  each." 

In  170.S  the  Messrs.  Perkins  bought  and  sent  to  Canton  direct  the 
ship  Tlioiiias  Russell,  and  Mr.  Ephraim  Bumstead,  then  the  oldest  ap- 
prentice in  their  counting-house,  went  out  as  supercargo.  In  1803  they 
made  an  arrangement  with  this  young  man  to  go  to  China  and  establish 
himself  there  for  the  transaction  of  their  o\\n\  business,  and  of  such 
other  as  might  offer.  Mr.  Bumstead  took  passage  in  a  ship  from 
Providence,  belonging  partly  to  merchants  there  and  partly  to  the 
Messrs.  Perkins,  and  had  as  his  clerk  John  P.  Cushing,  who  had  also 
been  in  the  employ  of  the  firm  in  Boston.  vSoon  after  their  arrival  in 
China,  Mr.  Bumstead  became  very  ill  and  embarked  on  a  voyage  for 
the  benefit  of  his  health,  expecting  to  return  before  long;  but  he  died 
at  sea,  and  Mr.  Cushing,  at  the  early  age  of  sixteen,  found  himself  in 
sole  charge,  with  inany  consignmehts  to  care  for  and  important  con- 
cerns to  manage.  He  had  "a  good  head,"  and  he  conducted  affairs 
with  so  much  ability  that  he  was  soon  after  taken  into  the  firm,  re- 
maining in  it  until  its  dissolution.  He  visited  the  United  vStates  in 
1807,  but  soon  returned  to  China,  and  did  not  leave  it  again  for  twenty 
years.      "  He  was  well  repaid  for  his  undertaking  by  the  result." 

Mr.  Cushing  was  succeeded  in  the  management  of  the  Canton  house 
by  Mr.  Thomas  T.  Forbes,  a  nephew  of  the  Perkinses,  who  was  lost 
soon  after  in  the  Canton  River  with  his  yacht  Haidcc.  Mr.  Cushing 
was  in  Europe  when  the  news  of  this  calamity  came  to  hand,  and  he 
returned  immediately  to  China  to  protect  the  interests  of  his  firm.  He 
and  Mr.  Forbes  had  been  on  intimate  terms  with  the  firm  of  Russell  & 
Co.,  of  which  Mr.  Samuel  Rus.sell  was  then  at  the  head.  It  was  now 
arranged  to  reorganize  this  house,  and  to  transfer  the  business  of  Per- 
kins &  Co.  to  it.  Mr.  Augustine  Heard  was  admitted  as  a  partner,  and 
Mr.  Forbes's  youngest  brother,  John,  then  sixteen  years  of  age,  as  a 
clerk.  Mr.  John  M.  Forbes  subsequently  became  a  partner,  and, 
later,  his  older  brother.  Captain  Robert  Bennet  Forbes,  who  was  at  the 
head  of  the   house  for  several    years,    and   of    whom   we    shall   speak 


"^;^;-?^^^~^^-""^mi^ 


'^^Yi^-'-^-rf'^- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  99 

again  presently.  Mr.  Russell  Sturgis,  afterward  of  Baring-  Brothers  & 
Co.,  was  admitted  to  the  firm  in  1842. 

Another  youth,  who  was  to  become  a  very  intelligent  and  successful 
merchant,  graduated  from  the  counting-house  of  the  Messrs.  Perkins 
in  the  early  3'ears  of  their  business,  and  went  to  sea  in  one  of  their 
ships.  This  was  Williain  vSturgis,  who  had  been  with  them  for  a  few 
months  only,  when  it  became  necessar}'  for  him,  on  the  death  of  his 
father  (1T98),  to  push  his  fortunes  for  himself;  and  he  shipped  before 
the  mast  in  the  E.liza.,  one  hundred  and  thirty-.six  tons,  then  fitting  out 
for  a  voyage  to  the  Northwest  Coast,  San  Bias  on  the  western  coast 
of  Mexico,  and  China.  The  vessel  was  under  the  command  of  Captain 
James  Rowan,  who  had  made  several  voyages  in  the  same  trade,  and  had 
been  very  successful  in  his  intercourse  with  the  Indians.  On  reaching 
the  Coast  Captain  Rowan  advanced  young  Sturgis  to  be  his  assistant 
in  the  trading  department;  and  the  latter  displayed  so  much  industry, 
ability,  and  tact  in  his  new  position,  and  had  improved  hiinself  so 
much  in  the  study  of  navigation,  that  he  attracted  the  attention  of 
other  shipmasters,  and  was  called  from  the  forecastle  of  the  Eliza  to 
be  the  chief  mate  of  the  Ulysses,  the  officers  and  crew  of  which  vessel 
were  in  revolt  against  their  captain.  He  proceeded  in  her  to  China, 
where  he  met  the  Eliza,  and,  by  consent  of  all  parties,  joined  her 
again  as  third  inate.  Of  this  voyage  the  Messrs.  Perkins  wrote  to 
one  of  their  partners,  then  in  London,  November  9,  1799,  as  follows: 
"  We  wrote  you  that  the  EJlza  had  succeeded  on  the  Northwest,  and  had 
proceeded  to  China ;  that  is,  she  was  about  leaving  the  Coast  for  China. 
We  presume  from  the  letters,  which  are  dated  off  vSt.  Bias,  that  she 
wcnild  dispose  of  her  dr}'  goods  for  about  one  hundred  per  cent.  ad. 
vance.  The  collection  of  skins  exceeded  that  of  Magee  in  the  Margaret.^ 
or  Swift  in  the  Hazard,  although  they  were  two  years,  and  the  Eliza 
ninety  days." 

Reference  to  another  of  these  voyages  will  throw  further  light  upon 
the  way  in  which  this  distant  trade  was  carried  on,  and  indicate  what 
were  its  perils  and  its  profits.  The  ship  Atahualpa,  Captain  Dixey 
Wildes,  sailed  from  Boston,  August  ;31,  1800.  vShe  was  owned  by  Messrs. 
Theodore  Lyman,  Kirk  Boott  and  William  Pratt.  She  was  of  209  tons 
and  mounted  eight  guns,  and  her  cargo  consisted  of  broadcloth,  flannel, 
blankets,  powder,  mu.skets,  watches,  tools,  beads,  wire,  looking-glasses 
and  various  other  articles.  »She  remained  on  the  Coast  about  eighteen 
months,  until  the  end  of    September,    1802,  "cruising    tip   and    down 


|()(i  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

throuoh  the  danj^crous  waters  of  the  t^Teat  northwestern  archipelago 
from  the  forty-ei^^-hth  to  the  fifty-ninth  parallels  of  latitude,  trading 
with  the  capricious  and  treacherous  natives,  repeatedly  baffled  by  con- 
trary winds,  and  encountering  constant  perils."  At  length,  having 
collected  about  thirty-five  hundred  skins  and  twenty-four  hundred  tails 
of  the  sea  otter,  with  a  few  other  furs,  the  Ataliualpa  sailed  for  China, 
touching  for  supplies  at  the  Sandwich  Islands.  The  skins  sold  for 
twenty  dollars  each,  and  the  tails  for  two  dollars  ;  and  the  proceeds 
were  invested  in  teas,  silks,  porcelains,  satins,  siigars,  etc.,  to  the  value 
of  over  fifty-seven  thousand  dollars.  The  good  ship  arrived  in  Bos- 
ton harbor,  June  17,  iSO:;,  after  an  absence  of  ten  hundred  and  twenty 
days.  Her  supercargo  on  this  voyage  was  Mr.  Ralph  Haskins,  who 
soon   became  a  prominent  merchant  on  his  own  account. 

From  June  11,  ISOO,  to  January  9,  ISOo,  34,357  sea  otter  skins  were 
imported  into  China,  worth  on  the  average  from  eighteen  to  tw^enty 
dollars  each.  Of  this  quantity,  saj^s  Pitkin,  30,407  w^ere  carried  in 
Boston  vessels.  During  the  same  period,  1,048,750  seal  skins  were 
imported,  worth  on  the  average  from  eighty  to  ninety  cents  each. 
"  Though  the  first  adventures  in  the  fur  trade  met  with  a  good  market 
at  Canton,  as  the  number  increased  the  profits  diminished,  and  it  was 
always  in  the  power  of  the  Cohoang,  to  be  regulated  by  its  members  at 
their  pleasure. "  The  Cohoang,  or  Co-Hong,  was  a  trading  company 
consisting  oi  thirteen  native  merchants,  which  had  a  monopoly  of  the 
foreign  trade,  and  was  held  responsible  for  the  collection  of  the  revenue, 
being  the  only  medium  of  communication  between  the  government 
and  foreigners.  It  ]xiid  a  considerable  sum  for  the  exclusive  privileges 
which  it  enjoyed.  Houcjua  was  at  its  head  earl)'  in  this  century — a 
man  of  high  character  and  of  great  influence. 

To  return  to  William  Sturgis  and  his  fortunes:  On  his  arrival  in 
Boston  in  the  FJiut  in  the  spring  of  1800,  he  was  engaged  as  first  mate 
and  assistant  trader  on  l)oard  the  Caroline.^  owned  by  James  and  Thomas 
Laml)  and  others,  then  fitting  out  for  a  three  years  voyage  to  the  Pacific 
and  China,  under  Captain  Charles  Derby,  of  vSalem.  The  ship  touched 
at  the  Sandwich  Islands  on  the  way  out,  and  Captain  Derby  died  there ; 
whereupon,  Mr.  vSturgis,  then  nineteen  years  of  age,  became  command- 
er of  the  vessel  and  sole  manager  of  her  business.  He  came  back  to 
Boston  in  1S()3,  having  made  the  voyage  "to  the  great  satisfaction  and 
profit  (jf  his  employers. "  He  made  another  voyage,  terminating  in  June 
1800.       In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  started  on  his  fourth  voy- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  101 

age  round  the  world  in  the  Ataliualpa^  with  supervision  over  two  other 
vessels,  belonging  to  the  same  owners,  already  on  the  Coast.  He  spoke 
the  language  of  the  Indians,  studied  their  characteristics  carefulh",  and 
was  always  successful  in  his  dealings  with  them.  He  returned  to  Bos- 
ton in  June,  1808,  and,  soon  after,  sailed  in  the  same  ship  for  Canton 
direct,  with  an  outfit  exceeding  three  hundred  thousand  Spanish  milled 
dollars.  He  was  accompanied  on  his  vo3"age  by  Mr.  John  Bromfield, 
as  supercargo,  who  was  under  engagement  to  remain  in  Canton  for  a 
year  as  Mr.  Lyman's  factor,  and  who,  afterward,  became  an  influential 
Boston  merchant.  It  was  on  this  voyage  that  the  ship  had  a  desperate 
encounter  with  pirates  in  the  mouth  of  the  Canton  River.  Captain 
Stiirgis  reached  Boston  again  in  1810,  and  joined  j\Ir.  John  Bryant  in 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Bryant  &  vSturgis.  Their  business  was 
principally  with  the  Pacific  Coast  and  with  China,  and  "from  the  year 
1810  to  1840  more  than  half  of  the  trade  carried  on  with  those  coun- 
tries, from  the  United  States,  was  under  their  direction.  They  occasion- 
ally, however,  had  commercial  intercourse  with  nearly  every  quarter 
of  the  globe." 

The  Thomas  Rrissr//  was  dispatched  in  May,  1800,  under  command 
of  Captain  Henry  Jackson,  to  Malaga  and  ports  in  the  Mediterranean, 
loaded  with  teas  and  nankeens,  "  the  ultimate  object  of  the  voyage  being 
the  purchase  of  a  cargo  in  Calcutta,  and  the  speedy  conversion  of  the 
present  lading  into  dollars  to  be  the  governing  object  in  the  opera- 
tions." The  trade  to  the  Mediterranean  had  been  seriously  interrupt- 
ted  by  the  Barbary  corsairs. 

Earlv  in  the  year  1805  an  association  was  formed,  called  the  Boston 
Importing  Compan}',  with  the  design  of  regulating  the  shipping  trade 
with  Liverpool  and  London  with  special  reference  to  the  interests  of 
the  Boston  importers.  vStockholders,  as  we  suppose,  were  to  have  the 
preference  in  the  shipment  of  goods,  and  when  the  rates  were  high, 
they  would  receive  a  rebate  in  the  shape  of  a  larger  dividend  on  their 
shares.  "We  judge  also  that  the  company  was  to  import  goods  on  its 
own  account.  An  advertisement  appeared  in  some  of  the  newspapers 
May  8,  as  follows:  "The  associates  of  the  Boston  Importing  Company 
are  hereb}'  notified  that  an  as.sessment  of  ten  dollars  on  each  share  is  to 
be  paid  to  the  subscriber  on  or  before  the  17th  inst.  By  order  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees.  T.  W.  Storrow,  Treasurer."  A  few  days  later 
Wood  &  Rollins  announced  that  the  ship  Sa//f,  Captain  Seth  Webber, 
"intended  for  a  regular  ship  between  this  port  and  Liverpool,"    would 


10^  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

have  immediate  dispatcli ;  she  was  o^))  tons,  "  coppered  to  the  bends," 
and  had  elej^-ant  accommodations  for  passengers.  Whether  this  vessel, 
and  the  others  nm  by  the  company,  were  purchased  or  chartered,  we 
have  no  means  of  knowint^  positively.  When  the  Legislature  met, 
John  Gore  and  others  in  behalf  of  the  company  applied  for  an  act  of 
incorporation ;  the  committee  to  which  the  question  was  referred  re- 
ported favorably,  but  its  report  was  not  accepted,  and  the  petitioners  had 
leave  to  withdraw.  We  have  been  unable  to  find  Mr.  Gore's  petition 
on  the  files  at  the  vState  House.  The  Sally  returned  in  vSeptember, 
making-  the  passage  in  twenty-eight  days,  and  bringing  several  passen- 
gers, among  them  Captain  Winslow  Lewis,  Samuel  Appleton,  Daniel 
Parker,  jr.,  and  Henry  Gassett,  jr.  vShe  took  her  departure  tw(^  months 
later,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Lewis.  Ammidon  &  Boyle,  who 
seem  to  have  been  the  agents  of  the  line,  advertised  the  copper-bottomed 
ship  Packet^  Captain  Scott,  to  sail  October  15  ;  and  again  in  the  following 
spring.  They  also  advertised  in  the  spring  of  1800,  "the  Boston  Im- 
porting Company's  ship  Romeo,  John  Le  Bosquet,  for  Rotterdam  and 
London,  to  sail  about  March  25,  and  return  from  London  early  in  the 
fall."  Other  regular  traders  to  London,  not  controlled  by  the  company 
of  which  we  have  been  speaking,  were  the  President  Adams,  John 
Adams,  Neiv  Packet,  and  Bosto/i,  and  t(j  London,  the  iVezu  Galen. 
They  were  advertised  by  Haven,  Williams  &  Co.,  Trott  &  Blake  and 
Wood  &  Rollins. 

Referring  to  the  Boston  Importing  Company,  Mr.  Sabine  says: 
"The  War  of  1812  put  an  end  to  our  intercourse  with  England,  and 
the  company  closed  their  affairs.  One  of  the  ships  was  detained  by 
France,  but  was  released  to  bring  home  Mr.  Armstrong,  the  American 
minister."  We  have  succeeded  in  fully  verifying  this  statement.  Gen- 
eral Armstrong  arrived  at  New  London,  November,  1810,  in  the  ship 
Sally,  Captain  vScott,  from  Bordeaux.  The  Sally  had  been  "seques- 
tered" at  St.  Sebastian,  June  1,  and  released  by  the  emperor  in  Sep- 
tember for  General  Armstrong's  use. 

The  growth  of  the  American  mercantile  marine  from  the  adoption  of 
the  Federal  constitution  to  1807  was  something  amazing.  During  this 
period  of  eighteen  years,  the  registered  tonnage  of  the  countr}^  was 
multiplied  seven  fold;  from  1797  to  1807  the  increase  was  a  quarter  of 
a  million  of  tons,  or  forty-two  per  cent.  The  figures  for  1807  were 
848,300.  Of  this  amount,  more  than  one-third,  310,  o09  tons,  belonged  to 
Massachusetts.        While  the  great  powers  in  Europe  had  been  intent 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  103 

on  the  destruction  of  each  other's  commerce,  the  merchants  of  the 
United  vStates  had  seen  their  g-reat  opportunity  and  had  made  the  most 
of  it.  The  old  colonial  and  commercial  systems,  to  which  the  European 
governments  had  clung  so  pertinaciously,  had,  under  the  necessities  of 
the  case,  been  either  entirely  abandoned,  or  greatly  relaxed ;  and  the 
British  Government  had  been  obliged  to  open  even  the  trade  of  the  West 
India  Islands  to  the  American  flag,  from  time  to  time,  for  a  limited 
period.  But,  whether  from  a  jealousy  of  the  growing  commercial  power 
of  this  young  nation,  or  from  a  haughty  and  fatuous  indifference  to  the 
rights  of  others  upon  the  ocean,  British  officials  persisted  in  their  inter- 
ference with  the  American  flag,  and  in  grossly  insulting  it.  American 
ships  were  seized,  and  were  ruthlessly  condemned  by  the  British 
admiralty  courts.  Oppressive  orders  in  council  followed,  of  which  we 
shall  speak  more  particularly,  and  the  people  of  the  seaboard  towns 
were  thoroughly  aroused  and  indignant.  Even  the  Federalist  leaders 
in  the  town  of  Boston,  which  was  the  last  stronghold  of  conservatism, 
' '  were  properly  helpless  before  the  righteous  indignation  which  blazed 
up  more  fiercely  than  ever  when  the  English,  not  content  with  despoil- 
ing our  merchant  vessels,  fired  upon  the  national  flag,  flying  from  a 
national  ship."  "If  Mr.  Jeff'erson,"  says  an  able  writer,  Mr.  Cabot 
Lodge,  "  had  at  that  supreme  moment  declared  war  and  appealed  to 
the  country,  he  would  have  had  the  cordial  support  of  the  mass  of  the 
people  not  only  in  New  England  but  in  Boston  itself."  The  president, 
however,  relied  upon  his  theory  of  non-intercourse,  and  pressed  the 
Embargo  Act  through  both  houses  of  Congress ;  as  the  consequence  of 
this,  the  support  of  New  England  in  the  trying  times  w^hich  were  at 
hand  was  lost  to  the  administration,  and  Federalism,  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  had  a  new  lease  of  life. 

"  wSo  bitter,"  says  the  same  writer,  "was  the  feeling  against  England, 
so  strong  the  sense  of  wounded  national  pride,  that  even  the  embargo 
was  received  in  Boston  at  first  with  silent  submission ;  but  its  operation 
told  so  severely  upon  both  town  and  State  that  hostility  to  the  adminis- 
tration rapidly  deepened  and  strengthened."  The  agricultural  inter- 
est suffered  hardly  less  than  the  commercial;  shipbuilding  was  sus- 
pended, the  ships  lay  idle  at  the  wharves,  and  the  fisheries  were  aban- 
doned. The  gloomy  days  of  the  Boston  Port  Bill  seemed  to  have  come 
back  again.  "The  transfer  of  flour  and  grain  from  the  Southern  vStates 
to  the  northern  and  eastern  ports  was  interdicted ;  and  when  this  was 
found  to  be  very  injurious,  the  president  proposed  to  grant  license  to 


104  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

such  individuals  to  transport  flour  for  the  necessary  consumption  of  the 
people  as  Governor  Sullivan  should  select  or  designate.  Great  com- 
plaints were  made  against  this  measure  as  partial  and  unjust.  A  petition 
was  preferred  to  Congress  at  this  time  for  liberty  to  send  hsh  to  foreign 
markets  as  had  formerly  been  done,  and  when  there  were  large  quan- 
tities on  hand  exposed  to  decay  in  a  short  time;  but  the  request  was  not 
granted,  nor  was  any  sympathy  expressed  for  the  petitioners."  Why 
the  American  people  should  have  been  thus  punished,  and,  especially, 
why  their  domestic  commerce  should  have  been  made  to  suffer,  because 
foreigners  had  dishonored  their  flag  on  the  ocean,  it  is  very  difficult  at 
this  day  to  conceive. 

The  Columbian  Cciiti)tcF)i  March  ;jO,  1S08,  gives  a  flagrant  instance 
of  the  destruction  of  American  property  by  French  cruisers.  The  ship 
Pocahontas  had  arrived  from  Liverpool  two  days  before,  and  reported 
as  follows:  On  the  1st  of  March  she  "was  broi:ght  to  and  boarded 
from  the  French  frigates  La  Hcruiionc  and  H or  tense,  of  forty  guns  each, 
which,  having  been  to  the  West  Indies  with  troops,  were  on  the  return, 
and  were  then  cruizing  off  the  mouth  of  the  channel.  Immediately  on 
the  French  officers  boarding.  Captain  Harris  was  ordered  on  board  the 
French  commodore,  and  directions  were  given  that  the  stores  should 
be  removed  from  the  Pocahontas,  and  the  ship  burnt.  These  orders 
were  afterwards  countermanded,  the  stores  returned,  and  Captain  Harris 
was  compelled  to  take  on  board  forty-seven  persons  belonging  to  the 
following  American  ships  which  had  been  taken  and  burnt  by  these 
French  national  frigates,  viz.  :  William,  Rockwell,  from  Liverpool  for 
Savannah,  Flirja,  Dunbar,  from  Liverpool  for  New  York,  Brntns, 
of  Duxbury,  Smith,  from  Liverpool.  The  Pocahontas  thus  escaped 
conflagration  from  the  necessity  the  French  were  under  of  getting  rid 
of  their  American  prisoners,  being  in  want  of  provisions;  but  before 
they  left  her,  they  flung  into  the  sea  all  the  crates  of  ware  they  could 
come  at,  seized  the  letters,  papers,  &c. ,  and  wantonly  destroyed  them, 
and  Captain  Harris  was  then  compelled  to  steer  to  the  westward."  A 
statement  of  these  facts  was  made  in  a  protest  befcjre  a  notary  public, 
and  it  was  said  further,  "that  the  Frenchmen  wished  to  fall  in  with 
some  vessel  with  bale  goods  [something  more  valuable  than  earthen- 
ware and  salt],  and  intended  to  look  out  for  the  Sally,  Captain  Lewis, 
of  this  port,  who  was  to  sail  soon  after,  the  Ceres,  Captain  Webber,  and 
other  valuable  American  ships  belonging  to  this  port." 

The  (^r//////^/ made  the  following  comment  on  these  outrages:  "If 
we  complain  of  the  decisions   of  the   British   Admiralty   courts,    when 


TRADE   AND   COMMERCE.  105 

without  any  treaty  to  oruide  them;  if  we  condemn  the  conduct  of  British 
officers  on  board  our  vessels;  if  we  denounce  the  outrag'e  of  the  de- 
graded East  India  Company's  lieutenant  at  Canton  ;  what  language  may 
we  not  use  in  relating  the  above  outrages,  committed  by  Bonaparte's 
iniperial  officers,  acting  under  his  orders,  against  the  vessels  and  prop- 
ertv  of  a  nation  between  whom  and  France  a  most  solemn  treaty  exists? 
and  which  has  been  inviolably  kept  on  our  part.  vSuch  perfidy  would 
disgrace  Algiers !  While  treaty  stipulations  are  performed,  even  the 
tyrant  of  Algiers  is  a  friend ;  and  in  war,  his  prizes  are  tried,  before 
condemned.  But  Bonaparte's  decrees  are  executed  by  fire,  and  not  by 
admiralty  decrees:  His  execution  outstrips  his  threats  I  What  he  can- 
not keep,  he  will  destro}^ ;  and  yet  at  this  moment,  his  conduct  finds 
suppliant  apologists;  and  those  apologists  have  the  impudence  to  call 
upon  the  American  people  for  their  suffrages  and  support!  " 

The  cargo  of  the  Brutus,  which  sailed  for  Boston  from  Liverpool  in 
company  with  the  Pocahoutas,  consisted  of  155  tons  of  salt,  12  tons  of 
coal,  100  crates  of  crockery  ware,  2  casks  and  2  cases  of  merchandise. 
Her  sails  and  stores,  and  about  a  thousand  letters,  were  taken  out  of 
the  ship;  and  she  was  then  burned.  The  ships  Sally,  }\ickct,  and  Presi- 
dent Adams,  with  cargoes  of  dry  goods  for  the  spring  trade,  arrived  in 
safety  a  few"  days  later. 

In  1800  there  was  a  temporar}'  relaxation  of  hostilities,  the  Embargo 
Act  was  modified  in  certain  particulars,  and  a  thousand  vessels  sailed 
from  these  shores  for  foreign  ports.  Even  from  1807  to  1810,  the  reg- 
istered tonnage  of  the  United  vStates  increased  by  more  than  fifteen  per 
cent.  The  figures  for  the  latter  year  were  081,2(V.),  a  total  not  reached 
again  for  a  third  of  a  century,  not  until  18i;3,  when  it  was  1,003,032. 
The  tonnage  of  all  kinds  in  ISlO  was  1,421,748.  This  total  was  reached 
and  exceeded  in  1820,  owing  to  the  rapid  growth  of  the  coastwise  trade 
at  that  period.  The  tonnage  of  all  kinds  owned  in  Massachusetts  in  1810 
was  405,203,  more  than  the  combined  tonnage,  according  to  Pitkin,  of 
the  vStates  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania.  It  should  be  added,  how- 
ever, that  the  tonnage  owned  in  the  city  of  New  York  at  that  time  was 
considerably  in  excess  of  that  owned  in  Boston. 

Writing  of  these  times,  Mr.  Green,  the  impartial  English  historian, 
says:  "By  a  violent  stretch  of  her  rights  as  a  combatant,  England  de- 
clared the  whole  coast  occupied  by  France  and  its  allies,  from  Dantzig 
to  Trieste,  to  be  in  a  state  of  blockade.  It  was  impossible  to  enforce 
such  a  '  paper  blockade, '  even  by  the  immense  force  at  her  disposal ;  and 

14 


lOG  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Napoleon  seized  on  the  opportunity  to  retaliate  by  the  entire  exclusion 
of  British  commerce  from  the  Continent,  an  exclusion  which  he  trusted 
would  end  the  war  by  the  ruin  it  would  bring  on  the  English  manu- 
facturers. Decrees  issued  from  Berlin  and  Milan  ordered  the  seizure  of 
all  British  exports  and  of  vessels  which  had  touched  at  any  British  port. 
The  result  of  these  decrees  would,  he  hoped,  prove  the  ruin  of  the 
carrying  trade  of  Britain,  which  would  pass  into  the  hands  of  neutrals 
and  especially  of  the  Americans ;  and  it  was  to  prevent  this  result  that 
the  Grenville  ministry  issued  orders  in  council  in  Januar}^,  1807,  by 
which  neutral  vessels  voyaging  to  coasts  subject  to  the  blockade  already 
declared  were  compelled  on  pain  of  seizure  to  touch  previously  at  some 
British  port. "  It  was  this  action,  so  far  as  concerned  Great  Britain, 
that  led  to  the  Non-intercourse  Act.  Napoleon  failed  in  his  effort  to 
exclude  British  goods  from  the  Continent ;  an  enormous  contraband 
trade  sprang  up,  and  it  is  said  that  the  French  army  wore  overcoats 
made  in  Leeds  and  shoes  from  Northampton;  but,  indirectly,  this  policy 
added  to  the  already  serious  complications  in  which  the  relations,  com- 
mercial and  political,  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  were 
involved.  The  emperor  adroitly  met  the  Non-intercoi;rse  Act  by  an 
offer  to  withdraw  the  restrictions  he  had  imposed  on  neutral  trade,  if 
America  would  compel  England  to  show  equal  respect  to  her  flag ;  but 
no  concession  could  be  obtained  from  the  cabinet  of  Mr.  vSpencer  Per- 
ceval, who  had  succeeded  Lord  Grenville,  and  whom  Mr.  Green  de- 
scribes as  "an  industrious  mediocrity  of  the  narrowest  type. "  England's 
insistence  on  the  "right  of  search"  embittered  the  controversy  even 
more  than  her  arbitrary  seizure  of  American  vessels ;  there  was  too 
much  British  blood  in  the  veins  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  to 
allow  them  to  submit  tamely  to  such  pretensions.  In  1811  Napoleon 
removed  the  obstacles  which  he  had  placed  in  the  way  of  American 
trade,  and  the  Non-intercour.se  Act  was  repealed  so  far  as  related  to 
France.  But,  as  we  have  said,  no  corresponding  ccjncession  could  be 
obtained  from  the  Engli.sh  Government,  "though  the  closing  of  the 
American  ports  inflicted  a  heavier  blow  on  English  commerce  than  any 
which  the  orders  could  have  aimed  at  preventing.  During  1811 ,  indeed, 
Engli.sh  exports  were  reduced  by  one-third  of  their  whole  amount.  In 
America,  the  irritation  at  last  brought  about  a  cry  for  war  which,  in 
.spite  of  the  resolute  opposition  of  the  New  P^ngland  vStates,  forced  Con- 
gress to  raise  an  army  of  twenty-five  thousand  men,  and  to  declare  the 
impressment  of  seamen  sailing  under  an   American   flag  to  be  piracy. 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  10? 

England  at  last  consented  to  withdi^aw  her  orders  in  council,  but  the 
concession  was  made  too  late  to  avert  a  declaration  of  war  on  the  part 
of  the  United  States  in  June,  1812." 

When  Napoleon  was  on  his  way  to  Elba  in  the  sprin<i;  of  1814,  in  the 
charge  of  Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Ussher,  he  talked  freely  of  all  these 
events.  He  spoke  of  what  passed  between  himself  and  Lord  Sidmouth, 
when,  after  the  peace  of  Amiens  (18()2),  an  attempt  was  made  to  renew 
the  former  treaty  of  commerce  between  the  two  countries ;  this  attempt 
failed  because  the  English  minister  was  unable  to  accept  the  emperor's 
explanation  of  ''perfect  reciprocity, "  nainely,  "that  if  France  took  so 
many  millions  of  English  goods,  England  should  take  as  many  millions 
of  French  produce  in  return. "  Napoleon  claimed  that,  ultimately,  the 
Americans  admitted  the  justness  of  his  principles  of  commerce.  For- 
inerly,  he  said,  they  brought  over  some  millions  of  tobacco  and  cotton, 
took  specie  in  return,  and  then  went  empty  to  England,  where  they 
furnished  themselves  with  British  manufactures.  He  refused  to  admit 
their  tobacco  and  cotton,  unless  they  took  from  France  an  eqiiivalent  in 
French  produce ;  and,  he  added,  they  finally  yielded  to  this  system  as 
being  just.  As  compared  with  England,  however,  the  trade  of  the 
United  vStates  with  France  was  small.  Mr.  George  Cabot  said  that,  of 
all  the  surplus  products  of  the  United  States,  England  bought  annually 
one-half;  and,  of  all  our  foreign  purchases,  she  supplied  two-thirds. 

On  the  4:th  of  April,  1812,  Congress  passed  an  act  laying  an  embargo 
on  all  ships  and  vessels  in  ports  and  places  within  the  limits  or  jiiris- 
diction  of  the  United  vStates,  cleared  or  not  cleared,  bound  to  any  foreign 
port  or  place;  with  a  proviso  permitting  the  departure  of  foreign 
vessels,  either  in  ballast,  or  with  the  merchandise  on  board  the  same, 
when  notified  of  the  act.  As  the  summer  approached  it  became  more 
and  more  plain  that  war  was  imminent,  and  the  general  anxiety  in- 
creased proportionately.  Early  in  June  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, by  nearly  a  two-thirds  vote,  resolved,  "  that  an  offensive  war 
against  Great  Britain,  under  the  present  circumstances  of  this  countr)^, 
would  be  in  the  highest  degree  impolitic,  unnecessary,  and  ominous; 
and  that  the  great  body  of  the  people  of  this  Commonwealth  are 
decidedly  opposed  to  this  measure,  which  they  do  not  believe  to  be 
demanded  by  the  honor  or  interest  of  the  nation."  The  Senate  con- 
curred, and  the  Legislature  sent  to  Congress  a  memorial  against  the 
war.  It  was,  however,  without  avail;  and,  on  the  Kith  of  June,  the 
president  of  the  United  States  signed  the  bill  declaring  war  against 


108  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Great  Britain.  The  declaration  was  officially  notified  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Massachusetts  on  the  23d  of  the  same  month;  and,  a  day  or 
two  later,  a  resolve  was  passed,  asking-  the  governor  to  appoint  a  fast, 
"on  account  of  the  great  and  distressing  calamity  which  God  in  his 
holy  Providence  has  permitted  to  be  brought  on  the  people  of  these 
United  States." 

"  The  general  sentiment  in  Boston  seems  to  have  settled  down  into  a 
determination  to  do  nothing  in  active  support  of  offensive  war,  but 
resolutely  to  defend  themselves  against  any  foreign  aggression.  This 
they  were  called  upon  to  do  before  the  war  closed."  The  suffering 
that  followed  was  very  great.  A  vast  amount  of  capital,  and  a  large 
number  of  vessels  and  seamen  were  thrown  out  of  employ;  the  prices 
of  imported  articles  rose  enormously ;  the  produce  of  the  country  was 
held  at  high  rates ;  and  it  was  difficult  to  supply  family  wants.  Mr. 
Nathaniel  Silsbee,  an  influential  inerchant,  who  had  been  a  successful 
shipmaster,  and  was  afterward  a  senator  of  the  United  States,  says,  in 
his  autobiography:  "On  the  ISth  of  June,  1812,  after  an  embargo  of 
sixty  days,  the  government  of  the  United  States  declared  war  against 
England,  which  had  a  most  depressing  effect  upon  the  commercial 
interests  of  the  country;  the  vessels  that  were  at  home  were  generally 
dismantled  and  hauled  up,  except  such  as  were  suitable  for  privateers; 
and  although  a  much  larger  portion  of  vessels  and  propert}'  which 
happened  to  be  abroad  at  the  commencement  of  the  war  escaped 
capture  than  was  expected,  yet  a  number  of  these  vessels  and  a  consid- 
erable amount  of  property  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  caused 
large  losses  to  the  coinmercial  part  of  the  community." 

Colonel  Perkins,  reviewing  this  period,  writes  in  his  journals: 
"  Embargoes  and  non-intercourse,  with  political  and  other  causes  of 
embarrassment,  crossed  our  path ;  but  we  kept  our  trade  with  China, 
and  during  the  war  of  the  Peninsula  embarked  largely  in  the  ship- 
ment of  provisions  to  Spain  and  Portugal.  ()i:r  general  plan  was  to 
freight  vessels,  load  them  with  flour  at  the  South  for  Europe,  and  have 
the  funds  remitted  to  London.  To  make  some  necessary  arrangements 
respecting-  them,  I  took  passage  in  the  brig  Reaper.,  belonging  to  my 
friend  Henry  Lee,  for  London,  in  August,  1811.  The  intention  of  Mr. 
Lee  was  to  proceed  to  India  in  the  brig,  taking  funds  from  England, 
and  returning  to  Boston  with  Calcutta  cloths,  which  then  paid  a  great 
advance.  I  sent  funds  in  her,  and  she  returned  in  the  year  1812,  dur- 
ing the  war  with  Great  Britain,  and  with  great  profit.      Long-cloths  of 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  109 

India  then  brought  twenty-five  cents  a  yard,  though  an  inferior  article 
to  what  is  no^v  made  at  six  cents,  being  less  than  one-fourth  of  the 
price  the  India  cloths  then  sold  at.  I  remained  in  London  during  the 
year,  or  until  the  summer,  and  returned  after  war  had  been  declared. 
While  in  London  I  bought,  with  the  elder  Mr.  Higginson,  goods 
brought  into  England  for  France,  which  resulted  in  great  gain." 

In  December,  1813,  Congress  passed  a  further  restrictive  measure, 
which  added  to  the  suffering  already  existing,  and  increased  the  com- 
plaints of  the  people.  It  interdicted  the  coasting  trade  between  ports 
of  the  same  State,  as  well  as  the  fishing  business  in  small  craft  near 
the  coast.  The  fishermen  of  Boston  and  the  adjacent  ports,  thus  de- 
prived of  the  means  of  obtaining  their  daily  bread,  were  obliged  to 
petition  the  General  Court  for  relief. 

vShut  in  from  the  ordinary  opportunities  for  enterprise  and  gain  upon 
the  ocean,  the  shipowners  on  the  northern  seaboard  resorted  to  the 
adventurous  and  uncertain,  but  exciting  and  tempting,  pursuit  of 
privateering.  During  the  war  Baltimore  sent  out  fifty-eight  privateers ; 
New  York,  fifty-five;  Salem,  forty;  and  Boston,  thirty-one.  On  the 
llUh  of  October,  lSl->,  the  schooner  Fame,  which  had  seen  service  as  a 
privateer  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  came  into  Boston  after  a 
cruise  of  fifteen  days,  having  captured  two  schooners.  Another  Boston 
vessel,  the  Hydcr  AH,  Captain  Thorndike,  was  captiired  in  the  East 
Indies  by  the  British  frigate  Oiccn  Glcndoiccr,  after  having  taken  nine 
prizes,  all  of  which,  however,  were  recaptured.  The  late  Admiral 
Preble  has  left  an  account  of  the  True  Blooded  Yankee,  one  of  the  most 
famous  privateers  of  the  war,  which  was  commissioned  from  Boston 
under  the  American  flag,  though  fitted  out  and  sailing  from  French 
ports,  her  owner,  ]\Ir.  Henry  Preble,  being  temporarily  a  resident 
of  France.  This  vessel  cruised  in  the  English  and  Irish  channels, 
making  many  rich  prizes,  which  were  generally  sent  into  French  ports, 
though  a  few  were  sent  to  the  United  States.  One  ship,  sent  into 
Brest,  was  said  to  be  worth  half  a  million  dollars ;  one  laden  with  dry 
goods  and  Irish  linens  was  ordered  to  the  United  vStates ;  and  the  ship 
Iiidiistrv  was  sent  to  Bergen,  in  Norway,  and  there  sold.  In  1813  the 
True  Blooded  Yankee,  during  a  cruise  of  thirty-seven  days,  captured 
twenty-seven  vessels  and  made  two  hundred  and  seventy  prisoners; 
she  also  took  possession  of  an  island  on  the  coast  of  Ireland,  and  held 
it  six  days ;  and  she  burned  seven  vessels  lying  in  the  harbor  of  a  Scotch 
town.     In  1814  she  cruised  in  the  English  channel,  in  company  with 


no  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  privateer  Bunker  Hill,  carryino-  fourteen  j;-uns  and  one  hundred  and 
forty  men,  with  orders  to  divest  her  prizes  of  their  valuable  articles 
and  then  to  sink  and  destroy  them,  but  not  to  send  them  into  port. 
.Such  was  the  terror  she  inspired,  that  it  is  said  a  reward  was  offered 
for  her  capture  and  that  of  her  captain,  Thomas  Oxnard,  dead  or  alive. 

The  following-  extracts  from  the  correspondence  of  the  Messrs.  Per- 
kins will  give  us  a  glimpse  at  these  times  from  the  commercial  point 
of  view : 

January  1,  IS  14:  "You  say  a  cargo  laid  in  at  Canton  would  bring 
three  for  one  in  vSouth  America,  and  your  copper  would  give  tw(j  prices 
back.  Thus,  $;50,(H)0  laid  out  in  China  would  give  you  $!)(), 000  in  South 
America,  one-half  of  which  laid  out  in  copper  would  give  one  hundred 
percent.,  or  $'.)(),()()()— making  $i:}5,000  for  $30,000;  (i(),00(»  lbs.  of 
indigo,  even  at  80  cents,  $48,000;  120  tons  sugar  at  $(iO,  $7,200;  and 
cotton,  or  some  other  light  freight,  say  skiss  tea,  $20,000 — in  all  $75,- 
000 — would  be  worth  here  $400,000,  and  not  employ  the  profits  of  the 
voyage  to  South  America.  Manilla  sugar  is  worth  $400  to  $500  per 
ton,  clear  of  duty.  The  ship  should  be  flying  light,  her  bottom  in 
good  order,  the  greatest  vigilance  used  on  the  passage,  and  make  any 
port  north  of  New  York." 

January  (5,  1814:  "Teas  have  risen  to  enormous  prices,  but  are  now 
declining.  .  .  .  Teas  will  rise  with  you  immediatel}^  after  a  knowl- 
edge of  peace  takes  place.  Many  voyages  will  be  undertaken  after  the 
war,  and  the  country  will  be  again  flooded  with  teas." 

July  15,  1814:  "A  messenger  has  recently  arrived  in  this  country, 
oft'ering  in  the  name  of  the  Prince  Regent  propositions  for  concluding 
a  peace  between  this  country  and  Great  Britain.  ...  A  final 
settlement,  such  as  will  enable  us  to  navigate  in  safety,  may  be  pro- 
ti-acted  by  the  diplomatic  habits  of  our  government,  to  the  ensuing 
autumn.  It  may  be  concluded  sooner.  All  will  depend  upon  the  com- 
plete prostration  of  Buonaparte.  God  grant  that  this  obstacle  may  not 
long  intervene!  How  far  we  shall,  in  time  of  peace,  be  permitted  to 
pursue  our  former  commerce,  is  a  question  difficult  to  decide.  Great 
Britain  has  neither  affection  nor  respect  for  us.  Her  interest  will 
guide  in  relation  to  her  future  stipulations.  When  she  can,  consistently 
with  her  own  rights,  restrict  us,  she  will  naturally  do  so." 

November  17,  1814:  "We  hear  that  the  Jacob  Jones  went  safely  into 
Canton,  and  presume  she  may  be  dispatched  before  the  river  is  block- 
aded.     In  such  case,  she  ought  to  be  here  at  the  time  appointed,  unless 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  Ill 

captxired.  Our  coast  is  closely  invested  and  the  hazard  of  getting  in 
very  imminent.  Some  insurance  has  been  done  on  her,  owing  to  her 
being  a  war-built  vessel  and  having  the  reputation  of  being  a  swift 
sailer,  at  fifty  per  cent.,  but  ver}'  little  can  be  had.  We  have  only 
$8,000  written  at  present,  and  fear  we  shall  not  be  able  to  effect  more 
by  safe  men,  even  at  that.  Vessels  built  before  the  war  cannot  be  in- 
sured at  seventy-five  per  cent. ,  which  premium  has  been  given  on  prizes 
taken  near  this  coast  and  ordered  in.  Owing  to  the  decline  of  public 
credit,  consequent  on  a  continuance  of  the  war,  and  the  many  failures 
that  have  taken  place,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  effect  sales  of  any  sort 
except  for  immediate  consumption,  and  those  are  made  only  for  cash, 
no  one  being  inclined  to  sell  on  credit  at  this  critical  juncture. 
Public  funds  here  (six  per  cent. )  are  down  to  sixty-five,  and  growing 
worse.  Nothing  but  peace  can  prevent  an  utter  downfall  of  govern- 
mental credit  and  means.  We  have  no  expectation  that  the  duties  will 
be  reduced  for  several  years,  if  at  all.  Keep  the  Levant  safe  in  port 
till  you  hear  of  peace.  Then  she  may  do  well  with  black  teas  for 
European  markets." 

The  arrival  of  the  schooner  Russell  at  New  Bedford,  ninety-two  days 
from  Canton,  is  reported  in  the  newspapers,  April  5,  1815,  and  it  is 
said:  "Information  has  been  received  at  Canton  from  Columbia  River 
of  the  capture  of  ship  Charoji^  Whittemore,  of  Boston,  with  her  cargo 
of  furs,  and  ship  Isabella,  Davis,  of  Boston,  particulars  not  known.  All 
the  American  vessels  on  the  Northwest  Coast  were  considered  as  lost  or 
in  danger  of  capture. " 

But  in  the  mean  time,  this  war,  perhaps  the  most  needless  that  was 
ever  waged  between  two  civilized,  not  to  say  Christian  powers,  had 
been  brought  to  a  close.  There  had  been  a  wide  divergence  of  opinion 
on  the  questions  of  declaring  and  continuing  it,  but  there  was  no  differ- 
ence in  the  spirit  with  which  the  news  of  peace  was  welcomed  by  the 
people  of  both  parties  and  of  all  classes.  Colonel  Perkins  was  in 
Washington  with  two  other  commissioners  froin  Massachusetts,  and  he 
wrote  from  that  city,  February  lf3,  1815,  to  his  partner,  Mr.  Cushing: 
"The  joyful  event  of  peace  has  suspended  the  mission  on  which  I  came. 
You  will  hear  with  delight  of  this  event.  No  sacrifice  is  made  of  ter- 
ritory or  commercial  rights.  It  is  a  treaty  formed  on  the  basis  of  that 
of  1783.      ...      I  trust  I  shall  never  see  another  war." 

A  few  extracts  from  the  newspapers  after  the  return  of  peace  will 
compare  pleasantly  with  what  has  gone  before. 


112  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

February  1<S:  "The  lights  in  the  light-houses  off  this  harbor  and 
Cape  Ann  have  recommenced  by  order  of  Government.  The  moderate 
weather,  which  we  hope  is  now  commencing,  will  raise  the  ice  blockade 
of  this  and  other  harbors,  and  permit  the  numerous  vessels  now  pre- 
paring for  sea  to  spread  their  white  canvas  to  the  gale." 

"  The  first  effects  of  peace  have  been  seen  in  the  rapid  declension  in 
the  price  of  foreign  goods,  West  India  produce,  etc.  In  New  York 
sugars  have  fallen  100%  {sic),  teas  from  75  to  100%." 

March  11:  "  Many  gallant  vessels  have  left  port  on  voyages,  and 
others  are  in  stages  of  readiness.  The  beautiful  ships  Liverpool  Packet 
and  Milo  will  unloose  their  sails  to-morrow,  if  the  wind  will  permit. 
The  elegant  new  ship  Ualoi  will  sail  for  London  in  all  the  month.  Ves- 
sels which  now  sail  for  any  European  ports  cannot  run  into  danger." 

Among  the  passengers  in  the  Milo  was  Abbott  Lawrence,  who  had 
been  admitted  as  a  partner  into  the  business  of  his  brother,  Amos,  on 
the  1st  of  January  preceding.  A.  &  A.  Lawrence  were  large  importers 
for  several  years,  and  until  they  became  identified  with  the  rising  manu- 
facturing interests  of  New  England.  On  his  first  visit  to  Europe,  Mr. 
Lawrence  was  able  to  send  his  purchases  back  by  the  packet  which  had 
carried  him  over,  so  that  they  were  disposed  of  in  Boston  within  ninety 
days  from  the  time  of  his  departure.  This  was  regarded  as  a  very 
creditable  achievement  at  the  time.  Possibly  it  was  of  this  voyage  that 
it  was  stated  subsequently:  "In  1815  the  Milo  happened  to  be  the  only 
ship  about  sailing  for  this  port.  The  usual  freight  at  the  time  was 
seventy  shillings  sterling  a  ton.  Taking  advantage  of  the  circumstance, 
the  captain  of  that  ship  declined  taking  freight  imder,  it  is  believed, 
ten  pounds  a  ton."  The  object  of  the  statement  was  to  illustrate  to  the 
importers  of  Boston  the  desirability  of  their  establishing  a  line  of 
regular  paclcets  under  their  own  ownership  and  control. 

The  business  men  of  Boston  had  maintained  their  credit  nobly  during 
the  war  and  the  trying  years  which  had  preceded  it,  so  that  they  were 
in  a  very  favorable  position  for  taking  advantage  of  the  improved  con- 
diti(m  of  affairs  which  came  with  the  restoration  of  peace.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1X15  we  find  gold  and  silver  and  Boston  bank-notes  cjuoted  in 
the  prices  current  of  other  cities  at  the  same  rates,  while  their  own 
notes  were  at  a  heavy  discount. 

The  new  and  sui:)erior  ship  Canton,  B.  P.  Tilden  supercargo,  was 
advertised  for  Canton  by  Benjamin  Rich,  75  Long  Wharf,  to  have  im- 
mediate dispatch.      The  ship  Hope,  Captain  Bachelder,  sailed  for  Cal- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  113 

cutta  April  1.  On  the  4th  of  the  same  month  the  ship  Flor  dc  Brazil, 
Captain  Silva,  from  Pernambnco,  via  Bermuda,  arrived  in  the  harbor 
of  Boston  with  a  cargo  of  molasses  and  sugar,  consigned  to  Ropes, 
Pickman  &  Co.,  and  a  few  days  later  the  brig  Nciv  Hazard,  Captain 
Endicott,  came  in  from  Matanzas  with  thirty-eight  thousand  gallons  of 
molasses  to  the  same  firm.  The  name  of  this  brig  is  suggestive  of  the 
perils  from  which  American  commerce  had  just  escaped;  so  is  that  <jf 
the  schooner  Catch-inc-if-you-caii,  which  arrived  at  the  saine  time  from 
Baltimore,  with  a  cargo  of  flour  consigned  to  Hall  &  Thacher.  The 
first  arrival  from  Liverpool  after  the  peace  was  reported  May  3, — the 
British  ship  Kingston,  Captain  Smith,  with  "dry-goods,  crates,  hard- 
ware, pig-iron  and  lead,  to  David  Hinckley,  Giles  Lodge,  Daniel 
Hastings,  and  others."  "This  day,"  Monday,  May  3,  "arrived  and 
fired  salutes  the  fine  letter-of-marque  brig  Rambler,  and  ship  Jacob 
Jones,  Captain  Robarts  [on  which  it  had  been  difficult  to  etTect  insur- 
ance, covering  the  war  risk,  at  fifty  per  cent,  premium],  both  in  one 
hundred  and  eight  days  from  Canton,  with  rich  cargoes  of  silks,  teas 
and  other  articles,  to  the  Messrs.  Perkins,  Bryant  8z  Stiirgis,  Mr.  Ben- 
jamin Rich,  etc.  They  escaped  dashingly  the  British  blockading 
squadron,  consisting  of  the  Grampus,  50,  and  Owen  Glcndoiver,  who 
had  long  been  watching  for  them."  The  cargo  of  the  Rambler  con- 
sisted  of  Canton  crapes,  sewing  silk,  black  fringed  handkerchiefs, 
dimities,  sarcenets,  ribbons,  pongees,  teas,  cassia,  and  six  thousand 
walking-sticks. 

A  few  days  later  the  letter-of-marque  schooner  Tamaahmaah,  Captain 
Porter,  arrived  from  the  Northwest  Coast,  vSeptember,  1813,  and  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  days  from  Canton,  with  a  full  cargo  of  teas,  nan- 
keens, cassia,  alum,  etc.  iShc  had  sailed  frcjm  Boston  in  the  month  of 
February,  1813,  with  supplies  for  various  vessels  on  the  Coast  and  to 
give  them  information  about  the  war.  These  Canton  cargoes  were  sold 
at  auction  immediately  on  arrival,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the 
trade. 

On  the  17th  of  May  fifty-three  vessels  arrived  "  coastwise, "  with 
large  quantities  of  flour,  tobacco,  hemp,  molasses,  whiskey,  rice,  oil, 
tar,  coal,  sugar,  corn,  gin,  candles,  grindstones,  turpentine,  plaster, 
oysters,  etc.  The  Swedish  ship  Merenrius  arrived  May  10,  forty-eight 
days  from  Liverpool,  with  dry  goods,  hardware,  tin  plates,  coals,  crates, 
etc.  ;  also  the  Russian  ship  Alexander,  fifty-one  days  from  Lisbon, 
with  salt,  bar-iron,  duck  and  corkwood.  Eight  days  later  the  British 
15 


114  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

brig  Speedy,  fift3'-six  days  from  Liverpool,  came  in  with  a  cargo  of  dry 
goods,  hardware,  shot,  iron,  and  crockery-ware,  for  Andrew  Eliot,  C. 
R.  Codman,  Trott  &  Bumstead,  O.  Everett,  Lewis  Tappan  &  Company, 
J.  Sewall,  S.  G.  Perkins,  H.  Higginson,  John  Tappan,  F.  Cabot,  Kirk 
Boott  &  Son,  Rice  &  Read,  Thomas  Cordis,  etc.  The  ship  Milo^ 
Captain  Glover,  arrived  from  Liverpool  June  3,  and  the  Liverpool 
Packet,  Captain  Nichols,  and  Roscoe,  Captain  Amory,  on  the  5th,  with 
assorted  cargoes  to  a  large  number  of  consignees.  Among  those  who 
advertised  dry  goods  received  by  these  vessels  were  Tuckerman, 
Rogers  &  Gushing,  Benjamin  C.  Ward  &  Company,  John  Grew,  Lane 
«&  Lamson,  Henry  Gassett  &  Company,  Isaac  Osgood,  Phineas  Foster, 
James  Read.  Those  who  advertised  hardware  were  Jonathan  and  Ed- 
ward'Phillips,  vSamuel  May,  Charles  vScudder,  John  Bradford,  Fairbanks 
&'  Burbeck.  "  The  fine  new  ship  Union.,  of  six  hundred  and  nineteen 
tons,  belonging  to  the  Hon.  Mr.  Gray,  sailed  from  the  outer  roads  on 
Monday  last  [June  5]  for  Calcutta."  William  Gray,  one  of  the  largest 
shipowners  of  that  day,  moved  from  vSalem  to  Boston  in  1800.  He  was 
lieutenant-governor  of  the  Commonwealth  from  1810  to  1812. 

Among  the  arrivals  at  Boston,  June  7,  were  the  schooner  Union,  of 
Beverly,  forty-four  days  from  Lisbon,  wath  lemons,  salt,  duck,  etc., 
consigned  to  Ray  &  Gray ;  and  the  British  schooner  Matchless.^  fifty-four 
days  from  London,  with  a  cargo  of  cordage,  duck,  porter,  iron,  copperas, 
tin,  steel,  alum,  crockery,  paints,  chalk,  whiting,  and  thirty  piano- 
fortes. The  ship  Hannibal,  Captain  Burgess,  fifty-five  days  from 
Liverpool,  arrived  July  13;  she  brought  about  two  thousand  letters. 
On  the  same  day  the  ship  Beverly.,  Captain  Edes,  was  cleared  for  Can- 
ton. The  brig  ALaiy  arrived  from  Gottenburg,  July  20,  with  iron, 
steel,  block-tin,  hones,  slates,  pencils,  brass  and  card  wire,  pins,  cam- 
phor, copperas,  flats  for  hats,  and  dry-goods,  to  Walley  8z  Foster,  T. 
Williams,  E.  «&  J.  Breed,  and  Beckford  &  Bates.  The  junior  member 
of  this  last  firm  was  Joshua  Bates,  who  went  to  Europe  in  1816  as  Mr. 
William  Gray's  agent,  and  so  continued  for  three  years;  in  1828  he  be- 
came a  partner  in  the  house  of  Baring  Brothers  &  Company.  The 
Jacob  Jones  cleared  for  Canton  August  21,  and  the  Sultan  for  the 
Northwest  Coast  and  Cant(m  on  the  23d ;  the  latter  vessel  belonged  to 
Boardman  &  Pope.  On  the  25th  the  John  Adams.,  Captain  Downing, 
arrived  in  forty-three  days  from  Liverpool  with  an  assorted  cargo  to 
Walley  &  Foster,  owners,  and  others;  and  on  the  7th  of  September 
the  Nexv  Packet.,  Captain  Bacon,  came  into  port  from  Canton  with  teas 
and  cassia  to  Ropes,  Pickman  6c  Company. 


4^^o^^<^ 


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TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  115 

Colonel  Perkins  wrote  to  his  Canton  house  under  date  of  October  4, 
1815:  "  Three  years  of  war,  and  twice  that  number  of  restrictions  upon 
commerce,  had  made  our  people  very  rigidly  economical ;  and  they 
bought  only  what  was  necessary,  not  what  was  luxurious.  In  place  of 
a  silk  gown  or  pelisse,  they  purchased  cotton  for  the  first,  and  dis- 
pensed with  the  last  altogether.  So  with  tea.  Although  they  did  not 
wholly  forego  it,  they  were  careful  in  the  use  of  it ;  and  now,  to  make 
up  for  lost  time,  they  feel  as  if  they  may  indulge  in  the  fashions  of  the 
city,  and  gratify  their  palates  with  the  beverage  of  the  East.  This  be- 
ing the  case,  it  will  take  a  long  time  to  overstock  the  market  with  silks ; 
though  from  the  quantity  of  teas  on  hand  when  the  war  began,  the  im- 
portations since,  and  the  economy  spoken  of  during  the  war,  we  think 
the  spring  ships  will  cause  a  great  fall  of  it  in  the  market." 

The  details  into  which  we  have  gone,  will  show  how  vigorously  the 
process  of  recuperation  set  in,  by  which  Boston  recovered  itself  from 
the  effects  of  the  war,  and  how  comprehensive  and  far  reaching  was  its 
commercial  activity.  An  era  of  great  prosperity  now  lay  before  it. 
The  population,  which  was  33,250  in  1810,  rose  to  43,298  in  1820.  Dur- 
ing the  same  decade  the  taxable  valuation  of  the  town  more  than 
doubled;  in  1810  it  was  $18,500,000;  in  1820  it  was  $38,000,000.  In 
the  period  from  1800  to  1810  it  had  increased  only  from  $15,000,000  to 
$18,500,000.  Among  the  prominent  business  men  of  this  period,  in  ad- 
dition to  those  whose  names  have  been  mentioned,  were :  vSamuel  Park- 
man,  Robert  G.  Shaw,  John  Parker  &  Sons,  Israel  Thorndike,  Thomas 
C.  Amory  &  Company,  Thomas  Wigglesworth,  Isaac  Winslow,  James 
Ingersoll,  Josiah  Bradlee,  and  Cornelius  Coolidge  &  Company.  The 
leading  auctioneers  were  Plimpton  &  Marett,  Whitwell  &  Bond,  T.  K. 
Jones  &  Company,  and  Coolidge,  Deblois  &  Coinpany. 

Soon  after  the  war  the  export  trade  in  ice  was  started  and  carried  for- 
ward by  Mr.  Frederic  Tudor.  Several  years  previously  Mr.  Tudor  had 
taken  a  cargo  to  Martinique,  and  although  the  venture  had  not  been  a 
pecuniary  success,  it  had  demonstrated  that  this  article  could  be  car- 
ried to  a  warm  climate.  The  British  government  now  offered  him  the 
monopoly,  for  a  term  of  years,  for  Jamaica,  upon  certain  conditions, 
which  were  readily  acceded  to ;  and  it  further  encouraged  him  by  re- 
leasing all  ships  bringing  ice  from  port  charges.  The  first  prominent 
and  permanent  establishment  of  ice-houses  in  the  West  Indies  was  at 
Kingston.  Soon  after  the  monopoly  was  secured  for  Havana,  and  lib- 
eral concessions  were  made  for  the  introduction  of  ice  into  other  ports 


IIG  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

in  Cuba.  The  first  carg-o  for  Charleston  was  shipped  in  1S17,  and  ice- 
houses were  established  in  Savannah  in  181S,  and  in  New  Orleans  in 
1820.     Of  the  ice  trade  to  the  East  Indies  we  shall  speak  later  on. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  name  of  Capt.  Robert  Bennet  Forbes. 
The  story  of  his  early  life  furnishes  another  illustration  of  the  splendid 
but  severe  training-  w^hich  made  so  many  of  the  successful  shipmasters 
and  merchants  of  from  sixty  to  eighty  years  ago.  His  father,  Ralph 
Bennet  Forbes,  having  been  unfortunate  in  business,  and  being  much 
broken  in  health,  Bennet,  as  the  boy  was  called,  went  at  the  age  of 
twelve  years  into  the  employ  of  his  cousins,  the  Messrs.  Perkins,  jr., 
whose  store  was  at  Foster's  Wharf.  His  duties,  he  says  in  his  "  Personal 
Reminiscences,"  were  "to  sweep  out,  make  the  fires,  close  and  open 
the  store,  copy  letters  into  a  book  in  a  very  indifferent  manner,  collect 
wharfage  bills,  run  ei'rands  extending  from  Winnisimmet  Ferry  to  the 
wind-mill,  which  stood  far  to  the  south,  probably  near  to  the  new  bridge 
between  vSouth  Boston  and  Boston  proper."  His  employers  had  con- 
trol of  two  vessels,  the  brig  Pedlar,  and  the  top-sail  sloop  Hay  maker , 
which  were  generally  engaged  in  the  trade  betweeft  Boston  and  Phila- 
delphia, sometimes  bringing  oats  and  shorts,  which  it  w^as  his  duty  to 
measure  oi:t  to  the  truckmen.  Bennet  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  the 
ships  owned  by  his  uncles  as  they  lay  at  Central  Wharf,  and  one  day, 
early  in  October,  1817,  he  met  Colonel  Perkins  on  board  one  of  them, 
the  Canton  Packet,  who  asked  him  abruptly,  which  he  intended  to  go  in. 
The  boy,  who  had  received  plain  intimations  previously  that  he  had  bet- 
ter take  up  a  seafaring  life,  answered  promptly,  "  I  am  ready  to  go  in 
this  one."  He  was  taken  at  his  word,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  obtained 
the  assent  of  his  parents,  he  was  told  to  provide  himself  with  a  cpiadrant, 
a  copy  of  Bowditch's  "  Practical  Navigator,"  a  log-book,  etc.,  also  a  sea- 
chest  with  a  full  outfit  of  sailor's  clothes.  A  few  days  later,  on  the  19th 
of  the  same  month,  he  sailed  out  of  Boston,  and  although  he  had  only 
just  completed  his  thirteenth  3'ear,  he  took  his  place  among  the  motley 
crew  in  the  forecastle,  stocxl  his  watch,  and  took  his  turn  in  reefing  top- 
sails. 

A  few  months  before,  the  Canton  Packet,  loaded  with  lumber  for  the 
Isle  of  France  and  having  on  board  a  large  sum  in  specie,  was  blown 
up  while  at  anchor  off  Long  Wharf  and  set  on  fire.  It  is  a  tradition 
that  the  explosion  was  the  work  of  a  colored  steward,  who  was  angry 
because  he  had  been  denied  the  pleasures  of  artillery  election  day,  or, 
in   the  words  of  an  old  sono-.    "  'Cause  he  couldn't  o-o  to  'lection.  An' 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  lit 

shake  paw-paw,"  this  being-  a  favorite  game  on  the  Common  on  public 
days,  played  with  four  sea-shells  and  for  money.  The  ship  was  run 
into  the  mud  near  T  Wharf  and  the  fire  was  extinguished.  The  specie 
was  landed  and  sent  to  the  "  long-room  "  on  India  Wharf,  and  the  clerks 
of  the  firms  interested  in  the  voyage  were  detailed  to  go  and  live  there, 
to  impack,  Avash,  cot;nt,  and  repack  the  money.  This  was  no  small 
matter,  as  it  amounted  to  about  $700,000;  it  had  been  stowed  in  the  run 
of  the  ship,  where  also  was  a  quantity  of  cochineal,  with  which  the  dol- 
lars had  become  much  stained.  The  vessel  was  repaired,  went  to  Ja- 
maica and  back,  bringing  a  large  amount  of  Cjuicksilver,  and  was  then 
fitted  out  for  the  voyage  to  China,  upon  which  we  have  seen  her 
start. 

During  the  stay  of  the  Canton  Packet  in  China  A'oung  Forbes  lived 
with  his  relative,  Mr.  Clashing,  then  at  the  head  of  the  Canton  house 
of  Perkins  &  Company,  and  made  himself  useful  as  a  clerk,  weighing 
teas,  packing  silks,  etc.  He  had  the  opportunity  of  remaining  ashore  in 
this  position,  but,  as  he  says,  he  had  chosen  the  life  of  a  sailor,  and  had 
promised  his  uncles  to  stick  by  the  .ship  until  he  commanded  her;  he 
felt,  also,  that  the  place  belonged  to  his  older  brother,  Thomas,  who 
went  out  soon  after,  and  who  was  drowned  in  lH->0.  When  the  ship 
was  ready  for  her  voyage  homeward,  therefore,  in  June,  1818,  he  re- 
sumed his  place  in  her  before  the  mast,  although  not  in  the  close  and 
stifling  forecastle. 

The  Canton  Packet  registered  only  three  hundred  and  twelve  tons; 
ships  of  more  than  five  hundred  tons  were  considered  too  large  to  be 
quite  safe,  and  it  was  not  until  184"^  that  Captain  Forbes  owned  a  ves- 
sel of  this  size,  the  xXarra^a/isctt,  which  he  bought  for  the  China  trade. 
The  homeward  cargo  from  Canton  consisted  of  teas,  nankeens,  cassia, 
crapes,  silks,  preserves,  camphor,  and  certain  pungent  oils.  Captain 
Forbes  tells  us  how  the  ship  was  loaded:  "  A  ship  of  the  usual  model 
was  floored  off  with  shingle  ballast,  carefully  graded;  the  tea  boxes 
were  stripped  of  the  rattan  bindings  and  stowed  so  closely  by  Chinese 
stevedores  that  a  mouse  could  scarcely  find  lodging  between  them, 
and  all  spaces  between  beams  and  carlines  were  filled  with  small  mats 
containing  cassia.  The  silks  and  crapes  were  generally  stowed  under 
the  main  hatch  in  what  was  called  '  the  silk  room,'  a  space  between  the 
tea-chests  left  vacant  for  the  purpose.  The  cases  of  camphor  and  oils 
w^ere  stowed  on  deck,  sometimes  in  or  under  the  long  boat,  bi:t  more 
generally    around    the    after  hatch,     covered    by   a  well-secured    mat- 


118  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

house,  under  which,  as  I  can  voucli  from  an  experience  of  two  passages, 
lived  the  carpenter,  the  cook,  and  sometimes,  two  boys.  The  old  ships 
must  have  been  good  sea  boats,  for  I  do  not  call  to  mind  being  dis- 
turbed by  the  shipping  of  anything  worse  than  sprays." 

Captain  Forbes  has  reccjrded  the  several  steps  of  his  advanceinent  in 
these  words :  "At  the  age  of  sixteen  I  filled  a  man's  place  as  third  inate ; 
at  the  age  of  twenty  I  was  pronKJted  to  a  command ;  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six  I  commanded  my  own  ship;  at  twenty-eight  I  abandoned  the  sea  as 
a  profession ;  at  thirty-six  I  was  at  the  head  of  the  largest  business 
house  in  China." 

In  giving  an  account  of  the  China  trade  Captain  Forbes  said,  that  as 
the  trade  of  the  Northwest  Coast  fell  off  a  demand  sprang  up  in  China 
for  American  goods — sheetings  and  drills.  Specie  became  the  excep- 
tion, and  bills  on  London  became  popular  in  making  funds  for  the  pur- 
chase of  cargoes.  For  many  years  the  duty  on  teas  was  very  heavy, 
but  the  government  helped  the  merchant  by  giving  him  twelve  and 
eighteen  months  in  which  to  make  payments.  This  enabled  him  to 
send  back  to  Canton  and  purchase  a  second  cargo  with  the  proceeds  of 
the  first.  C)n  the  other  hand,  he  was  obliged  to  sell  his  merchandise  on 
long  credit,  say,  six,  eight  and  nine  months,  but  usually  the  banks 
w^ould  discount  the  paper  for  him  at  six  per  cent,  per  annum. 

Captain  vSturgis,  in  a  lecture  to  young  men  in  1S44-,  gave  an  account 
of  the  changes  which  had  taken  place  in  his  day  in  the  China  trade. 
Nankeen,  he  said,  was  once  imported  in  large  quantities.  As  late  as 
1820  there  w^as  $1,000,000  worth  imported;  now  there  was  none.  In 
1806  Canton  crape  was  first  used;  in  1810  ten  cases  were  imported;  in 
1825  the  importations  amounted  to  $1,500,000,  and  in  1844  the  article  was 
not  imported  at  all.  Silk  was  once  imported  in  large  quantities  from 
China ;  one  cargo  worth  nearly  $1 ,000,000  was  mentioned ;  now  the  whole 
yearly  importation  amounted  to  less  than  $100,000.  In  1818  $7,000,000 
were  carried  to  China  in  specie.  In  1844  settlements  were  made  by 
bills  of  exchange. 

A  meeting  of  merchants  and  others,  "interested  in  the  prosperity  of 
commerce  and  agriculture,"  was  held  August  17,  1820,  to  take  into  con- 
sideration a  communication  from  the  Chamber  of  Coinmerce  of  Phila- 
delphia, relating  to  a  tariff"  measure  which  had  been  considered  by 
Congress  at  its  last  session,  but  had  not  been  acted  upon.  This  was 
four  years  after  the  adoption  of  the  tariff  which  Mr.  Calhoun,  Mr. 
Lowndes,  and  Mr.  Clay  had  been  mainly  instrumental  in  passing.     The 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  119 

president  of  the  meeting  was  William  Gray,  and  the  secretary  William 
Foster,  jr.  A  committee  of  twenty-seven  was  appointed  to  adopt  such 
measures  as  it  should  deem  expedient,  and  a  sub-committee  was  in- 
structed to  prepare  a  report  with  resolutions.  There  seems  to  have 
been  but  one  opinion  in  Boston  at  this  time  among  the  men  of  the 
greatest  influence  in  the  town  in  reference  to  the  tariff,  and  it  was  de- 
cidedly in  favor  of  low  rates  of  duty  and  in  opposition  to  any  policy  that 
was  likely  to  endanger  the  prosperity  of  the  shipping  interest.  The 
sub-committee  mentioned  above  consisted  of  James  Perkins,  Samuel 
P.  Gardner,  Daniel  Webster,  Samuel  A.  Welles,  William  vShimmin, 
William  Sturgis  and  John  Dorr;  and  at  an  adjourned  meeting, held  in 
Faneuil  Hall,  October  'I,  a  carefully  prepared  report  was  presented, 
written,  as  we  suppose,  by  Mr.  Webster,  and  recommending  the  adop- 
tion of  eight  resolutions,  four  of  which  we  quote,  and  all  of  which  were 
approved : 

Resolved,  That  the  supposition  that  until  the  proposed  tariff  or  some 
similar  measure  be  adopted,  we  are  and  shall  be  dependent  on  foreigners 
for  the  means  of  subsistence  and  defence  is,  in  our  opinion,  altogether 
fallacious  and  fanciful,  and  derogatory  to  the  character  of  the  nation. 

Resolved,  That  high  bounties  on  such  domestic  manufactures  as  are 
principally  benefited  by  that  tariff,  favor  great  capitalists  rather  than 
personal  industry  or  the  owners  of  small  capital,  and,  therefore,  that 
we  do  not  perceive  its  tendency  to  promote  national  industry. 

Resolved,  That  the  imposition  of  duties,  which  are  enormous  and 
deemed  by  a  large  portion  of  the  people  to  be  unequal  and  unjust,  is 
dangerous,  as  it  encourages  the  practice  of  smuggling. 

Resolved,  That  in  our  opinion,  the  proposed  tariff  and  the  principles 
on  which  it  is  avowedly  founded,  would,  if  adopted,  have  a  tendency, 
however  different  may  be  the  motives  of  those  who  recommend  them, 
to  diminish  the  industry,  impede  the  prosperity  and  corrupt  the  morals 
of  the  people. 

The  last  mention  we  can  find  of  the  Boston  Importing  Company, 
formed  in  1805,  is  an  advertised  notice  to  the  associates,  signed  by 
Philip  Ammidon,  secretary,  of  a  meeting  to  be  held  at  the  Exchange 
Coffee  House  on  the  evening  of  July  8,  1811.  The  company's  ship 
Packet  had  arrived  two  or  three  weeks  before  from  Gluckstadt  on  the 
Elbe,  a  few  miles  below  Hamburg.  She  had  been  "forbidden 
by  the  French  government  to  take  any  letters  or  papers  under 
pain  of  confiscation,  not  even  dispatches  from  our  minister."     On  her 


120  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

arrival  in  Boston  she  was  advertised  for  sale,  and  was  described  as  hav- 
ing been  built  at  Braintree  in  1802,  three  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
tons,  constantly  emplo3'ed  in  the  Liverpool  trade,  and  ' '  known  and 
acknowledged  to  exceed  in  sailing  any  ship  ever  Inult  in  the  State." 
Evidently  her  voyage  from  the  Elbe  was  the  last  made  by  any  vessel 
belonging  to  the  company,  which,  in  consequence  of  the  many  hin- 
drances to  successful  ocean  navigation  at  that  time,  and  in  view  of  the 
strong  probability  of  war  with  England,  was  winding  up  its  affairs.  In 
the  winter  of  1821  and  1822  the  Boston  and  Liverpool  Packet  Company 
was  projected.  In  a  pamphlet  which  lies  before  us  it  is  announced  as 
the  purpose  of  the  company  to  build  four  ships  to  ply  regularly  between 
Boston  and  Liverpool.  "  The  object  primarily  intended  to  secure,  by 
the  regular  and  punctual  departures  from  both  ports  of  these  packet 
ships,"  was  "the  more  frequent  supplies  of  goods  and  the  convenience 
of  passengers."  The  capital  stock  of  the  company  was  fixed  at  $100,000, 
in  one  thousand  shares,  and  it  was  expected  that  the  importers  of  the 
town  would  subscribe  and  hold  a  major  part  of  the  stock,  and  maintain 
the  control  and  direction  of  the  business.  It  was  estimated  that  the 
four  ships  would  cost,  exclusive  of  coppering,  and  with  one  chain  cable 
each,  a  sum  not  exceeding  $78,000,  the  copper,  another  chain  cable  for 
each  vessel,  and  a  few  other  articles,  to  be  procured  in  Liverpool,  would 
be  $7,000  more,  making  a  total  of  $85,000  for  the  four  ships,  or 
$21,250  for  each.  The  tonnage  of  the  ships  was  to  be  about  three 
hundred  and  twenty-five  tons;  they  were  to  be  excellent  models  and  to 
be  "finished  and  furnished  in  excellent  style."  They  were  to  have 
experienced  and  popular  commanders,  w'ho  were  each  to  own  some 
share  of  the  .stock;  the  agents  were  to  hold  a  considerable  amount  of 
the  stock,  and  the  vessels  were  to  be  consigned  each  to  a  separate  house 
in  Liverpool,  largely  interested  in  shipping  goods  to  Boston. 

The  statistics  of  the  trade  between  Liverpool  and  Boston  for  the  pre- 
ceding two  years  were  as  follows:  During  1820  there  were  forty-seven 
arrivals  at  Boston  from  Liverpool — thirty-foi:r  ships  and  thirteen  brigs. 
Of  these,  nine  were  arrivals  of  regular  traders,  namely,  the  Fritoii, 
two;  the  Falcon,  two;  the  Mercury,  two;  the  Ilcrald,  two;  and  the 
Meteor.^  one.  In  1821  the  arrivals  were  fewer  than  in  1820,  although 
the  amount  of  the  importations  was  larger;  there  were  thirty-seven — 
thirty-three  ships  and  four  brigs.  There  were  seventeen  arrivals  of 
regular  traders,  namely,  the  Frifoii,  three;  the  Fa/coii,  two;  the  Ras- 
selas,  two;  the  Herald^  two;    the  Mercury,   one;  the   Glide,   one;    the 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  vi\ 

Siiffo/k,one\  the  Mil(\  one;  the  Meteor,  one;  the  Parthian^  two;  and 
the  Mount  J'rrjion,  one. 

The  new  company  applied  to  the  Legislature  for  an  act  of  incorpo- 
ration, as  its  predecessor  had  done  seventeen  years  before,  and  with  the 
same  negative  result.  A  bill  in  favor  of  the  petitioners  was  reported 
by  the  committee  to  which  the  matter  had  been  referred,  and  passed 
its  third  reading ;  its  further  consideration  was  then  indefinitely  post- 
poned. 

On  the  loth  of  October,  IS'Z'i,  vS.  Austin,  jr.,  and  J.  W.  Lewis,  "at 
the  end  of  India  Wharf,""  advertised  the  immediate  departure  for 
Liverpool,  by  way  of  Charleston,  of  ' '  the  Boston  and  Liverpool  Packet 
Company's  ship  Emerald,  a  new  vessel,  Philip  Fox,  master;"  also  for 
Liverpool  direct,  of  the  Herald,  Hector  Coffin,  master.  It  was  added: 
"  The  above  ships,  with  two  others  now  building,  will  positively  leave 
on  the  days  stated,  if  the  weather  permits."  We  suppose  that  the 
Topac,  built  at  Medford  by  Thatcher  Magoun  in  1822,  was  one  of  the 
two  vessels  referred  to,  and  the  Aviethyst  may  have  been  the  other. 

The  ships  built  on  the  coast  of  Massachusetts  at  the  end  of  the  last 
century,  and  during  the  first  third  of  the  present,  must  have  been  re- 
markable both  in  model  and  construction,  or  they  could  not  have 
accomplished  so  successfully  their  voyages  across  the  Atlantic  and 
round  the  stormy  capes.  vSmall  as  they  were,  they  rode  the  Avaves 
well,  and  w^e  have  reason  to  believe  that  they  usually  delivered  their 
cargoes  in  good  order.  Their  outfit  was  often  meagre,  and  their 
nautical  instruments  were  of  the  simplest  character.  They  knew 
nothing  of  chronometers  or  charts,  and  for  this  reason,  certainlv  in 
part,  the  most  formidable  perils  that  confronted  them  were  not  those 
of  the  wide  ocean  but  of  the  coast.  This  was  especially  true  of  the 
vessels  emploA'ed  in  the  English  trade,  of  which  only  too  many  met 
their  fate  between  the  Scilly  Isles  and  the  Downs,  or  between  Fastnet 
and  the  mouth  of  the  Mersey.  Captain  Silsbee,  of  whom  we  have 
already  spoken,  records  in  his  autobiography  that  as  late  as  1827  he 
made  a  passage  in  a  brig  to  Rotterdam,  when  they  had  no  chronometer 
on  board  and  knew  nothing  of  lunar  observations,  but  navigated  by 
dead  reckoning. 

Only  a  few  years  ago  one  of  the  vessels  mentioned  above,  the  E.111- 
erald,  registering  three  hundred  and  fifty-six  tons,  which  was  built  in 
Boston  for  the  Liverpool  line,  was  reported  as  in  good  condition  and 
employed  in  the  trade   of  the  Pacific.      vShe  was  built  of  the  best  live 

16 


122  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

oak,  and  was  copper-fastened,  and  when  in  1SS2,  sixt}'  years  afterward, 
she  underwent  repairs  in  vSan  Francisco,  her  timbers  and  bolts  were 
found  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  She  had  just  before  encountered 
a  severe  typhoon  to  the  south  of  the  Island  of  Formosa,  in  which  more 
than  one  vessel,  younger  and  larger  than  herself,  had  perished.  Pre- 
viously to  this  she  had  done  duty  as  a  whaler  in  the  vSouth  Seas  for 
more  than  twenty  years.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the  Fine  raid,  when 
a  new  vessel,  and  under  the  command  of  Captain  Jabez  Howes,  sailed 
from  Boston  to  Liverpool  and  back  again  to  Boston  harbor  in  thirty- 
two  days. 

How  disastrous  the  incidence  of  taxation  may  prove  to  the  business 
interests  of  a  community,  and  so,  in  the  long  run,  to  the  prosperity  of 
a  State,  is  illustrated  by  the  action  of  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts 
in  1824,  laying  a  tax  of  one  per  cent,  on  all  sales  of  merchandise  at 
auction.  The  rich  cargoes  from  Canton,  which  were  disposed  of  in  this 
way,  seemed  to  superficial  observation  to  present  a  valuable  and  per- 
manent basis  for  the  collection  of  revenue;  and,  although  the  mer- 
chants remonstrated  and  predicted  that  the  effect  of  the  tax  would 
inevitably  be  to  drive  the  China  trade  to  the  port  of  New  York,  where  no 
such  tribute  was  exacted,  their  advice  and  warning  were  unheeded, 
and  the  non-commercial  members  of  the  General  Court  had  their  own 
way.  vSubsequent  efforts  to  secure  the  repeal  of  the  law  were  alike  un- 
availing. One  meeting  to  take  measures  to  this  end,  of  which  we  know, 
was  held  at  the  Exchange  Coffee  House,  October  11,  1827;  the  tax 
was  declared  to  be  "impolitic,  injuri(nis  and  unjust,"  and  a  committee 
to  memorialize  the  Legislature  for  its  repeal  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  William  Goddard,  Isaac  Winslow,  Charles  G.  Loring,  Enoch  Silsby, 
David  Henshaw,  Abel  Adams,  John  F.  Priest,  Parker  H.  Pierce, 
Thomas  Thacher,  Joseph  Ballister,  Andrew  Cunningham  and  Nathan- 
iel H.  Emmons.  Remedial  legislation  came  later,  and  it  came  too  late. 
In  1849  the  obnoxious  tax  was  reduced  to  one-quarter  of  one  per  cent, 
on  merchandise  imported  from  beyond  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  in 
1852  it  was  repealed  altogether.  In  the  mean  time  the  diversion  of 
the  China  trade  had  been  made,  and  the  current  could  not  be  brought 
back  to  the  .old  channel.  The  movement  toward  New  York  w^as  grad- 
ual, but  steady,  until  in  1857  there  were  forty-one  arrivals  from  China 
at  that  port,  twenty  of  these  were  ships  owned  in  Boston,  and  only  six 
arrived  here.  During  the  last  twenty-five  years  the  course  of  the  China 
trade  has  been  altogether  changed  by  the  completion  of  the  transconti- 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  123 

ncntal  railways  and  the  opening'  of  the  vSiiez  Canal,  and  whatever  inter- 
est American  merchants  may  now  have  in  the  cargoes,  they  have 
none  in  the  ships  that  carry  them.  Of  the  more  than  three  thousand 
vessels  that  passed  through  the  Suez  Canal  in  1887,  three  vessels,  with 
a  gross  tonnage  of  two  thousand  one  hundred  tons,  bore  the  American 
flag. 

A  similar  tax  to  that  levied  by  the  Massachusetts  Legislatiire  in  1824: 
drove  from  Philadelphia  the  ships  of  that  port,  coming  from  beyond  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Mr.  vSamuel  Cunard  told  the  writer  in  London  in 
1857,  that  before  the  steamship  line,  which  bears  his  name,  was  started, 
ships  of  war  and  those  carrying  the  mails  were  exempt  from  port 
charges  at  Halifax,  but  that  after  the  establi.shment  of  the  line  and 
when  the  steamers  began  to  call  regularly  at  Halifax,  the  exemption  so 
far  as  related  to  mail  packets  was  removed.  Mr.  Cunard  lived  at  Halifax 
at  this  time,  and  it  was  taken  for  granted  that  the  ships  of  his  company 
would  continue  to  come  there  indefinitely.  Soon,  however,  those  which 
were  going  to  and  from  New  York  ceased  to  make  it  a  port  of  call,  and 
it  is  many  years  since  any  of  the  Boston  line  were  seen  there.  Other 
considerations,  no  doubt,  had  much  to  do  with  the  abandonment  of 
Halifax  by  the  company,  but  when  the  Legislature  of  Nova  wScotia 
took  advantage  of  the  existing  conditions  to  levy  a  tax  upon  it,  it  made 
the  way  all  the  more  easy  for  the  changes  that  followed. 

In  Niles's  Register  of  October  21,  182G,  we  find  an  accoimt  of  a  sale 
by  public  auction  in  Boston,  on  the  12th  of  September  of  that  year,  of 
three  thousand  packages  of  cotton,  and  woolen,  and  mixed  domestic 
goods,  consisting  of  broadcloths,  cassimeres,  satinets,  flannels,  .shirt- 
ings, sheetings,  prints  and  ginghams.  On  succeeding  days  nearly 
sixty  thousand  pairs  of  boots  and  shoes  were  sold  in  the  same  way; 
also  eighteen  hundred  sides  of  leather,  seven  thousand  leather  and 
morocco  skins,  many  thousand  poimds  of  w^ool,  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  casks  of  American  olive  oil,  etc.  The  manufacturing  interest  in 
New  England  had  grown  considerably  since  1820,  and  public  opinion 
was  beginning  to  divide  on  the  question  of  tariff  duties  for  protection. 
What  we  may  call  the  commercial  class,  however,  was  opposed  to  tak- 
ing any  further  steps  towards  high  protection.  On  the  30th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1827,  an  adjourned  meeting  was  held  "to  take  into  consideration 
the  proposed  increase  of  duties,  especially  upon  woolen  goods," 
and  to  receive  and  act  upon  a  report  from  a  committee  of  fifteen,  which 
had  been  appointed  to  consider  the  subject.     Among  the  members  of 


124  SUP'FOLk  COUNTY. 

this  committee  were  Nathaniel  Goddard,  Lemuel  Shaw,  Isaac  Winslow, 
Lot  Wheelwright,  Henry  Lee  and  Thomas  W.  Ward.  The  report  pre- 
sented by  the  committee  was  written  by  Mr.  Henry  Lee;  it  has  been 
preserved  in  a  pamphlet  of  nearly  two  hundred  pages,  and  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  ablest  papers  ever  written  against  the  protective  princi- 
ple. The  meeting  accepted  the  report,  with  a  memorial  to  Congress 
which  accompanied  it  and  which  was  to  receive  individual  signatures, 
and  the  following  resolution  was  adopted:  Resolved,  That  in  the  pres- 
ent state  of  the  agriculture,  manufactures  and  commerce  of  the  United 
States,  it  would  be  unjust,  impolitic  and  inconsistent  with  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  community,  to  impose  further  and  higher  duties  upon 
imported  articles  generally,  and  more  particiilarly  on  imported  w^oolen 
goods. 

We  know  little  about  the  line  of  Liverpool  packets  established  in  1822, 
but  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  enterprise  was  not  a  suc- 
cessful one.  vSo  important,  however,  did  it  seem  to  the  active  business 
men  of  Boston  to  maintain  regular  communication  with  England, 
especially  in  view  of  the  circumstance  that  one  or  more  lines  of  trans- 
atlantic packets  ran  regularly  and  at  short  intervals  from  New  York, 
that,  in  1827,  another  Liverpool  line  was  projected  here,  the  third  of 
which  we  have  had  occasion  to  speak.  In  the  summer  of  this  year, 
Henry  Hall,  Joshua  Blake,  David  Henshaw,  George  Bond,  and  James 
T.  Austin,  "in  behalf  of  certain  citizens  of  this  Commonwealth,  w4io  " 
had  "associated  to  establish  a  regular  line  of  packets  between  Boston 
and  Liverpool  in  England,"  prayed  "to  be  incorporated  for  the  pur- 
pose of  better  managing  the  said  concern,  with  such  powers  and  priv- 
ileges, and  under  such  limitations  and  restrictions  as  to  the  wisdom  of 
the  Legislature  "  might  "  seem  expedient."  The  petitioners  asked  for 
no  monopoly  or  exclusive  privileges,  and  disclaimed  all  thought  of  hos- 
tility or  rivalry  towards  other  citizens.  The  public  spirit  which  moved 
them  to  undertake  the  work  in  which  they  had  enlisted  is  w^ell  illus- 
trated in  the  following  sentences  in  their  petition,  and  has  had  its  re- 
production in  connection  with  many  an  enterprise  to  which  the  business 
men  of  Boston  have  given  their  thought  and  money  in  the  years  which 
have  passed  since  then.  These  were  their  words:  "  The  subscribers 
beg  leave  very  respectfully  to  state  that  they  have  engaged  in  this  as- 
sociation without  any  view  of  personal  advantage  or  emolument  peciiliar 
to  themselves,  but  only  with  a  desire  of  preserving  for  this  Common- 
wealth its  fair  share  of  a  great  and  important  branch  of  commerce, 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  12o 

which,  of  late  years,  has  declined ;  and  which  cannot  be  restored  with- 
out some  hazard  to  individuals,  and  much  aid  from  the  Legislature ;  and 
while  they  are  willing  that  the  government  of  the  State  should  at  all 
times  possess  a  control  over  their  proposed  corporation,  they  earnestl}' 
entreat  such  an  exercise  of  its  liberality,  in  the  grant  of  corporate  priv- 
ileges, as  may  enable  them  successfully  to  acquire  the  public  objects 
for  the  securing  of  which  the  association  ha?  been  projected." 

The  petition  was  presented  by  Mr.  Nathaniel  P.  Russell,  and  the 
Hon.  Jonathan  Phillips,  for  the  committee  to  which  it  was  referred,  re- 
ported a  bill  to  the  Senate,  June  S,  incorporating  the  Liverpool  Packet 
Company  "  for  the  term  of  twenty  years  and  no  longer."  The  com- 
pany was  authorized  to  purchase  or  charter  American  built  vessels,  but 
the  value  of  said  vessels  with  their  tackle  was  never  to  exceed  $"200,000. 
The  number  of  shares  was  fixed  by  the  bill  at  four  hundred,  and  the 
assessments  on  each  share  were  limited  to  $500.  On  the  0th  of  June 
the  committee  on  bills  in  the  second  reading,  to  which  it  had  gone  in 
course,  reported  it  back  with  a  slight  atnendment,  and  it  had  its  second 
reading;  it  was  then  laid  on  the  table,  and  that  seems  to  have  been  the 
end  of  the  matter,  so  far  as  the  Legislature  was  concerned. 

The  company  went  forward  with  its  project  under  articles  of  associa- 
tion, as  we  suppose,  and  on  the  3d  of  October,  1827,  George  G.  Jones, 
agent,  41  India  Wharf,  advertised  a  list  of  ships  and  the  early  depart- 
ure of  the  first  of  the  new  line  for  Liverpool.  "  Mattresses,  bedding, 
wines  and  all  other  stores"  were  to  be  furnished  to  passengers  in  the 
cabin,  and  for  them  the  fare  to  Liverpool  was  to  be  $140,  and  from 
Liverpool  thirty-five  guineas.  The  Amethyst,  which  had  done  good 
service  for  the  company  of  1822,  and  of  whose  long  and  successful  ca- 
reer we  have  given  some  account,  sailed  November  1,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Jabez  Howes,  "with  a  full  freight  and  forty-two  passengers, 
viz.,  Messrs.  Jacob  Farnsworth  and  Robert  B.  Storer,  and  forty  in  the 
steerage."  The  A\-7i'  England,  Captain  Hunt,  was  anncnmced  for  the 
1st  of  December,  and  this  was  to  be  the  only  departure  during  the  win- 
ter. In  the  spring  of  1828  the  company  advertised  the  Amethyst,  the 
Xe7c  England,  the  Boston,  and  the  Liverpool,  and  it  was  added:  "The 
last  two  nained  now  building  by  Mr.  Magoim,  and  a  third  to  take  the 
place  of  one  of  the  preceding,  by  Mr.  Robinson,  all  to  be  about  four 
hundred  and  thirty  tons  government  measure.  "  In  addition  to  the  Bos- 
ton and  the  Liverpool  in  1828,  Mr.  Magoun  built  at  Medford  for  the 
company  a  second  ship  called  the  Boston,   also  the    Trenton  and  the 


126  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

LoivcUxn  1832,  and  the  Plyvioutli  in  1S33.  Among  the  captains  em- 
ployed by  the  company  were  Howes  and  Himt,  already  named,  Nye, 
Bnrsley,  and  Mackay.  Mr.  Martin  in  his  history  of  the  Boston  Stock 
Market  quotes  the  shares  of  the  Liverpool  Packet  Company  in  1829  at 
$245  to  $270,  in  1831  at  $310,  and  in  1833  at  $400,  the  nominal  par  of 
the  shares  being- $500  each.  In  1834  some  of  the  ships  belonging,  or 
which  had  belonged,  to  the  line  arrived  from  Liverpool,  but  they  could 
not  obtain  return  cargoes  here  and  were  obliged  to  proceed  coastwise  to 
Charleston  or  New  Orleans,  where  they  took  in  cargoes  of  cotton  for 
Europe.  We  do  not  find  mention  of  the  company  in  the  Boston  Di- 
rectory of  1 834  or  any  later  year.  Business  was  much  depressed  through- 
out the  country  in  1834,  as  we  shall  explain  more  fully  presently.  We 
are  told  that  in  September  of  this  year  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  regis- 
tered vessels  (of  which  fifty-one  were  ships),  with  a  total  measurement 
of  37,03(J  tons,  were  in  the  port  of  Boston,  ''most  of  them  unemployed, 
and  many  of  them  hauled  up  and  dismantled,"  besides  many  large  ves- 
sels tmder  coasting  licenses. 

It  is  very  difficult  for  us  in  this  day  to  realize  the  extent  to  which 
coastwise  and  river  navigation  was  made  use  of  before  the  first  railway 
routes  were  opened,  or  the  exceeding  value  to  trade  of  this  means  of 
transportation.  After  the  opening  of  the  Erie  canal  (1825)  communi- 
cation with  it  was  established  by  lines  of  sloops  which  sailed  from  Bos- 
ton round  Cape  Cod,  through  Long  Island  vSound,  and  up  the  Hudson 
to  Albany  and  Troy.  The  Rev.  Edward  Everett  Hale  in  the  reminis- 
cences of  his  boyhood,  tells  us  of  the  difficulties  and  delays  which  then 
attended  the  occasional  tran.smission  of  a  box  to  Boston  from  a  town 
one  hundred  and  ten  miles  to  the  westward:  "  The  box  would  be  sent, 
say  from  Westhampton  to  Northampton,  and  carried  by  boat  to  Hartford. 
There  it  would  be  put  on  board  a  sloop  which  was  to  sail  out  of  the 
Connecticut  River  and  around  Cape  Cod  to  Boston ;  and  the  consignee 
was  fortunate  if  the  sloop  was  not  frozen  in  opposite  Lyme  or  elsewhere 
in  the  Connecticut  River  and  detained  there  until  the  next  spring." 
Shipments  for  the  towns  on  or  near  the  Mississippi  and  the  Ohio,  even 
those  far  to  the  northward,  were  sent  coastwise  to  New  Orleans,  and 
there  were  transferred  to  the  river  craft  for  further  transit  to  their  des- 
tination. 

It  is  not  within  our  purpose  to  trace  the  development  of  the  railway 
system  of  which  Boston  is  the  centre;  but  it  will  interest  our  readers, 
we  think,  to  see  the  newspaper  advertisement,  which  in   the  spring  of 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  127 

1834  comprised  the  entire  passenger  business  by  rail  westwardly  from 
Boston:  "Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad.  Depot  GIT  Washington 
Street.  The  passenger  cars  run  daily  from  the  Depot  to  Newton  at  0 
and  10  o'clock,  a.  m.,  and  3^  o'clock,  p.  m.,  and  returning,  leave  New- 
ton at  7  and  a  quarter  past  11  a.  m.,  and  a  quarter  before  5  p.  m." 
From  this  small  beginning  the  present  enormous  traffic  of  the  Boston 
and  Albany  Railroad  has  been  evolv^ed. 

It  was  well  said  early  in  the  present  century:  "  The  hemp,  iron  and 
duck  brought  from  Russia  have  been  to  our  fisheries  and  navigation 
like  seed  to  a  crop."  The  first  vessel  to  go  to  St.  Petersburg  from  New 
England  was  the  barque  Light  Horse,  sent  out  by  Mr.  Derby  from 
Salem  in  the  summer  of  1784,  and  occasional  vessels  from  Salem  and 
Boston  followed,  but  it  was  several  years  before  the  trade  assumed 
large  proportions.  Captain  Swain,  who  arrived  from  St.  Petersburg 
at  Boston  in  the  brig  Betsey,  in  the  autumn  of  1803,  gave  a  list  of 
ninety  American  vessels  which  had  arrived  at  that  port  between  Feb- 
ruary -28  and  July  24,  and  of  these  fifty-four  belonged  to  Massachusetts. 
In  the  year  1822  Captain  Wise,  of  the  brig  Essex,  reported  that  to  the 
Kjth  of  August  one  hundred  American  vessels  had  passed  Elsinore  on 
their  way  up  the  Baltic.  Of  this  number  thirty-eight  were  from  Bos- 
ton, twelve  from  Salem,  and  twelve  from  other  Massachusetts  ports,  in 
all  sixty-two  from  this  State ;  eleven  from  New  York,  and  twenty- 
seven  from  other  States.  Seventy-four  were  bound  to  St.  Peters- 
burg ;  eleven  to  Copenhagen  and  St.  Petersburg;  ten  to  vStockholm, 
and  five  to  other  ports.  Sixty-six  had  cargoes  up,  and  thirty-four 
were  in  ballast.  In  1806,  and  later,  this  difficulty  existed,  that  the 
United  ^States  sold  little  or  nothing  to  Russia,  and  bought  to  a 
large  amoimt.  The  ships  went  "  dead-freighted,"  and  their  cargoes 
had  to  be  paid  for  in  cash  or  in  bills  on  London,  which  were  better 
than  cash,  having  cost  a  considerable  premium  in  Spain  or  some  other 
country  where  outward  cargoes  had  been  sold.  After  the  War  of  1812, 
American  vessels  began  to  go  to  Havana  and  Matanzas  to  load  with 
sugar  for  Cronstadt,  the  port  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  to  retiim  with 
Russian  cargoes  to  Boston  and  New  York.  It  was  common  for  these 
cargoes  to  be  owned  in  thirds,  by  the  American  shipowner,  the  West 
India  shipper,  and  the  St.  Petersburg  consignee,  the  first  getting  the 
advantage  of  the  freight,  the  second  the  commission  and  shipping 
charges  on  the  whole,  and  the  last  taking  the  lion's  share  by  a  com- 
mission on  the  amount  of  import  duty,  which  was  about  equal  to  the 


128  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

prime  cost,  and  another  large  commission  on  the  gross  proceeds. 
Among  the  articles  imported  were  hemp,  bolt-rope,  cordage,  oakum  or 
tarred  hemp,  codilla,  occasionally  flax  and  flax-tow,  junk  for  both 
oakum  and  paper,  sail-cloth,  ravensduck,  diaper,  crash,  bar-iron,  sheet- 
iron,  feathers,  down,  horse  hair,  hog's  hair,  felt  of  cow's  hair,  occasionally 
red  leather,  cantharides,  and  China  rhulKirb.  At  a  later  period  large 
quantities  of  rags  were  imported  from  Russia,  and  under  the  tariff  of 
1S4()  large  quantities  of  hemp-yarns.  In  1821t  Mr.  William  Ropes, 
previously  of  the  firms  of  Ropes,  Pickman  &  Company,  Ropes  &  Ward, 
and  Ropes,  Reed  8z  Company,  made  a  voyage,  by  way  of  Havana,  to 
Cronstadt,  as  supercargo  of  the  ship  Courser,  and  he  found  the  con- 
ditions there  so  favorable  that  he  repeated  the  experiment,  and  in  1832 
removed  to  St.  Petersburg  and  established  the  house  of  William  Ropes 
&  Company,  which  still  continues.  Mr.  Ropes  was  the  first  to  import 
cotton  from  the  United  vStates  direct  to  supply  the  mills  of  Russia. 
The  trade  continued  to  be  large  and  profitable  until  1S61 ;  from  and 
after  this  time  the  development  of  native  industry  in  Russia,  and  the 
adopticm  of  an  extreme  protective  policy  there  as  well  as  here,  nearly 
destroyed  it.  More  recently  there  was  a  large  demand  for  American 
petroleum  in  Russia,  and  as  many  as  one  hundred  thousand  barrels 
have  been  imported  at  vSt.  Petersburg  in  a  single  3^ear;  but  this  has  be- 
come almost  wholly  superseded  by  the  native  article  brought  from  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Caspian  Sea.  Among  other  Boston  merchants 
who  participated  in  this  trade  when  it  was  at  its  best  were  Curtis  & 
Stevenson,  Robert  B.  Storer  and  Josiah  Bradlee. 

We  must  return  to  the  spring  of  1834.  The  removal  of  the  govern- 
ment deposits  from  the  United  States  Bank  a  few  months  before,  by 
order  of  President  Jackson,  and  the  discussion  of  the  question  of  con- 
tinuing the  existence  of  the  bank  by  a  renewal  of  its  charter,  had 
created  the  most  intense  excitement  and  very  general  distrust  through- 
out the  country.  Business  was  depressed,  money  was  scarce,  and  wide- 
spread disaster  seemed  imminent.  A  protest,  adopted  at  a  vast 
assemblage  in  Faneuil  Hall,  which  received  more  than  six  thousand 
six  hundred  signatures,  had  been  sent  to  Washington  in  deprecation  of 
what  was  regarded  as  the  perilous  financial  policy  to  which  the  admin- 
istration had  committed  itself.  At  this  juncture  the  business  men  of 
Boston  did  what  perhaps  has  never  been  done  in  any  other  business 
community;  they  associated  themselves  for  their  own  protection  and 
"for  the  mutual  benefit  of  creditor  and  debtor."     At  a  meeting  held  at 


dh^h 


<AA^£^'  JCdtCi  f 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  129 

the  Exchange  Coffee  House,  March  11,  1831,  the  following  basis  of 
agreement  was  adopted:  "  Whereas,  the  present  scarcity  of  money  has 
a  tendency  to  produce  a  want  of  confidence  between  creditor  and 
debtor,  the  undersigned  associate  for  the  term  of  nine  months  from 
this  date  for  the  purpose  of  inspiring  confidence  among  ourselves,  and 
with  the  view  of  preventing  alarm  and  failures  among  those  indebted 
to  us.  We  hereb}"  agree  that  in  case  we  deem  it  necessary  to  sue  for, 
\sic\  compel,  or  take  security  of  any  one,  we  will  do  it  for  the  mutual 
benefit  of  all  the  parties  hereto,  in  proportion  to  the  amounts  due  to 
each,  whether  the  same  are  then  payable  or  not ;  and  if,  in  any  case, 
we  consider  it  necessary  to  compel  or  take  security,  we  will,  if  possible, 
confer  with  those  of  our  number  supposed  to  be  interested,  previous  to 
demanding  security,  and  act  in  concert ;  and  if,  in  the  prosecution  of 
our  association,  any  difference  of  opinion  shall  arise  between  any  of 
the  parties  hereto,  the  same  shall  be  referred  for  final  adjustment  to 
one  or  more  of  our  number,  mutually  selected,  who  have  no  pecuniary 
interest  jn  the  decision."  It  was  provided,  siibsequently,  that  the 
operation  of  the  agreement  should  be  "limited  to  debts  which  had  been 
or  might  be  contracted  by  persons  doing  business  in  New  England  at 
the  time  of  the  contracting  thereof;"  and  further,  that  "  any  member 
of  the  association  having  the  misfortune  to  fail  "  should  be  "bound  to 
subject  his  assignee,  in  the  collection  and  settlement  of  the  debts  as- 
signed, to  the  same  obligation  which  he  himself"  had  "come  under  by 
becoming  one  of  the  association." 

There  was  no  national  bankrupt  law  at  this  time,  and  the  attachment 
laws  of  the  several  New-  England  States,  as  the  associated  business 
men  declared,  were  "unequal  and  oppressive  "  in  their  operation  both 
to  the  debtor  and  the  creditor.  The  former  was  liable  to  be  pounced 
upon  at  the  caprice  of  any  one  of  his  creditors,  and  the  creditor  who 
made  the  first  demand  for  payment  or  security,  by  destroying  a  man's 
credit,  breaking  up  his  business,  and  winding  up  his  aft'airs  in  a  sum- 
mary way,  would  be  the  only  one,  in  most  instances,  to  collect  the  face 
of  his  debt.  These  liabilities  were  always  impending,  but  they  were 
greatly  increased  in  times  of  panic,  and  they  aggravated  the  conditions 
of  a  panic.  Hence  the  wisdom  of  the  movement  of  which  we  are 
speaking.  Stephen  Fairbanks,  a  large  dealer  in  hardware,  was  chair- 
man of  the  association,  and  Charles  Seaver  and  George  Baty  Blake 
were  the  secretaries.  More  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  firms  entered 
into  the  association,  including  almost  all  of  any  prominence  in  the 
17 


130  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

town,  whether  wholesale  or  retail,  and  their  names  were  printed.  The 
names  of  thcjse  "who  declined  to  become  parties  to  the  association," 
eighteen  in  number,  were  printed  also.  A  permanent  standing  com- 
mittee, "representing  the  various  mercantile  trades,"  was  chosen, 
namely,  George  W.  Crockett,  Levi  Bartlett,  Prince  Hawes,  James 
Read,  vStephen  Fairbanks,  William  G.  Lambert,  Norman  Seaver,  Gus- 
tavus  Tuckerman,  James  Fullerton,  Amasa  Walker,  John  Henshaw, 
Andrew  T.  Hall. 

We  have  referred  to  the  ice  trade  of.  Hoston  and  to  Mr.  Frederic 
Tudor.  In  May,  1-833!*  ttt  the  request  of  English  and  American  riier- 
chants  resident  in  Calcutta,  Mr.  Tudor  sent  a  small  cargo,  about  two 
hundred  tons,  to  that  pcn't.  The  result,  like  that  of  the  first  shipment 
to  the  West  Indies,  was  not  a  pecuniary  success,  but  it  proved  that  ice 
carried  twenty  thousand  miles,  with  all  the  attendant  waste  and  loss, 
could  be  made  to  compete  successfully  with  that  prepared  by  the 
natives.  The  establishment  of  a  regular  trade  followed,  and  this  in- 
creased steadily  in  volume  and  importance,  and  enabled  Boston  to  hold 
for  many  years  "the  key  to  the  rich  and  extensive  commerce  between 
Calcutta  and  the  United  States."  A  cargo  was  sent  to  Rio  Janeiro  in 
1S:54.  In  1842  Messrs.  Gage,  Hittinger  &  Company  shipped  a  cargo  to 
London  in  the  barque  Sharon,  but  it  was  not  a  success,  and  later  at- 
tempts to  introduce  the  American  article  into  that  market  were  not 
more  fortunate.  In  1855  twelve  companies  were  engaged  in  the  busi- 
ness in  and  about  Boston,  and  the  estimated  value  of  the  plant,  includ- 
ing ponds,  iCe-houses,  wharves  and  tools,  was  $G()(),()0().  The  quantity 
shipped  to  the  East  Indies  in  1857  was  ten  or  eleven  thousand  tons, 
and  during  the  next  two  or  three  years  it  increased  to  twent}^  thousand. 
In  1867  it  reached  tw^enty-seven  thousand  tons  and  then  gradually  fell 
away,  until  the  annual  .shipment  was  only  one  or  two  thousand.  The 
total  export  of  ice  from  Boston,  foreign  and  coastwise,  according  to  the 
custom-house  returns,  was  142,403  tons  in  1800,  and  this  was  the  high- 
est point  reached.  In  1805  it  was  131,275,  and  in  1880  124,751.  In 
later  years  the  total  export  was  from  fifty  to  sixty  thousand  tons  per 
annum. 

We  have  referred  to  a  Chamber  of  Commerce  which  existed  in  Bos- 
ton in  17'.»3,  and  for  a  few  years  thereafter,  but  we  know  almost  noth- 
ing of  its  proceedings.  On  the  11th  of  January,  1830,  a  meeting  of 
merchants  and  traders  was  held  at  the  "  Old  Common  Council  Room 
in  Court  Square,"  to  act  definitely  upon  the  formation  of  a  Chamber  of 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  131 

Commerce.  "  The  mercantile  interest  of  this  cit}'  was  never  more  fully 
represented  than  it  was  at  the  meeting  on  Monday;  the  hall  was 
crowded,  and  it  was  a  subject  of  regret  that  more  could  not  be  accom- 
modated. Mr.  Thomas  B.  Wales,  a,  gentleman  whose  efforts  are  never 
withheld  in  the  cause  of  improvement  and  public  spirit,  was  called  to 
the  chair,  and  Mr.  George  William  Gordon  was  chosen  secretary."  A 
committee  appointed  Ai  a  l^revious  meeting  reported  in  favor  of  form- 
ing a  Chamber,  and  presented  a  preamble  and  code  of  by-laws  which, 
at  its  suggestion,  was  recommitted  to  a  new  committee,  of  which  Mr. 
Henry  Lee  was  chairman,  to  report  at  a  future  meeting.  On  the  18th 
of  January  the  organization  of  the  Chamber  was  completed  and  officers 
were  chosen,  namely,  William  Sturgis,  president;  Thomas  B.  Wales, 
Robert  G.  Shaw,  David  Henshaw,  vice-presidents;  and  a  Board  of 
forty-eight  directors.  These  officers  chose  George  M.  Thacher  for 
secretary,  and  Jaines  C.  Wild  for  treasurer.  The  Chamber  met  twice  a 
year,  in  January  and  July;  the  current  business  was  transacted  by  the 
Board  of  Government. 

The  Chamber  held  its  second  annual  meeting  January  16,  1837.  The 
treasurer,  Mr.  Wild,  reported  that  the  cash  on  hand  amounted  to  $1,300, 
which  had  been  received  for  entrance  fees  and  fees  for  arbitrating  mer- 
cantile cases.  The  number  of  inembers  was  reported  as  rising  three 
hundred,  "shipowners,  importers,  grocers,  traders."  After  a  long  dis- 
cussion on  the  usury  laws,  a  memorial  to  the  Legislature  was  unani- 
mously adopted,  asking  for  a  repeal  or  modification  of  the  laws  relating 
to  interest  on  money.  The  Chamber  took  an  active  interest  in  public 
affairs  for  three  or  four  years,  and  then  its  influence  waned.  The  last 
meeting,  March  11,  1843,  was  called  to  receive  a  cominunication  from 
Canada  relating  to  proposed  railway  communication  between  that 
colony  and  Boston.  The  officers,  besides  those  already  mentioned 
were  Thomas  B.  Wales,  Nathan  Appleton,  and  Abbott  Lawrence, 
presidents,  and  Francis  J.  Oliver,  Charles  Henshaw,  William  Appleton, 
John  Bryant,  Amos  Lawrence,  vice-presidents. 

From  1820  to  1830  the  trade  of  Boston,  both  foreign  and  domestic, 
grew  and  advanced  steadily;  and  from  1830  to  1840  it  prospered  still 
more.  The  taxable  valuation  in  1820  was  $38,289,200;  in  1830,  $50,- 
580,000;  in  1840,  $94,581,600.  While  the  valuation  increased  fifty  per 
cent,  between  1830  and  1840,  the  arrivals  from  foreign  ports  increased 
from  642  to  1628  during  this  decade.  The  disasters  of  1837  checked 
this  growth  onl)^  for  the  time.      The   railroads  to   Providence,  Lowell 


132  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

and  Worcester  were  built,  and  the  line  from  Worcester  to  the  Hudson 
River  was  almost  completed.  The  development  of  railway  transport- 
ation, and  the  opening-  of  steam  communication  with  Liverpool,  com- 
bined to  make  the  next  decade,  from  1840  to  1850,  one  of  the  most 
marked  in  the  commercial  history  of  Boston. 

Before  we  take  up  the  subject  of  ocean  steam  navigation,  we  will 
make  some  quotations  from  an  interesting  article  in  the  Boston  Daily 
Atlas  of  January  11,  1842,  in  which  a  comparison  is  drawn  between  the 
year  1821,  the  last  year  in  the  history  of  Boston  as  a  town,  and  1841. 
The  population  increased  from  43,000  to  93,000 ;  and  the  tonnage  entered 
from  foreign  ports  from  129,002  to  280,315.  In  1821,  259,030  barrels 
of  flour,  041,080  bushels  of  corn,  and  17,120  bales  of  cotton  were  re- 
ceived coastwise;  in  1841,  574,233  barrels  of  flour,  2,044,129  bushels  of 
corn,  and  131,800  bales  of  cotton.  In  the  mean  time  the  town  of  Lowell 
had  sprung  into  being.  The  imports  from  foreign  countries  for  the 
year  ended  vSeptcmber  30,  1841,  were  $18,911,958;  the  exports  were 
$9,424, 18(;.  The  only  States  from  which  the  receipts  of  their  domestic 
products  had  fallen  off  in  Boston  during  the  period  under  review  were 
North  Carolina  and  Connecticut.  In  explanation  of  this  it  was  said 
that  in  1821  packets  were  sailing  regularly  to  Liverpool,  and  that  they 
carried  large  quantities  of  naval  stores,  the  great  staple  of  North  Caro- 
lina; as  there  had  been  no  direct  export  trade  to  Liverpool  for  several 
5^ears,  the  business  of  that  vState  had  naturally  inclined  toward  New 
York.  As  related  to  Connecticut,  it  was  said  that  twenty  years  before 
it  sent  large  quantities  of  grain  to  Boston,  but  since  it  had  become  a 
great  manufacturing  vState,  the  products  of  its  soil  were  consumed 
wnthin  its  own  borders. 

It  will  be  interesting  to  trace  the  connection  of  Boston  with  some  of 
the  earliest  propositions  for  the  establishment  of  transatlantic  steamship 
lines.  A  company  was  formed  in  London  in  1825  to  open  communi- 
cation between  Europe  and  America  by  means  of  steam  vessels.  Sub- 
scriptions to  its  stock  arc  said  to  have  been  made  to  the  amount  of 
;^270,00O,  of  wliich  ten  per  cent,  had  actually  been  paid  down.  It  was 
said  further:  "  Two  very  fine  vessels  have  been  offered  to  the  directors, 
one  of  four  hundred  and  thirty-nine  tons,  with  two  engines  each  of  fifty 
horse  power,  and  another  of  five  hundred  tons,  built  at  (ireenock,  with 
two  engines  of  ninety  horse  power  each.  The  directors,  acting  upon 
advice  offered  them  from  this  country  [the  United  vStatesJ,  have  wisely 
given  up  the  idea  of  employing  vessels  of  one  thcnisand  tons  burthen. 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  133 

Two  lines  of  communication  have  been  proposed,  besides  inferior 
branches ;  one  from  Valentia  Island,  the  starting  point  to  Nova  vScotia 
and  New  York;  the  other  from  Valentia  to  Antigua,  Carthagena, 
Jamaica,  and  the  countries  at  the  bottom  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The 
latter  will  probably  be  chosen,  as  the  transportation  of  biillion  and 
specie  has  been  promised  them.  The  seas  are  less  tempestuous  on  this 
route,  and  freight  and  passengers  to  and  from  the  West  Indies  will  be 
obtained  to  a  great  extent."  The  boldness  of  this  undertaking  will  be 
the  more  apparent  when  we  remeinber  that  at  this  time,  although  the 
possibilities  of  steam  had  been  pretty  thoroughly  tested  on  the  rivers 
and  coasts  both  of  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  only  one  pas- 
sage had  been  made  across  the  Atlantic  by  a  steam  vessel — the  Savan- 
nah, in  181'.), — and  a  considerable  part  of  that  imder  canvas. 

The  prospectus  of  the  London  company  reached  Boston,  and  was 
made  the  subject  of  extended  comment  by  some  of  the  papers  here. 
The  Daily  Advertiser  said:  "  It  may  be  assumed  as  an  incontrovertible 
fact  that  wherever  steam  navigation  has  been  established  on  a  proper 
footing,  and  on  a  sufficient  scale  of  vessels  and  machinery,  it  has  not 
only  been  abundantly  siiccessful,  but  its  performance  has  .surpassed 
expectations,  overcome  the  natural  prejudices,  and  commanded  the 
confidence  of  even  nautical  men ;  and  it  has  not  only  drawn  to  it  all  the 
most  valuable  communication  in  its  line  of  transit,  but  also  increased  it 
in  a  tenfold  proportion."  The  editorial  further  commended  to  the 
attention  of  its  readers  "  the  importance  of  establishing  this  species  of 
communication  between  Boston  and  Halifax,  as  a  branch  of  the  grand 
line  of  communication  between  America  and  England;"  and  added, 
"  all  that  is  necessary  to  be  done  on  our  part  to  secure  to  us  a  full  share 
of  the  benefits  of  the  enterpri.se  is  to  provide  a  single  steamboat  of  five 
hundred  tons,  of  the  most  approved  construction,  to  ply  regularly  be- 
tween this  port  and  Halifax."  The  editor  of  the  A/ivcrtiser  \n3.<.  Mr. 
Nathan  Hale,  one  of  the  most  far-seeing  men  of  his  time,  and  not  long- 
after  these  words  were  written,  he  did  splendid  service  as  an  educator 
of  the  public  mind  on  the  cpiestion  of  steam  transportation-  on  the 
land. 

A  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Boston  was  held  October  10,  1825,  the 
Hon.  Harrison  Gray  Otis  in  the  chair,  to  consider  the  question  of  steam 
communication  (indirect)  with  Europe,  and  a  committee  was  appointed 
"  to  devise  a  plan  for  establishing  a  steamboat  line  between  this  port 
and  Halifax,  in  the  event  of  the  contemplated  line  between  that  port 


134  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

and  Valentia  goino-  into  operation;  "  also,  a  plan  for  establishing  a  line 
between  Boston  and  Eastport,  Me.  The  committee  consisted  of  Thomas 
H.  Perkins,  Georoe  Bond,  William  Lawrence,  David  Henshaw,  David 
Low,  William  J.  Loring,  and  Henry  Oxnard;  and  at  a  second  meeting, 
December  2,  it  reported:  "  Having  opened  a  correspondence  with  the 
president  and  directors  of  the  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation  Company  of 
London,  on  the  first  branch  of  their  commission,  they  recommend  that 
its  further  consideration  be  postponed  for  the  present.  They  do  this 
with  the  more  confidence  as  they  learn  from  sources  entitled  to  credit 
that  the  enterprising  citizens  of  St.  John,  N.  B.,  have  already  made 
arrangements  for  establishing  a  line  between  Eastport  and  Windsor, 
N.  S.»  and  they  find  it  to  be  the  opinion  of  intelligent  men  that  this 
route  will  be  preferred  by  many  to  a  direct  passage  from  Halifax  to 
Boston,  the  distance  to  Windsor  being  but  about  forty-two  miles,  and 
the  road  very  good."  The  committee  recommended  the  immediate 
establishment  of  a  permanent  line  to  Eastport;  one  or  more  boats  had 
already  been  running  on  this  route,  and  during  the  last  season,  it  was 
said,  the  number  of  passengers  brought  from  Eastport  by  that  line  and 
the  packets  had  ranged  froin  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  a  week.  A 
large  committee,  of  which  Mr.  Lewis  Tappan  was  chairman,  was 
chosen  to  adopt  such  measures  as  might  be  deemed  expedient  for 
securing  subscriptions  for  the  line  recommended  by  the  committee  of 
seven. 

The  establishment  of  steamship  lines  upon  the  Atlantic  seems  to 
have  engaged  the  thought  and  effort  of  enterprising  men  on  both 
sides  of  the  ocean,  at  as  early  a  date  as  the  construction  of  steam  rail- 
roads; although,  for  reasons  which  we  will  not  now  try  to  explain,  the 
former  object  had  to  wait  several  years  for  its  successful  realization. 
The  Steam  Navigation  Company  in  London,  of  which  we  have  spoken, 
secured  a  large  subscription  to  its  capital  stock  a  year  before  the  bill 
was  passed  for  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  Railway.  And  at  the  very 
hour  when  the  prominent  business  men  of  Boston  were  devising  plans 
to  make  a  connection  at  Halifax  with  the  ocean  line  projected  in  Lon- 
don, Mr.  Gridley  Bryant  was  endeavoring  to  obtain  their  cooperation 
in  his  plan  for  a  railway,  or  what  we  should  now  call  a  tramway,  four 
tniles  long,  for  tlie  conveyance  of  granite  from  the  Ouincy  quarries  to  a 
])oint  at  which  it  could  be  shipped  to  Charlestown  for  the  monument 
on  Pjunker  Hill.  "In  the  fall  of  1825,"  he  says,  "  I  consulted  Thomas 
H.    Perkins,   WilHam  Sullivan,  Amos  Lawrence,    Isaac  P.    Davis  and 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  135 

David  Mood)^  all  of  Boston,  in  reference  to  it.  These  gentlemen 
thoug;ht  the  project  visionary  and  chimerical;  but,  being-  anxious  to  aid 
the  Bunker  Hill  monument,  consented  that  I  might  see  what  could  be 
done.  I  awaited  the  meeting  of  our  Legislature  in  the  winter  of  1825- 
20,  and  after  every  delay  and  obstruction  that  could  be  thrown  in  the 
way,  I  finally  obtained  a  charter."  Even  then.  Colonel  Perkins  was 
the  only  man  who  was  willing  to  pay  any  assessments  on  the  subscrip- 
tion to  the  stock,  and  the  result  was  that  he  built  the  road.  Four 
years,  or  more,  passed  before  charters  could  be  obtained  for  the  lines 
to  Lowell,  Providence  and  Worcester. 

An  able  and  enterprising  merchant  in  Halifax,  Mr.  Samuel  Cunard, 
was  among  the  first  to  give  serious  thought  to  the  problem  of  ocean 
steam  navigation.  Whether  he  had  any  connection  with  the  project  in 
London  in  1825  (mentioned  above)  we  do  not  know,  but  he  managed 
for  many  years  a  line  of  brigs  which  carried  the  mails  between  Halifax 
and  Falmouth,  England,  and  he  foresaw  at  an  early  day  that  the  time 
would  come  when  such  a  service,  in  the  interest  of  dispatch  as  well  as 
security,  must  be  performed  by  steamers.  In  1S30  he  had  in  contem- 
plation a  steain  packet  service  between  Liverpool  and  Halifax,  which 
should  include  Boston,  and  probably  he  never  for  a  moment  abandoned 
the  idea.  It  was  his  firm  belief  that  trans-oceanic  steamers  might  start 
and  arrive  from  and  at  their  terminal  points,  with  a  punctuality  not 
differing  greatly  from  that  of  railway  trains.  The  steamship  was  to  be 
the  railway  train,  without  the  longitudinal  pair  of  metal  rails.  Mr.  Brunei, 
the  great  English  engineer,  had  a  similar  opinion.  At  a  meeting  of 
the  directors  of  the  Great  Western  Railway  in  the  aiitumn  of  1835,  when 
some  one  spoke  of  the  enormous  length,  as  it  then  appeared,  of  the  pro- 
posed railway  from  London  to  Bristol,  Mr.  Brunei  exclaimed,  "Why 
not  make  it  longer,  and  have  a  steamboat  to  go  from  Bristol  to  New 
York,  and  call  it  the  Great  Western?"  The  suggestion  was  treated  as 
a  joke  at  first,  but  it  bore  fruit  at  no  distant  day. 

That  the  idea  of  a  steamship  service  from  England  or  Ireland  to 
Halifax  and  Boston  was  never  lost  sight  of,  is  evident  from  a  statement 
made  by  Dr.  Dionysius  Lardner  in  1856:  "  Projects  had  been  started 
in  1836  by  two  different  and  opposing  interests,  one  advocating  the 
establishment  of  a  line  of  steamers  to  ply  between  the  west  coast  of  Ire- 
land and  Boston,  touching  at  Halifax,  and  the  other  a  direct  line,  mak- 
ing an  uninterrupted  trip  between  Bristol  and  New  York.  In  the  year 
1836,  in  Dublin,  I  advocated  the  former  of  these  projects,  and  in  1837, 


136  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

at  Bristol,  at  the  next  meeting-  of  the  British  Association,  I  again  urged 
its  advantages,  and  by  comparison  discouraged  the  project  of  a  direct 
line  between  Bristol  and  New  York.  When  I  say  that  I  advocated  one 
of  these  projects,  it  is  needless  to  add  that  the  popular  rumor  that  I  had 
pronounced  the  Atlantic  voyage  by  steam  impracticable,  is  utterly 
destitute  of  foundation." 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation  Company  ac- 
complished anything,  except  to  prepare  the  way  for  those  who  were  to 
follow.  In  July,  18o(3,  subscription  books  were  opened  in  London  for 
the  British  and  American  Steam  Navigation  Company,  which  was  "es- 
tablished under  a  preliminary  deed  of  settlement  "  on  the  21st  of  the 
next  October.  Two  of  the  dir.ectors  were  Americans,  Mr.  Junius  Smith, 
of  New  York,  who  had  been  living  in  London  for  several  years,  and  by 
whose  persistent  efforts  the  company  had  been  started,  and  Col.  Thomas 
Aspinwall,  of  Boston,  for  many  years  American  consul  in  London. 
The  plan  of  the  company  at  the  outset,  as  we  learn  from  the  London 
Athcncvum,  was  as  follows:  "  To  build  a  line,  composed  of  two  British 
and  two  American  steamships,  of  great  size  each,  as  sufficient  to  keep 
up  a  communication  twice  a  month  to  and  from  New  York  ;  the  reason 
for  uniting  the  two  classes  being,  of  course,  that  British  ships,  by  treaty 
of  commerce,  are  not  permitted  to  take  foreign  goods  to  the  United 
vStates — the}^  must  be  shipped  in  American  bottoms ;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  American  ships  are  not  permitted  to  bring  foreign  goods  to  Eng- 
land, except  for  exportation  only.  By  the  union  of  both,  all  descrip- 
tions of  goods  are  secured." 

According"  to  the  third  prospectus,  a  copy  of  which  lies  before  us, 
the  vessels  of  the  company  were  to  start  alternately  from  London  and 
Liverpool,  and  it  may  have  been  the  intention,  ultimately,  to  call  at  an 
Irish  port,  for  one  of  the  directors  lived  in  Dublin  and  another  in  Cork. 
The  company  contracted  with  builders  at  Blackwall  for  a  large  steamer, 
the  British  Qnccn,  which  was  to  have  "capacity  for  five  hundred  pas- 
sengers, twenty-five  days'  fuel,  and  eighty  tons  of  measurement  goods, 
exclusive  of  stores,  provisions,  etc."  The  Great  Western  was  contracted 
for  at  Bristol  at  about  the  same  time,  and  the  question  was,  whether 
the  first  departure  under  the  new  order  of  things  would  be  from  the 
Thames  or  the  vScvcrn.  The  Great  Wester//  was  the  first  to  be  ready, 
and  was  advertised  to  sail  April  8,  1838.  The  British  Queen  could  not 
be  fitted  for  sea  by  that  time;  the  London  compan}",  therefore,  char- 
tered a  steamer  to  take  her  place,  the  Sir  ins.,  a  fine  vessel  of  seven  hun- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  137 

dred  tons,  schooner-rigged,  built  for  the  trade  between  London  and 
Cork,  and  owned  by  the  St.  George  Steam  Packet  Company,  and  she 
was  dispatched  from  the  Thames  late  in  the  month  of  March.  She 
started  from  Cork  harbor,  now  Queenstown,  April  4,  and  arrived  in 
New  York  harbor  on  the  evening  of  the  2".id.  She  was  under  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  Roberts,  of  the  royal  navy,  who  was  lost  three 
years  later  in  the  President.  On  the  8th  of  the  same  month  the  Great 
Western,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Hosken,  also  of  the  navy,  started 
from  Bristol,  and  making  a  distance,  by  her  log,  of  three  thousand 
three  hundred  and  twenty-two  miles,  she  reached  New  York  on  the  -^od. 
Both  passages  had  been  successful  beyond  anticipation.  The  judgment 
of  one  of  the  New  York  papers  was  strictly  true:  "  Steam  navigation 
across  the  Atlantic  is  no  longer  an  experiment,  but  a  plain  matter  of 
fact.      The  thing  has  been  done  triumphantly." 

The  following  statement  from  a  New  York  paper  of  February  23, 
1838,  will  show  how  much  it  meant  to  the  cities  of  the  American  sea- 
board, to  receive  as  the  result  of  these  passages  what  they  were  pur- 
suaded  was  a  well-grounded  assurance  of  regular  and  speedy  communi- 
cation in  the  immediate  future  with  the  countries  beyond  sea:  "It  is 
a  fact  that  the  latest  advices  we  have  from  Europe  were  received  first 
at  Halifax,  thence  conveyed  overland  to  Quebec,  to  Montreal,  to  Kings- 
ton, LTpper  Canada,  and  have  reached  us  from  the  latter  place  by  an 
extra  dated  the  15th  inst."  Twelve  packets  from  England  and  France 
were  due  and  overdue  at  that  date  at  the  port  of  New  York. 

The  now  famous  steamers  returned  to  England  with  the  news  of  their 
great  achievement,  and  they  were  received  there  with  the  greatest  en- 
thusiasm. The  lords  of  the  admiralty,  who  had  charge  of  the  ocean 
mails,  saw  that  the  time  was  come  for  instituting  radical  changes  in  the 
packet  service  of  the  empire,  and  their  first  step  was  to  advertise  for 
tenders  for  the  conveyance  of  the  royal  mails  by  steam  from  Liverpool 
to  Halifax,  Quebec  and  Boston.  The  object  of  the  British  government 
in  intervening  at  this  juncture,  as  it  did,  in  the  establishment  of  ocean 
steamship  lines  was  political  more  than  commercial.  The  opportunity 
was  presented  to  it,  to  unite  the  widely  separated  members  of  the  em- 
pire more  closely  together  than  had  ever  seen^ed  possible;  and  it 
promptly  took  the  first  great  step  to  this  end,  by  providing  for  the  main- 
tenance of  a  transatlantic  line  to  its  great  dependency,  British  North 
America,  with  Halifax  and  Quebec  as  the  objective  points.  The  ques- 
tion of  regular  communication  with  the  United  vStates,  through  the  ports 

18 


138  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

of  Boston  and  New  York,  in  this  view  of  the  ease,  would  of  course  be  a 
secondary  consideration. 

Whether  Mr.  Cunard  went  to  Enj^land  on  hearing  of  the  announce- 
ment of  the  plans  of  the  British  government,  ov  whether  he  happened 
to  be  there  at  the  time,  we  do  not  knovv' ;  but  he  saw  that  the  time  for 
action  on  his  part,  for  which  he  had  long  been  waiting,  had  arrived. 
He  made  the  accjuaintance  of  Robert  Napier,  already  a  celebrated  en- 
gineer on  the  Clyde,  and  by  him  was  introduced  to  George  Burns  and 
Uavid  Maclver,  of  the  hrm  of  Burns  &  Maclver,  proprietors  of  a  line 
of  steamers,  of  from  five  hundred  to  seven  hundred  tons,  plying  suc- 
cessfully between  Glasgow  and  Liverpool.  All  the  details  of  the  new 
undertaking,  the  size  of  the  ships,  the  power,  the  cost  of  construction, 
the  probable  running  expenses,  etc.,  were  thoroughly  discussed  by 
these  able  and  practical  men;  the  aid  of  a  few  capitalists  was  secured, 
with  subscriptions  by  them  to  the  amount  of  ;,{^270,000;  and  the  British 
and  North  American  Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Company  was  brcnight 
into  existence.  In  behalf  of  this  company,  Mr.  Cmiard  made  a  tender 
for  the  conveyance  (jf  the  mails  across  the  Atlantic,  in  accordance  with 
the  proposals  oi  the  government,  and  his  tender  was  accepted.  The 
only  other  bid  came  from  the  Great  Western  Steamship  Company. 

The  important  news  reached  Boston  by  way  of  Halifax,  and  was 
given  t(j  the  public  April  13,  183'.),  in  the  following  statement:  "A 
contract  has  been  made  by  the  British  government  with  the  Hon.  vSam- 
uel  Cunard  for  the  conveyance  of  the  mails  from  England  to  Halifax, 
and  from  Halifax  to  Boston,  and  also  from  Halifax  by  Pictou  to  Oue- 
l)ec,  twice  a  month,  for  the  sum  of  ^,55, ()()()  sterling  per  annum.  The 
contract  is  for  seven  3'ears.  The  first  l)oat  is  to  leave  Liverpool  May  1, 
1840.  The  boats  froin  Halifax  to  Boston,  and  from  Pictou  to  Quebec, 
to  run  as  long  as  the  navigation  continues  open  Ijctween  the  two  latter 
ports,  to  be  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  horse  power." 

Tliis  information  was  confirmed  by  a  letter  from  Mr.  Cunard  to  his 
Boston  correspondents,  Messrs.  Dana,  Fenno  &  Henshaw,  dated  Lon- 
don, 22d  March,  183!),  in  which  he  said:  "You  will  be  pleased  to  learn 
that  steam  boats  are  to  proceed  from  this  country  twice  in  each  month 
for  Boston,  calling  at  Halifax.  The  government  have  given  the  con- 
tract to  me  for  seven  years  certain,  and  it  may  continue  much  longer, 
— a  year's  notice  is  to  be  given  (ni  either  side.  I  am  building  powerful 
boats;  they  will  be  equal  to  any  ever  l)uilt  in  this  country.  They  are 
1  100  tons  and  420  horse  power,  and  as  the  gcn'crnment  have  been  very 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  13!) 

liberal  to  me,  I  am  determined  to  have  the  best  boats  that  ean  be  pro- 
cured. I  am  bound  only  to  carry  the  mail  on  account  of  government, 
and  am  to  get  fift)'-five  thousand  pounds  sterling,  paid  quarterly, — 
which  is  no  small  sum  to  assist  me  in  paying  the  way ;  and  I  think  when 
the  boats  are  seen,  that  I  shall  have  all  the  passengers  from  Boston, 
and  to  the  eastward  of  Boston.  I  hope  to  make  the  passage  to  Boston, 
calling  at  Halifax,  in  twelve  days.  I  have  no  doubt  a  steam  packet 
will  leave  each  port  before  long,  three  times  in  the  month.  It  will  be 
a  great  advantage  to  Boston,  and  I  think  you  should  all  encourage  me, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  but  you  will  do  so. 

"  I  hope  to  find  that  you  have  established  peace  on  your  borders.  It 
is  not  to  the  interest  of  either  country  to  go  to  war,  and  it  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  the  acts  of  indiscreet  people  should  lead  to  results  injurious 
to  the  welfare  of  two  great  nations." 

The  precise  relation  of  Boston  to  the  proposed  line,  as  defined  in  the 
contract,  was  not  what  its  business  men  were  likely  to  be  satisfied  with. 
They  had  no  objection  to  Halifax  as  a  place  of  call ;  but  they  believed  that 
for  the  sake  of  the  line  itself,  as  well  as  for  their  own  advantage,  Boston 
should  be  the  terminal  point  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  A  meeting, 
therefore,  was  convened  in  the  hall  of  the  Tremont  Bank,  April  20,  "to 
consider  what  steps  .should  be  pursued  to  encourage  the  proposed  com- 
munication by  steam  packets  between  Boston  and  England."  Mr. 
Francis  J.  Oliver  presided,  and  Mr.  Benjamin  T.  Reed  served  as  secre- 
tary. Remarks  were  made  by  Mr.  George  Bond,  and  others;  and  a 
series  of  resolutions  was  presented  by  Mr.  Elias  Hasket  Derby,  and  re- 
ceived unanimous  approval.  Mr.  Derby  was  an  able  lawyer  and  public 
spirited  citizen,  and  we  have  had  an  account  of  this  meeting  from  his 
own  lips.      We  give  the  most  important  of  the  resolutions: 

Rcsoli'cd,  That  we  regard  the  establishment  of  a  hne  of  steam  packets  between 
Liverpool  and  Boston  as  tending  greatly  to  advance  the  prosperity  of  this  city,  by 
increasing  facilities  for  the  direct  importation  of  merchandise  from  England,  as 
making  this  port  an  extensive  depot  for  the  receipt  of  cotton  and  naval  stores  for 
foreign  shipment,  and  the  favorite  resort  from  the  south,  the  west  and  the  east,  as 
well  for  embarkation  for  ICurope  as  for  the  purchase  of  goods,  and,  finally,  as  a 
measure  destined  to  promote  our  rapid  growth  in  population,  in  commerce,  and  in 
wealth. 

ResfllTed',  That  while  we  rely  on  the  justice  of  the  British  nation,  and  the  intelli- 
gence of  our  own,  for  a  speedy  adjustment  of  the  questions  which  have  recently 
distvirbed  our  frontiers,  we  regard  the  enterprise  as  a  harbinger  of  futi:re  peace,  both 
with  the  mother  country  and  the  provinces,  being  persuaded  that  frequent  communi- 
cation is  the  most  effectual  mode  to  wear  away  all  jealousies  and  prejudices  which 
are  not  yet  extinguished. 


140  SUFFOLK  CO  UN 7' V. 

Resolved,  That  it  is  of  the  highest  importance  to  the  success  of  this  great  enter-  • 
prise  that  the  larger  class  of  steam  packets  should  run  entirely  through  from  Liverpool 
to  Boston,  and  7n'ce  versa,  stopping  sufficient  time  at  Halifax  for  the  reception  of 
fuel  and  to  receive  and  discharge  passengers  and  freight.  That  this  arrangement 
alone  will  inspire  confidence  in  the  safe  and  uninterrupted  conveyance  of  passengers 
and  goods,  and  secure  a  liberal  and  ample  patronage  of  the  route. 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting  that  a  suitable  pier  and  dock  should 
be  provided  for  a  term  of  years  for  the  reception  of  the  Liverpool  steam  packets  in 
this  port,  where  they  may  receive  and  discharge  their  lading  free  from  expense  to 
the  owners  of  the  steamers,  and  that  such  other  facilities  be  afforded  as  the  imix)r- 
tance  of  the  subject  may  require. 

Resohu-d,  That  the  Hon.  Samuel  Cunard,  of  Nova  Scotia,  the  spirited  projector 
and  conductor  of  this  enterprise,  is  entitled  to  the  warmest  acknowledgments  of 
the  inhabitants  of  this  city  and  State  for  the  vast  benefits  which  must  accrue  to  them 
from  the  measure  he  has  originated,  and  that  he  be  assured  of  our  sincere  and  ardent 
wishes  for  his  success. 

Resolved,  That  F.  J.  Oliver,  R.  G.  Shaw,  William  Appleton,  George  Bond,  George 
Bancroft,  Charles  Leighton,  E.  Hasket  Derby,  James  Read,  Martin  Brimmer,  George 
Darracott  and  Benjamin  T.  Reed  be  a  committee  to  communicate  these  resolutions 
to  the  Hon.  Mr.  Cunard,  and  to  devise  measures  to  carry  the  fifth  [fourth]  resolution 
intt)  effect. 

To  explain  the  allusion  in  Mr.  Cnnard's  letter  and  in  the  second  reso- 
lution, we  would  remind  our  readers  that  at  this  time  the  northeastern 
boundary  question  was  seriously  threatening^  the  peace  of  the  two 
nations  concerned.  Governor  Fairfield,  of  Maine,  had  orcatly  aggra- 
vated the  impending  difficulty,  by  marching  State  troops  into  the  dis- 
]:»utcd  territory;  and  only  by  the  exercise  of  much  tact  on  the  part  of 
those  highest  in  authority,  was  actual  war  averted. 

The  Boston  resolutions,  confirmed  by  many  private  letters,  reached 
Mr.  Cunard  as  he  was  getting  ready  to  sail  for  America  in  the  Great 
Western.  He  went  with  them  at  once  to  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty, 
aud  offered  to  increase  the  size  and  power  of  his  ships,  and  to  extend 
the  main  route  to  Boston,  promising  also,  half  jocosely,  to  settle  the 
ncn-thcastcrn  boundary  question,  if  they  would  add  ten  thousand  pounds 
per  annum  to  the  subsidy.  His  proposition  was  accepted,  and  a  new 
contract  was  signed  in  May.  Mr.  Cimard  then  went  to  Glasgow,  where 
the  keels  of  four  steamers  had  already  been  laid.  These  were  broken 
up,  and  four  ships  of  about  twelve  hundred  tons  each  were  started  in 
four  different  sliipyards,  Mr.  Napier's  firm  agreeing  to  build  the  engines. 
These  shi])s  were  smaller  than  the  Great  Western^  and  much  smaller 
than  the  Uritisli  Oiieeii;  they  were,  of  course,  of  wood,  with  paddle 
wheels,  and  afterward  made  a  reputation  for  tliemselves  as  the  Jh'ifaji- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  141 

ma,  the  Acadia,  the  Caledonia  and  the  Cohunbia.  On  the  other  hand 
the  merchants  of  Boston  were  preparing  to  give  substantial  encourage- 
ment to  the  new  Hne.  On  the  12th  of  August,  the  committee  appoint- 
ed at  the  meeting  held  four  months  before  reported  as  follows:  "The 
East  Boston  Compan}^  are  to  build  and  make  all  the  necessary  provis- 
ions with  three  docks  to  receive  steamships  of  the  largest  size,  to  be 
leased  to  Mr.  Cimard  for  twenty  years,  reserving  no  rent  except  the 
usual  charge  of  wharfage  of  goods  or  freight.  The  wharf  now  erecting 
is  to  be  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long." 

The  Unicorn,  a  steamer  of  six  hundred  and  forty-nine  tons,  built  in 
1830  for  the  Glasgow  and  Liverpool  trade,  arrived  in  Boston  harbor 
June  2,  1840,  as  the  pioneer  of  the  Cunard  line.  The  wharves  were 
thronged  with  enthusiastic  spectators,  who  gave  her  a  hearty  welcome, 
and  amid  much  display  of  bunting  and  firing  of  salutes,  she  proceed- 
ed to  the  newly-constructed  Cunard  dock.  Three  days  later  a  dinner 
was  given  in  Faneuil  Hall  to  her  commander,  Captain  Douglas,  and  a  son 
of  Mr.  Cunard  who  came  as  a  passenger;  the  mayor,  Mr.  Jonathan 
Chapman,  presided,  and  addresses  were  made  by  the  special  guests  of 
the  occasion,  the  British  consul,  Mr.  Grattan,  Mr.  Robert  C.  Winthrop, 
and  several  others.  The  excitement  was  even  more  intense  when  the 
first  of  the  new  steamers,  the  Britannia,  Lieutenant  Woodruff,  R.  N., 
commander,  arrived  in  port  on  the  18th  of  July,  after  a  fine  passage 
from  Liverpool,  by  way  of  Halifax,  of  fourteen  and  a  half  days.  Mr. 
Cunard,  the  distinguished  projector  of  the  line,  came  in  this  ship,  and 
a  banquet  in  his  honor  was  given  at  East  Boston,  July  22,  at  which  Mr. 
Josiah  Quincy,  jr.,  presided,  and  speeches  were  made  by  Judge  Story, 
President  Quincy  of  Harvard  College,  Mr.  Webster  and  Mr.  Bancroft. 
The  subsequent  success  of  the  line,  its  influence  in  the  promotion  of 
international  trafiic,  and  the  impulse  given  by  it  to  steam  navigation  on 
the  Atlantic  Ocean,  have  more  than  justified  all  that  was  predicted  by 
those  who  participated  in  these  congratulatory  proceedings. 

Nor  were  the  citizens  of  Boston  mistaken  in  their  anticipation  of  im- 
mediate advantage  to  their  own  port  from  the  successful  initiation  of 
this  new  means  of  transatlantic  communication.  They  certainly  had 
good  reason  to  felicitate  themselves  on  the  circumstance  that  Boston 
had  been  selected  by  the  Cunard  Company,  and  by  the  government 
with  which  it  was  under  contract,  in  preference  to  its  neighbor  cities, 
as  the  American  terminus  of  the  line.  The  reasons  for  this  choice  were 
obvious, — nearness  to  the  lower  British   provinces,  and  convenience  of 


142  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

access  from  them,  a  shorter  distance  from  Europe,  and  si;periority  of 
harbor  and  wharf  accommodations.  The  railway  system  of  New  Eng- 
land also,  althoni^h  in  its  infancy,  had  already  attracted  attention  in 
Europe.  It  may  be  interesting-  to  remember  that  the  trains  starting 
from  Boston  then  reached  their  limits  respectively  at  Newburyport, 
Exeter,  Nashua,  Springfield,  Stonington,  and  New  Bedford.  But  the 
establishment  of  a  first-class  steamship  line  from  Liverpool  hastened 
the  work  of  railroad  constn^ction,  and  gave  a  new  impulse  to  every 
branch  of  business. 

The  trips  of  the  line  were  to  be  semi-monthh'  during  eight  months 
of  the  year,  and  monthly  in  the  winter,  but  it  took  a  little  time  to  carry 
out  the  programme.  The  Acadia  came  out  as  the  second  ship  in  Au- 
gust, the  Jh'itaitnia  again  in  8epteml)er,  the  Caledonia  and  the  Acadia 
in  October,  the  Fritaiuiia  and  the  Caledonia  in  November,  and  the  Acadia 
in  December.  The  amount  of  duties  paid  at  the  custom-house  on  these 
eight  arrivals  was  only  $2,'.t28.!)!».  It  soon  became  apparent,  however, 
that  all  the  finer  and  more  valuable  fabrics  could  be  advantageously  im- 
ported by  steam,  although  the  rate  of  freight  was  seven  pounds  sterling 
for  the  ton  of  forty  cubic  feet.  In  IS-ll  the  duties  collected  on  twenty- 
one  arrivals  were  $73,8()!».2:};  in  1842,  on  eighteen  arrivals,  $120, 1)74. (57  ; 
in  1843,  on  twenty  arrivals,  $040,572.05;  in  1844,  on  twenty  arrivals, 
$!)l(),108.;)O;  in  1845,  on  twenty  arrivals,  |1, 022,092.75. 

The  Columbia  came  out  f(U'  the  first  time  in  January,  1841;  the  Hi- 
bcrnia  in  May,  1843;  and  the  Cau/hria  in  January,  1845.  The  average 
length  of  the  twenty-nine  passages  from  Liverpool  to  Boston,  includ- 
ing the  detention  at  Halifax,  from  July,  1840,  to  December,  1841,  was 
fourteen  days,  twenty-three  hours.  In  1S42  the  February  and  March 
l)ackets  came  only  to  Halifax,  and  the  passengers  and  mails  were 
brought  to  and  taken  from  Boston  in  the  Unicorn. 

When  the  Britaruiia  left  Boston,  July,  1842,  she  carried  with  her  a 
silver  vase  for  presentation  to  Mr.  Cunard.  It  had  been  made  by 
Jones,  Lows  &  Ball,  and  it  was  described  as  "the  greatest  trimnph  in 
the  silver  worker's  art  as  yet  achieved  in  Boston."  In  an  address  to 
Mr.  Cunard  which  accompanied  it,  it  was  said:  "To  the  public  spirit 
and  enterprise  of  yourself  and  your  honorable  associates,  we  are  in- 
debted for  a  frequent,  rapid  and  thus  far  unfailing  mode  of  intercourse, 
unsurpassed  for  comfort  and  safety,  <and  for  an  additional  bond  of  union 
between  two  great  commercial  nations,  united  b}-  axcxy  tic  of  descent, 
common  language  and  mutiuil  interests,  never  as  we  trust  to  be  weaken- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  143 

ed  or  severed."  The  signers  of  the  address,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of 
Boston,  were  Martin  Brimmer,  Isaac  P.  Davis,  James  Read,  Thomas 
Lamb,  William  T.  Andrews  and  E.  Hasket  Derby. 

The  Columbia  was  wrecked  on  Seal  Island,  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  July 
2,  1843,  but  without  loss  of  life.  The  people  of  New  York  had  been 
unable  to  look  with  entire  complacency  upon  the  superior  facilities 
which  Boston  now  enjoyed  for  communication  wnth  Europe.  The  Lon- 
don line  to  their  port  had  been  broken  up  by  the  loss  of  the  President 
and  the  sale  of  the  BritisJi  Queen;  and  although  the  Great  Western  was 
making  her  trips  from  Bristol  or  Liverpool  with  regularity,  and  was 
regarded  as  a  successful  competitor  of  the  Hibernia,  whose  size  was 
about  the  same  as  her  own.  New  York  was  mainly  dependent  upon  the 
Boston  steamers  for  its  passenger  and  mail  service.  The  loss  of  the 
Columbia  suggested  a  text  to  the  newspapers  of  that  city,  which  they 
were  ready  enough  to  make  use  of,  and  they  preached  fluently  and 
continuously  concerning  the  extraordinary  dangers  of  the  Boston 
route,  which  they  described  as  ' '  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  rock, 
ledge,  shoal,  fog,  and  narrow  intricate  channels."  An  unexpected 
event,  the  next  winter,  made  it  doubtful  for  the  moment  whether  a  fatal 
mistake  had  not  been  made  in  bringing  the  transatlantic  steamers  to 
Boston.  After  the  arrival  of  the  Britannia  in  January,  184:4,  the  har- 
bor was  frozen  over,  and  it  looked  as  though  she  would  be  seriously 
delayed  in  starting  on  her  return  trip.  But  the  merchants  were  equal 
to  the  emergency.  A  meeting  was  held  on  the  Exchange,  with  the 
mayor,  Mr.  Martin  Brimmer,  in  the  chair,  and  it  was  decided  that  the 
steamer  should  be  cut  oiit  without  expense  to  her  owners,  and  sent  to 
sea  as  near  the  advertised  time  of  her  departure  as  possible.  A  com- 
mittee to  collect  the  requisite  money  was  chosen,  consisting  of  Benja- 
min Rich,  Caleb  Curtis,  (3zias  Goodwin,  Thomas  C.  vSmith,  Samuel 
Uuincy,  Thomas  Gray,  Charles  Brown,  Thomas  B.  Curtis,  and  Ammi 
C.  Lombard.  A  contract  was  made  with  Gage,  Hittinger  &  Company 
and  John  Hill,  for  cutting  two  canals  in  the  ice,  one  from  the  East 
Boston  ferry  to  the  open  sea,  and  the  other  from  the  ferry  to  India 
Wharf,  into  which  other  channels  could  be  opened  as  might  be  desired. 
For  this  work  the  contractors  were  to  receive  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 
Mr.  Richard  Henry  Dana  says  in  his  diary:  "I  went  down  to  see  the 
work  in  company  with  hundreds,  or  rather  thousands,  of  others.  The 
scene  was  peculiar  and  exciting  in  the  extreme.  The  whole  harbor 
was  one  field  of  ice,  frozen  on  a  perfect  level,  though  somewhat  roughly 


144  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

in  parts,  and  stront^-  cnouj^h  to  bear  heavy  loads  of  merehandise  drawn 
by  cattle.  Two  i4ano-s  of  men  were  at  work,  one  beginning  at  the 
wharves  and  cutting  down,  the  other  beginning  at  the  clear  water  and 
cutting  up.      Each    gang   numbered    over  a  hundred.      Perhaps  there 

were  four  hundred  workmen  in  all There  were  booths  erected 

for  the  sale  of  refreshments  at  different  parts  of  the  track,  and  from 
the  end  of  Long  Wharf  to  the  place  where  the  lower  gang  was  at  work, 
a  distance  of  five  miles,  there  was  a  well-marked  footway,  and  travel- 
ers upon  it  were  as  frequent  as  on  the  great  highway  to  a  city  on  a 
festival  day."  It  was  an  impressive  scene  when  the  lyritannia^  on  the 
afternoon  of  February  3,  slowly  steamed  through  the  passage  which 
had  been  cut  for  her,  cheered  by  thousands  of  spectators.  This  evi- 
dence of  the  enterprise  of  the  B(«ton  merchants  made  a  most  favorable 
impression  in  England,  and  if  there  had  been  any  misgivings  there,  in 
reference  to  sending  the  mail  steamers  to  this  port,  they  were  speedily 
dispelled.  Only  once  since  has  it  been  necessary  to  do  a  similar  work. 
In  January,  1857,  a  canal  was  cut  in  the  ice  through  which  the  America 
passed  out  to  sea  one  aftei'noon,  and  the  Arabia  came  up  to  her  dock 
(^n  the  next  day. 

The  increasing  commerce  of  Boston  called  for  various  public  im- 
provements; one  of  these  was  the  new  custom-house,  begun  in  1838 
and  completed  in  1S45;  another  was  the  ^Icrchants'  Exchange  in  vState 
street.  The  Exchange  was  built  by  a  company  of  which  Robert  G. 
Shaw  was  president,  and  Samuel  Dana  secretary.  Isaiah  Rogers  was 
the  architect,  and  the  building  committee  consisted  of  Andrew  E.  Bel- 
knap, vSamuel  Henshaw,  Isaac  Livermore,  Thaddeus  Nichols,  jr.,  and 
Thomas  Lamb.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  August  2,  1841,  by  the  ven- 
erable Colonel  Perkins,  who  made  an  interesting  address  giving  his 
reminiscences  of  "sixty  years  ago. '"  A  leaden  box  was  placed  under 
the  stone,  containing  a  silver  plate,  suital)ly  inscribed,  together  with 
one  or  more  of  each  of  the  American  coins  then  in  use,  a  pine-tree  shil- 
ling contributed  by  Isaac  P.  Davis,  a  Boston  Directory,  and  copies  of 
the  newspapers  of  the  day.  When  the  building  was  taken  down  in 
1881),  this  box  was  deposited  with  the  Bostonian  Society,  and  at  the 
monthly  meeting,  October  8,  it  was  formally  opened  and  its  contents 
were  examined  with  much  interest  by  the  members  of  the  society  and 
others  present. 

l^^arly  in  the  summer  of  1844  Mr.  Enoch  Train,  who  had  been  en- 
<':a<>ed   in   the  leather  trade,    and   in  connection   with   this  in  the  trade 


"As^JXk^S^^Gu^k^ 


r RADII   AND   COMMERCE.  145 

with  South  America,  started  his  celebrated  line  of  Liverpool  sail- 
ing packets.  It  may  seem  strange  to  us  now,  that  a  sagacious  mer- 
chant should  undertake  to  establish  such  a  line  from  Boston,  side  by- 
side  with  the  Cunard  steamers;  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  the 
paddlewheel  vessels  then  in  use  could  accommodate  only  a  small  quan- 
tity of  cargo,  and  that  this  was  subject  to  a  high  rate  of  freight.  In- 
stead of  interfering  with  the  transportation  on  the  ocean  of  ordinary 
merchandise,  these  mail  steamers  stimulated  the  foreign  trade  of  the 
port  by  the  facilities  they  offered  for  the  transmission  of  orders  and  for 
the  speedy  conveyance  of  business  men  to  and  from  Europe.  So  far 
as  exports  were  concerned,  it  may  be  said  that  they  took  away  next  to 
nothing,  and  the  goods  they  brought  from  England  were  of  the  most 
valuable  kind.  It  was  twelve  or  fifteen  years  after  the  first  arrival  of 
the  Britannia  in  Boston  harbor  before  the  importance  of  the  iron  screw 
steamship  in   the  Atlantic  trade  began  to  be  understood. 

The  first  ships  advertised  by  Enoch  Train  &  Company  were  the 
Dorchester,  500  tons;  the  Cairo,  000  tons;  the  Governor  Davis,  800 
tons;  and  the  5^.  Petersburg,  SOO  tons,  "all  first-class,  Medford-built, 
copper-fastened,  coppered,  and  fast  sailing  ships."  The  DoreJiester, 
Captain  Caldwell,  sailed  for  Liverpool  May  27,  and  was  followed  by  the 
Ellen  June  10,  and  the  Cairo  July  8.  The  first  ship  built  expressly  for 
the  line  was  the  Joslnia  Bates,  and  this  was  followed  in  rapid  succession 
by  the  Anglo-Saxon,  the  Anglo- Anier lean,  the  ]\'as/tingto)i  Iri'ing,  the 
Ocean  Monarch,  the  Parliament,  the  Daniel  Webster,  the  Star  of  Em- 
pire, the  Chariot  of  Eauie,  the  Staffordshire,  the  Cathedral,  and  the 
John  Eliot  Thayer.  These  were  all  fine  vessels;  some  of  them  were 
very  large  for  those  days  and  very  beautiful  vessels.  Through  Mr. 
Train,  Donald  McKay  was  first  brought  into  prominence  as  a  ship- 
builder. Among  the  captains  in  this  service,  all  men  of  ability  and 
high  character,  were  Caldwell,  Murdock,  Thayer,  Brown,  Howard, 
Richardson  and  Knowles.  For  a  few  years  the  business  of  the  line  in 
Liverpool  was  managed  by  Baring,  Brothers  &  Company.  ]\Ir.  Train 
then  sent  over  his  young  partner,  i\Ir.  Frederick  W.  Thayer,  and  estab- 
lished a  house  there,  to  which  the  present  house  of  Warren  &  Company 
is  the  successor. 

The  impulse  given  to  the  general  trade  and  prosperity  of  Boston  by 
the  Cunard  and  Train  lines,  and  by  other  facilities  for  transportation 
both  by  water  and  by  land,  was  very  great.  The  population  of  the  city 
increased  sixty-two  per  cent,  from  1840  to  1850,  and  for  the  second  time 

19 


146  SUFF'OLK   COUNTY. 

in  its  liistory,  its  taxal)lc  valuation  doubled,  udvancin;^-  from  $!)4,580,- 
(iUO  in  1840,  to  $180,0  00, 500  in  1850.  The  imports  increased  during- the 
same  period  from  about  $14,000,000  to  $2S,(i51),73;).  At  no  time  since 
ha\-e  there  been  so  niany  importing' and  jobbini;'  houses,  although  a  few 
houses  now  probably  do  a  larger  business  than  all  of  them  did  then. 
The  coastwise  shipping  trade  was  also  very  large.  The  supplies  of  cot- 
ton for  the  mills  of  New  England  came  by  sea,  and  the  products  of  the 
Southwest,  such  as  provisions^  lard,  lead,  etc.  In  return  we  shipped  to 
the  Southern  ports  domestic  dry  gocxls,  boots  and  vShoes,  furniture  and 
wooden  ware,  in  large  cpumtities.  There  were  several  fine  lines  of  ships 
and  barcpies  to  New  Orleans  and  Mobile,  lines  of  brigs  to  Savannah, 
Alexandria,  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia,  and  lines  of  schooners  to  New 
York. 

In  1851  the  railways  leading  to  the  Canadas  and  the  northern  lakes 
were  completed,  and  so  high  an  estimate  was  placed  upon  the  commer- 
cial value  of  this  connection,  that  the  vState  and  the  City  joined  with  the 
business  men  of  Boston  in  a  celebration  such  as  had  never  been  wit- 
nessed before,  and  perhaps  such  as  has  not  been  seen  since.  In  an 
official  report  published  by  the  City  it  was  said:  "  However  extensive 
and  brilliant  may  have  been  the  public  pageants  on  other  occasions, 
not  one,  it  is  believed,  has  on  this  continent  surpassed,  if  any  have 
equaled,  that  of  September  17,  18,  and  1!)."  The  president  of  the 
United  vStates,  Millard  Fillmore,  with  members  of  his  cabinet,  arrived 
on  the  morning  of  the  first  day.  He  was  followed  by  Lord  Elgin, 
governor-general  of  Canada,  with  his  suite.  All  the  large  towns  of 
British  America  were  represented  by  their  mayors  and  other  officials, 
and  the  British  army  was  represented  by  several  distinguished  officers 
then  stationed  in  Canada.  The  public  festivities  consisted  of  a  military 
review  on  the  Common,  an  excursion  down  the  harbor,  a  military  ball, 
and,  on  the  third  day,  which  was  a  general  holiday,  a  procession,  and  a 
dinner  on  the  Commcni,  at  which  three  thousand  six  hundred  persons 
sat  down,  with  fireworks  in  the  evening. 

Two  enterprises  were  initiated  in  connection  with  "the  railroad 
jubilee  "  as  it  was  called;  neither,  unfortunately,  brought  anything  but 
embarrassment  to  the  public-spirited  men  who  started  them,  but  one  of 
them  exists  as  an  integral  and  essential  part  of  our  railroad  system  to- 
day. The  Grand  Junction  Railroad  Company,  chartered  in  1847  with 
a  capital  of  $1, •200,000,  formally  opened  its  line,  six  and  six-tenths 
miles  in  length,  which   joined   the   Eastern,  Boston    and  Maine,  Fitch- 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  147 

burg-,  and  Lowell  Railroads,  with  the  steamship  wharves  at  East  Bos- 
ton. No  such  facilities  then  existed  at  any  other  port.  The  directors 
of  the  company,  whose  names  deserve  to  be  perpetuated,  were  Samuel 
S.  Lewis,  David  Henshaw,  John  W.  Fenno,  Charles  Paine,  of  Vermont, 
and  Ichabod  Goodwin,  of  New  Hampshire.  Mr.  Lewis  was  the  Boston 
agent  of  the  Cunard  line  from  1840  to  1857.  Lewis  street  in  East  Boston 
and  Lewis  wharf  were  named  for  him. 

The  Ocean  Steamship  Company  of  New  England  was  the  other  en- 
terprise to  be  ushered  into  public  notice  amid  the  festivities  of  which 
we  have  spoken.  Its  purpose  was  to  build  four  steamships,  to  be  called 
after  well-known  Boston  merchants,  and  its  first  and  only  vessel,  the 
^'.  ^S".  Lewis,  Captain  Cole,  a  propeller  of  1,104  tons  register,  built  in  Phil- 
adelphia, arrived  in  the  harbor  on  the  17th  of  September,  after  a  run 
of  forty-seven  hours  from  Delaware  breakwater.  She  had  a  large 
party  on  board,  including  two  or  three  members  of  the  Vander- 
bilt  famil}',  and  resolutions  were  adopted  speaking  in  terms  of 
praise  of  her  accommodations  and  performances.  wShe  sailed  for  Liver- 
pool October  4,  with  forty-five  cabin  and  twenty  steerage  passengers, 
but,  we  believe,  she  never  made  a  second  voyage  in  this  service.  The 
projectors  of  the  undertaking,  Harnden  &  Company,  the  pioneers  in 
the  express  business  in  the  United  States,  were  brought  to  bankruptcy 
during  the  autumn. 

The  screw  propeller,  as  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  the  Atlantic 
trade,  had  not  yet  passed  beyond  the  experimental  stage.  Captain 
Yor\)Q.^\y\xs\.t\)aQMa5sacJinsctts\\\  1S45,  a  propeller  of  about  seven  hundred 
and  seventy  tons,  and,  in  the  autumn  of  that  year,  with  his  relative, 
Colonel  Perkins,  took  passage  in  her  from  New  York  to  Liverpool ;  but 
she  was  only  what  was  called  an  "  auxiliary  "  steamship,  as  on  her  out- 
ward passage  she  sailed  under  canvas  six  or  seven  days  out  of  the  sev- 
enteen. Her  engines  were  designed  by  Ericsson.  Mr.  William  Inman, 
of  Liverpool,  was  the  first,  not  only  to  foresee  the  possibilities  of  the 
iron  screw  steamer,  but  also  to  realize  them  in  actual  service  ;  and  when 
the  S.  .S".  Lewis  was  building,  he  was  taking  the  initial  steps  towards  the 
establishment  of  the  steamship  line  which  in  a  few  years  held  such  a 
leading  position  in  the  transatlantic  trade.  A  year  or  twf)  later  the 
Cunard  Company  built  the  Alps^  the  Andes ^  the  Jura  and  the  Etna, 
iron  propellers  varying  from  eighteen  hundred  to  twent3'-two  hundred 
tons,  which  brought  large  cargoes  to  Boston.  It  was  not  imtil  18G2  that 
the  compan)^  brought  out  its  first  screw  steamer  for  the  inail  and  pas- 


us  SUFFOLK   CO  UN  FY. 

senger  service, — the  C/nna,  a  fine  ship  of  alx^iit  twenty-six  hundred  tons 
rei^ister.  Her  first  trips  were  made  to  New  York,  but  later  she  was 
placed  on  the  Boston  route. 

Boston  participated  lari^ely  in  the  commercial  activity  created  by  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California  and  Australia  while  it  lasted.  The  clear- 
ances at  this  port  for  those  countries  were:  In  lSo2,  !)S ;  in  1853,  149; 
in  1S5-1,  5!»;  in  1855,  10;  in  1850,  54;  in  1857,  47.  Forty-four  vessels 
were  built  in  and  about  Boston  in  the  year  1855,  with  a  tonnage  amount- 
ing to  45,088;  and  twenty-two  more,  of  27,877  tons,  were  on  the  stocks 
at  the  close  of  the  year.  The  tonnage  owned  in  Boston  in  1855  was 
larger  than  ever  before  or  since — 541, ()44  tons. 

In  1854  the  merchants  of  Boston  organized  again  for  the  purpose  of 
considering,  and,  by  concerted  action,  promoting  measures  for  the  ben- 
fit  of  the  city.  This  time  they  formed  a  Board  of  Trade;  its  objects  and 
methods  were  similar  to  tho.se  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  1830, 
but  it  was  much  more  active  and  aggressive,  and  it  made  its  influence 
felt  far  and  near.  It  issued  a  .series  of  annual  reports  which  contain 
much  information  relating  to  the  trade  and  commerce  both  of  Boston 
and  of  the  country  at  large.  The  first  president  was  Samuel  Lawrence, 
and  he  was  succeeded  by  James  M.  Beebe,  George  B.  Upton,  Edward 
vS.  Tobey,  James  C.  Converse,  George  C.  Richardson,  and  others.  Its 
secretaries  from  1S54  to  1S73  were  Isaac  Chapman  Bates,  Lorenzo 
Sabine,  and  the  writer  of  these  pages.  After  this  the  Board  merged 
itself  in  the  Merchants'  Exchange  and  a  few  years  afterward  ceased  to 
exist.  The  rooms  on  the  corner  of  Bedford  and  Chauncy  streets,  occu- 
pied by  the  Board  from  18(;5  to  1873,  are  now  occupied  by  the  Mer- 
chants" Assoeiation,  which,  in  many  of  its  functions,  may  be  regarded 
as  having  succeeded  to  the  work  of  the  Board. 

The  Boston  Corn  Exchange  was  formed  in  1855  for  the  purpose  of 
regulating  and  promoting  dealings  in  breadstuffs.  Its  first  president 
was  Alpheus  Hardy,  a  merchant  in  the  Mediterranean  trade,  and  a  large 
exporter  of  flour.  In  1871,  for  the  purpose  of  broadening  its  .sphere 
aud  of  bringing  to  its  member.ship  other  branches  of  business,  ])articu- 
larly  the  provision,  fish,  and  salt  interests,  the  organization  changed  its 
name  to  the  Boston  Commercial  Exchange.  In  1885  it  consolidated 
with  the  I5()ston  Produce  Exchange  (incorporated  in  ls77)  under  the 
name  of  tlie  Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and,  as  such,  it  now  repre- 
sents the  general- commercial  interests  of  the  city.  On  tlie  21st  of  Jan- 
uary 181)2,  the  Chamber  dedicated  a  beautiful  building  for  its  u.scs, 
erected  by  the  enterprise  .and  lil)erality  of  the  mcmbershijx 


TRADE  AMD   COMMERCE.  U'J 

In  the  spring  of  1S55  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  incorporated 
Donald  McKay,  George  B.  Upton,  Enoch  Train,  Andrew  T.  Hall,  and 
James  M.  Beebe,  under  the  name  of  the  Boston  and  European  Steam- 
ship Company,  with  a  capital  of  $500,000,  "for  the  purpose  of  navigat- 
ing the  ocean  by  steam. "  The  plan  was  to  build  "a  splendid  line  of 
Atlantic  steamers  rivaling  in  every  respect  the  Collins  line  of  New 
York,"  and  Milford  Haven  was  thought  of  as  the  terminal  i)ort  in  Great 
Britain.  It  was  felt  that  there  should  be  an  American  line  of  steamers 
at  this  port,  under  full  control  here.  The  Cunard  steamers  had  been 
temporarily  withdrawn  from  the  New  York  service,  the  company  hav- 
ing chartered  several  of  its  ships  to  the  British  Government  for  its  use 
in  connection  with  the  Crimean  War;  and  there  was  a  rumor  that  the 
Boston  steamers  were  to  be  withdrawn  also,  but  this  was  contradicted 
by  the  agent,  Mr.  Lewis,  in  a  note  to  the  newspapers  dated  May  15. 
A  public  meeting  was  held  on  the  Exchange,  in  the  interest  of  the  pro- 
posed line,  July  12.  Mr.  George  B.  Upton  presided,  Robert  B.  Forbes, 
James  M.  Beebe,  Charles  G.  Greene  and  Edward  S.  Tobey  were  chosen 
vice-presidents,  and  Vernon  Brown  and  Henry  N.  Hooper,  secretaries. 
Stirring  speeches  were  made  by  George  R.  vSampson,  Elias  H.  Derby, 
Enoch  Train,  and  others.  Mr.  Sampson  referred  to  the  Canadian  tran- 
sit trade,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently,  which,  he  said,  had  grown 
from  $24,000  in  1849  to  $5,424,000  in  1854,  and  which,  at  certain  sea- 
sons of  the  year,  furnished  half  the  lading  of  the  Cunard  steamers  on 
their  passage  to  the  westward.  Mr.  Train  said:  "  It  had  been  thought 
that  he  would  oppose  the  line  as  antagonistic  to  his  own.  He  should 
do  no  such  thing.  There  is  a  vast  difference  between  steam  and  sail- 
ing vessels,  and  steam  would  not  interfere  with  his  regular  business — 
the  transportation  of  coarse  and  weighty  commodities  and  passengers 
who  could  not  afford  the  luxiiry  of  a  steam  passage.  He  would,  in- 
stead of  opposing  the  proposed  line,  lend  it  the  strength  of  his  right 
arm.  Boston,  though  the  principal  commercial  city  of  New  England, 
had  never  yet  owned  a  proper,  hard-weather,  sea-going  steamship. 
Our  capitalists  have  done  much  in  building  up  manufacturing  towns. 
Here  was  another  enterprise  that  demanded  their  consideration." 

Mr.  Derby,  in  addressing  the  meeting,  predicted  that  steam  would  at 
no  distant  day  supersede  canvas  in  the  commerce  of  the  world.  Mr. 
McKay  exhibited  a  model  of  the  pioneer  steamer  of  the  proposed  line; 
it  was  to  be  called  the  Cradle  of  Liberty,  and  was  to  cross  the  Atlantic 
in  six  days.      A  series  of  resolutions  was  adopted,  and,  on  the  nomina- 


150  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

tion  of  a  committee  of  three,  a  large  committee  to  solicit  subscriptions 
was  chosen,  consisting  of  the  following  business  men :  Robert  B.  Forbes, 
George  B.  Upton,  Enoch  Train,  George  Baty  Blake,  JSamuel  Hooper, 
William  H.  Bordman,  William  Perkins,  Isaac  Rich,  Andrew  T.  Hall, 
James  M.  Beebe,  Francis  Skinner,  William  F.  Weld,  James  Lawrence, 
James  vSturgis,  J.  Bowdoin  Bradles,  George  R.  vSampson,  Nathaniel  H. 
Emmons,  William  B.  Bacon,  William  Amory,  G.  Howland  vShaw,  John 
H.  Pearson,  William  T.  Glidden,  William  B.  Reynolds,  Hamilton  A. 
Hill,  Charles  Bockus,  Adam  W.  Thaxter,  jr.,  Ammi  C.  Lombard,  Don- 
ald McKay,  Frederic  W.  Thayer,  William  Bramhall,  Edward  S.  Tobey, 
Ezra  H.  Baker,  Israel  Whitney,  Edward  D^  Brigham,  William  S.  Bul- 
lard,  Vernon  Brown.  The  following  were  afterward  added  to  the 
committee,  the  first  three  being  presidents  of  insurance  companies: 
Thomas  C.  vSmith,  Joseph  H.  Adams,  Charles  W.  Cartwright,  David 
Snow,  Thomas  Nickerson,  Isaac  Taylor.  Here  the  matter  ended, 
and  we  can  now  see  that  it  was  well  that  it  went  no  further.  Great 
changes  in  ocean  steam  navigation  were  imminent;  and  the  Col- 
lins line,  on  which  the  new  line  was  to  be  modeled,  was  even  then  seri- 
ously embarrassed,  and  went  into  bankruptcy  a  year  later.  Mr.  Train 
also,  not  long  after  this,  became  seriously  involved,  and  a  new  firm, 
Thayer  &  Warren,  undertook  to  build  upon  the  foundations  which  he 
had  laid  with  so  much  ability  and  foresight. 

In  connection  with  the  tariff  of  lS4(i  Mr.  Robert  J.  Walker,  secretary 
of  the  treasury,  established  the  present  warehouse  system,  copied  in 
most  of  its  details  from  that  which  had  proved  so  beneficial  to  the  for- 
eign commerce  of  Great  Britain  and  France.  Under  this  system  mer- 
chandise might  be  carried  under  bond  and  seal  ///  transitu  through  the 
territory  of  the  United  vStates  between  Great  Britain  and  the  Canadas; 
and  on  the  completion  of  the  Northern  New  England  Railroads  Boston 
became  the  most  eligible  port  for  this  transit  trade.  In  tlie  year  1S51 
the  invoice  cost  of  the  merchandise  arriving  here  from  Europe  for  Can- 
ada was  about  six  hundred  thousand  dollars ;  in  1852,  two  millions;  and 
iu  the  years  ISo:)  to  1S5(;,  about  fivemilHons  annually.  After  ISoTthis 
trade  was  largely  diverted  to  Portland  under  an  arrangement  by  which 
the  Allan  Steam.ship  Company  and  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  Company 
issued  through  bills  of  lading  from  Liveri:)0()l  to  all  jiarts  of  British 
North  America.  The  commercial  relations  of  Boston  with  its  provin- 
cial neighbors  were  most  intimate  and  satisfactory  at  this  time,  under 
the   operation   of    the    Reciprocity  Treaty   of   1854,  the   ])roduct   of  the 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  151 

labors  after  long  years  of  negotiation  of  such  statesmen  as  INIr.  Webster 
and  Mr.  Marcy,  Sir  Henry  Bnlwer  and  Lord  Elgin.  The  following 
estimate  of  this  treaty  is  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Sabine,  who  was  one  of 
the  best  authorities  of  that  day  on  all  questions  bearing  upon  our  trade 
with  the 'Canadas  and  the  fisheries: 

"At  the  dismemberment  of  the  British  Empire,  in  1783,  it  was 
proposed  to  allow  the  United  States  to  participate  in  the  trade  of  the 
remaining  colonies  in  this  hemisphere,  on  terms  of  equality  with  the 
mother  country ;  but  the  English  merchants,  who  enjoyed  that  trade  in 
monopoly,  were  alarmed,  and  defeated  the  measure.  Two  years  after, 
our  first  minister  at  the  Court  of  St.  James  was  instructed  to  renew 
the  proposition,  and  was  curtly  answered  that  it  could  not  be  admitted 
even  as  a  subject  of  negotiation.  A  third  effort  was  made  in  1789,  with 
no  better  success;  and,  from  that  period  down  to  the  year  1822,  the 
colonial  ports  were  fast  closed  against  our  flag  save  under  certain  de- 
fined restrictions.  Retaliation  on  our  part  followed  from  time  to  time, 
and,  in  the  end,  the  legislation  both  of  Parliament  and  Congress  became 
utterly  barbarous.  If  wiser  counsels  occasionally  prevailed,  or  were 
about  to  prevail,  the  controversies  which  arose  between  the  two  govern- 
ments as  to  the  intent  of  the  laws  passed  by  the  c;ne  or  the  other,  in 
the  spirit  of  concession,  became  so  bitter,  finally,  as  to  produce  re- 
straints greater  than  ever  before.  Nor  was  it  until  the  '  McLane  Ar- 
rangement,' so  called,  in  1830,  that  any  change  of  moment  occurred, 
or  that  a  direct  and  free  intercourse  was  permanently  allowed.  In  the 
twenty-four  years  that  followed  the  '  Arrangement, '  the  increase  of  the 
colonies  in  commerce,  navigation,  wealth,  and  happiness,  \vas  very 
considerable  The  Reciprocity  Treaty  is  the  crowning  measure  of  the 
wise  and  humane  policy  adopted  in  1830.  How  marked  the  change  ! 
In  place  of  alienation  and  hatred,  of  ports  barred  and  bolted,  the  people 
of  the  colonies  and  the  United  States,  joined  in  bonds  of  amity  deal 
with  one  another  at  will;  exchange  without  customs  even,  'the  wealth 
of  the  seas,'  and  the  principal  raw  staples  of  the  soil ;  mingle,  as  if  of  the 
same  nation,  on  all  the  sea  fishing  grounds ;  and,  as  if  of  the  same  na- 
tion too,  use  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  canals  which  connect  it  with 
the  most  distant  of  the  great  lakes." 

To  the  great  damage  of  New  England,  this  treaty  was  abrogated  in 
18<J5  by  the  action  of  the  government  of  the  United  States,  for  political 
reasons  chiefly. 

The  Calcutta  trade  of  Boston  reached  the  point  of  its  greatest  devel- 
opment in  the  years  1850  to  1850  inclusive.      We  have  seen  that  in   the 


152  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

year  18(H)  twelve  vessels  were  loaded  at  Caleiitta  in  one  season  for  the 
United  States,  with  cargoes  valued  altogether  at  iibout  $2, 400, 000. 
These  cargoes  consisted  chiefly  of  cotton  and  silk  manufactures.  In 
lS-10  twenty-one  vessels  arrived  with  Calcutta  cargoes,  amounting  in 
quantity  to  seventeen  thousand  tons,  and  in  value  (first  cost  and  freight 
money,)  to  $1,250,000.  The  tonnage  had  increased  but  the  value  had 
been  reduced  by  one-half,  owing  to  the  change  in  the  character  of  the 
goods  imported.  The  trade  steadily  increased  imtil,  in  1857,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-two  ships  were  loaded  at  Calcutta  for  the  United 
States,  carrying  180,2(37  tons,  valued  at  $17,000,000.  Of  this  tonnage 
more  than  seventy-five  per  cent,  came  to  Boston,  and  the  freight  money 
earned  on  it  was  estimated  at  two  million  dollars.  The  arrivals  in  Bos- 
ton for  the  four  years  mentioned  above  were:  185(j,  78  ships,  110, Ho 
tons;  1857,  !JG  ships,  147,131  tons;  1858,  5'J  ships,  8(J,013  tons;  185!), 
81  ships,  141,825  tons.  From  and  after  185!)  New  York  began  to  gain 
upon  Boston;  but  it  was  not  until  18(J7  that  the  tons  imported  at  the 
former  city  actually  exceeded  the  importation  here. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  changes  which  take  place  in  trade  in 
the  course  of  time.  We  have  another  instance  in  the  history  of  the  im- 
portation of  gunny-bags  and  gunny-cloth.  In  1840  the  quantity  was 
less  than  five  thousand  bales;  in  185(1  it  was  ninety  thousand  bales;  in 
185'.),  eighty-seven  thousand;  in  18()0,  eighty-eight  thousand;  and  in 
1807,  eighty-six  thousand.  Since  then  the  importation  has  almost  en- 
tirely ceased.  It  was  estimated,  before  the  war,  that  seventy-five  per 
cent,  of  the  goods  imported  from  Calcutta  at  Bostc^n  was  shipped  again 
coastwise,  and  upon  this,  of  course,  freight  money  was  earned  by  our 
shipowners  a  second  time. 

The  most  prominent  and  best  informed,  although  not  the  largest, 
merchant  in  the  Calcutta  trade,  early  in  the  century,  was  Mr.  Henry 
Lee,  of  whom  we  have  already  had  occasion  to  speak.  He  lived  in 
Calcutta  for  several  years,  and  established  friendly  relations  with  the 
great  English  houses  there,  which  were  continued  by  correspondence 
after  his  return  to  this  country ;  Captain  Ozias  Goodwin  sailed  in  his 
employ,  and,  afterward,  became  hjs  partner;  and,  later,  he  took  as 
partners  Mr.  William  vS.  Bullard,  and  his  son,  Mr.  Henry  Lee,  jr.,  who 
carried  on  the  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Bullard,  Lee  &  Com- 
pany, and  who,  happily,  still  survive  as  these  pages  are  passing 
through  the  press.  Other  memljcrs  of  his  family  and  several  members 
of  the  Cabot  family  were  also  engaged  in  the  Calcutta  trade ;  and  we 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  153 

may  mention  also,  in  this  connection,  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  Thomas  Wig'- 
glesworth,  Samuel  and  Edward  Austin,  Ingersoll  Bowditch,  John  L. 
Gardner,  Israel  Whitney,  Nathaniel  and  Benjamin  Goddard,  Benjamin 
A.  Gould  and  Mackay  &  Coolidge. 

Some  of  the  principal  merchants  and  shipowners  in  Boston,  in  the 
years  immediately  preceding-  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  besides  those 
already  mentioned,  were,  Robert  G.  vShaw  &  Company,  William  F. 
Weld  &  Company,  Bordman  &  Pope,  vSarapson  &  Tappan,  Glidden  6i: 
Williams,  Andrew  Cunningham,  John  M.  Forbes,  William  Perkins, 
Bramhall  &  Howe,  Alpheus  Hardy,  Howes  &  Crowell,  George  Hallett, 
Thomas  Nickerson,  George  C.  Lord  &  Company,  Phineas  Sprague 
&  Company,  Snow  &  Rich,  Thomas  B.  Wales  &  Company,  Reed  Sc 
Wade,  Bates  &  Company  and  Isaac  Taylor.  As  the  shipping  interest 
declined,  many  of  these  merchants  transferred  their  capital  to  trans- 
portation enterprises  on  the  land,  and  were  successful  as  the  projectors, 
builders  or  managers  of  some  of  the  great  railway  lines  of  the  country. 

In  1858  a  steamship  line  was  projected  by  Mr.  John  Orrell  Lever 
and  others,  of  Manchester,  to  connect  the  port  of  Galway  with  New 
York  and  Boston,  by  way  of  vSt.  John's,  Newfoundland.  This  was  be- 
fore the  transatlantic  steamers  began  to  call  regularly  at  Irish  ports. 
Partly  for  political  considerations,  and  partly  on  the  theory  that  much 
of  the  Irish  traffic  with  America  would  take  the  direct  route,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  instead  of  crossing  the  channel  to  Liverpool,  the  British 
government  agreed  to  give  to  the  new  company  as  liberal  a  subsidy, 
proportionately  to  the  service  to  be  performed,  as  it  was  paying  to  Mr. 
Cunard  and  his  associates.  Galway  remitted  all  port,  harbor  and  pilot 
dues;  and  through-traffic  arrangements  were  made  with  the  principal 
places  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  with  North  Sea  ports.  The  report 
of  the  Boston  Board  of  Trade  of  185!)  contains  all  the  correspondence 
which  passed  during  the  summer  of  1858  between  the  secretary,  Mr. 
Sabine,  and  Mr.  Lever,  in  reference  to  the  facilities  which  might  be 
offered  here.  A  pioneer  steamer,  the  Indian  Empire,  was  dispatched 
from  Galway  to  New  York  in  July,  and  a  second,  the  Propeller,  arrived 
in  Boston  in  September;  but  the  first  vessel  built  by  the  company,  the 
Connaiight,  a  large  paddle-wheel  steamer,  did  not  make  her  appearance 
in  Boston  until  August,  bSdO.  She  was  advertised  as  of  forty-four 
hundred  tons,  but  was  probabl}'  not  nearly  so  large,  and  was  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  Leinster,  the  Munster,  and  the  lister.  These  names 
were  changed  to  the  Hibernia,  the  Coliunbia,  and  the  A)iglia.     On  her 

20 


154  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

second  voyaj^e  to  Boston,  in  the  autumn  of  1800,  the  CoJUiaugJit  was 
lost,  three  hundred  miles  from  Cape  Cod,  most  fortunately  without  any 
sacrifice  of  life,  althou<j;h  she  had  nearly  five  hundred  passengers  on 
board.  The  Ilibcniia  was  so  completely  disabled  in  a  gale  which  she 
encountered  on  her  way  from  the  Tyne  to  Galway,  that  she  never  en- 
tered the  service  at  all.  The  third  ship  of  the  line,  the  Columbia,  made 
one  trip  to  Boston,  arriving  here  April  27,  1801,  after  a  passage  of  nine- 
teen days  from  Galway  by  way  of  St.  John's  and  Halifax.  We  doubt 
whether  the  Anglia  was  ever  built;  biit,  in  18(51,  the  company  bought 
the  Collins  Company's  fine  ship,  the  Adriatic,  which  made  the  run 
to  vSt.  John's  in  six  days,  the  only  instance  in  which  the  contract  with 
the  government  was  kept  as  to  time.  The  company  sent  the  paddle- 
wheel  steamer  Parana  to  New  York  in  1800,  and  the  screw-steamer 
Prince  Albert  in  1801 ;  but  it  did  not  long  survive.  It  lacked  every  re- 
quisite for  success.  Its  capital  consisted  largely  of  promises  on  paper; 
its  managers  had  from  the  first  shown  themselves  to  be  utterly  incom- 
petent; it  did  not  keep  faith  with  the  government,  whose  mistaken  lib- 
erality had  helped  to  bring  it  into  existence;  and  it  injured  the  purse  or 
the  reputation  of  every  one  who  had  any  prominent  connection  with  it. 
The  commercial  prosperity  of  Boston,  under  the  old  order  of  things, 
reached  its  high  water  mark  in  1850  and  1857.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
the  country  at  large  had  prospered  greatly  under  the  tariff  of  1840;  its 
foreign  commerce  and  its  domestic  industries  had  been  growing  side 
by  side,  in  healthful  competition ;  and  the  marvelous  gain  it  had  made 
in  shipbuilding,  and  in  the  ocean  carrying  trade  of  the  globe,  seemed 
likely  to  go  on  indefinitely.  In  all  this,  Boston  had  participated  to  its 
full  vshare;  and,  in  addition,  it  had  been  greatly  benefited  by  its  system 
of  railroad  communication,  and  by  the  operation  of  the  Reciprocity 
Treaty  of  1854.  vSo,  too,  in  common  with  the  rest  of  the  country, 
Boston  suffered  from  the  financial  reverses  of  1857;  but  there  were 
local  influences  which  prokniged  and  aggravated  the  eft'ect  of  these 
reverses  here,  as  compared  with  some  of  the  other  cities  on  the  sea- 
board. The  Calcutta  trade,  in  which  Boston  was  especially  interested, 
had  been  overdone;  and  a  reaction  in  the  shipbuilding  industry'  of  New 
England,  having  its  center  here,  was  inevitable,  after  the  impulse  it 
had  received  from  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  and  Avistralia, 
and  the  demand  for  shipping  created  by  the  Crimean  War.  All  this, 
however,  was  only  what  might  have  been  expected,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  other  circumstances,  would  not  have  been  permanently  disastrous. 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  155 

It  was  at  this  jiincturc  that  Boston  began  to  find  itself  unable  to  hold 
its  own  as  against  the  strong  competing  force  of  New  York,  and  for 
reasons  for  which  its  own  citizens  were  responsible.  The  establish- 
ment of  branch  commission  houses  in  New  York  for  the  sale  of  the 
manufactured  dry  goods  of  this  part  of  New  England  was  a  heavy  blow 
to  Boston.  The  movement  began  in  1846,  and  a  few  years  later  there 
were  nineteen  of  these  Boston  houses  in  New  York,  and  their  aggre- 
gate sales  amounted  to  twenty-five  millions  of  dollars  a  year.  The 
reason  assigned  for  the  change  was  the  greater  facility  for  shipping  to 
the  wSouth  and  West  which  New  York  then  offered ;  but  there  is  no 
question  that  some  of  the  houses  who  were  the  first  in  the  movement 
wanted  the  use  of  more  money  than  the  Boston  banks  were  able  or 
willing  to  advance  to  them.  The  Boston  Board  of  Trade  made  a  vigor- 
ous effort  to  abolish  the  system  of  branch  houses,  and  to  recall  the 
trade  to  Boston,  but  without  success.  In  an  able  report  on  the  subject 
it  said:  "  Unless  we  mistake,  had  some  of  the  parent  houses  seen  the 
consequences,  the  step  would  not  have  been  taken ;  and  unless,  too,  we 
greatly  err,  some  of  them  would  now  [December,  185S]  gladly  abolish 
the  system  could  all  be  induced  to  come  into  the  measure."  Reference 
was  made  in  the  report  to  the  oil  trade  at  New  Bedford,  the  fish  trade 
at  Gloucester,  and  the  Calcutta  trade  in  Boston,  as  instances  of  the  suc- 
cessful maintenance  of  the  system  of  home  sales  and  the  avoidance  of 
the  "uncertainties,  expenses,  and  losses"  of  sales  or  consignments 
abroad. 

But  the  most  striking  illustration  on  the  subject  was  drawn  from  the 
boot  and  .shoe  trade,  the  "vigor  and  stability"  of  which,  it  was  said, 
"are  attributable  mainly  to  the  adoption  of  the  plan  of  sales  at 
home."  Before  1825  this  trade  had  only  a  feeble  and  flickering  exist- 
ence ;  it  was  insignificant  in  amount  and  unremunerative  in  its  results. 
"  The  custom  of  the  manufacti:rers  was  to  send  their  goods  after  pur- 
chasers, and  to  incur  the  expenses  and  risks  incident  to  that  practice ; 
and  it  turned  out  that  the  majority  of  them  failed  as  often  as  once  in 
every  seven  years.  At  this  period  the  whole  bu.siness  in  Massachusetts 
could  hardly  have  been  estimated  by  millions  of  dollars,  and  nearly  the 
entire  sale  was  made  by  consignments  to  southern  and  western  markets. 
But  about  the  year  1830  an  important  change  in  this  particular  was 
commenced :  the  plan  of  foreign  sales  through  branch  houses  or  by 
consignments  was  verj'  generally  abandoned,  and  the  policy  of  selling 
exclusively  at  our  own  warehouses,  and  of  limiting  the  manufacture  to 


lr,f;  SUFFOLK  CO  UN  TV. 

the  demand,  was  substituted.  Durinj^-  the  seven  years  that  foHowed, 
and  until  the  oreat  erisis  of  1837,  the  business  was  very  prosperous, 
and  rose  in  amount  to  fourteen  millions  of  dollars  per  annum ;  and  if 
it  did  not  entirely  escape  the  memorable  revulsion  of  that  year,  yet 
most  of  the  important  shoe  houses  that  suspended  in  this  city  finally 
recovered  and  paid  their  oblio-ations  in  full.  New  York,  on  the  other 
hand,  presented  a  striking-  contrast.  There  were  then  in  that  city 
twenty-five  wholesale  boot  and  shoe  houses  that  received  their  supplies 
chiefly  from  Massachusetts.  Of  these,  twenty-four  failed,  and  from 
their  failure  came  nearly  all  the  embarrassments  which  the  business  in 
this  vState  experienced;  .  .  .  few,  if  any,  paid  in  full,  and  many  of 
them  made  but  triflino-  dividends.  .  .  ,  Since  IS:)?  the  trade  has 
rapidlv  increased  in  Massachusetts,  and  at  the  present  time  amounts  to 
more  than  fifty  millicHis  of  dollars  per  annum.  Its  stability  may  be 
seen  by  the  circumstance  that  during-  the  unparalleled  revulsion  of  1857 
not  a  single  honse  of  high  standino-  in  Boston  stopped  payment." 

The  report  from  which  we  have  quoted  was  approved  by  the  Board 
of  Trade,  and  so  much  interest  was  felt  in  the  subject  of  which  it 
treated  that  it  was  presented  at  a  meeting  of  gentlemen  called  for 
the  purpose  at  the  rooms  of  the  Massachusetts  Hospital  Life  Insurance 
Company,  and,  on  motion  of  Mr.  David  vSears,  it  was  approved,  and 
the  Board  was  asked  to  print  and  circulate  it.  A  second  meeting  was 
held  in  the  same  place  two  days  later,  in  which  Messrs.  William  Apple- 
ton,-  Thomas  G.  Gary,  William  T.  Andrews  and  Albert  Fearing  took 
part,  and  it  was  again  voted,  "that  the  reasonings  and  recommendations 
of  the  report  meet  the  approval  of  this  meeting."  As  we  have  already 
intimated,  the  eff^ort  to  close  the  branch  houses  in  New  York  and  to 
recall  this  errant  trade  to  Boston  was  unsuccessful. 

Boston  suffered  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking  for  another 
reason,  and  for  this  again  it  had  itself  chiefly  to  blame.  It  was  the  first 
seaboard  city  to  become  the  key  to  an  extended  system  of  railway  com- 
munication; unfortunately,  however,  this  system  after  a  few  years  was 
"arrested  "  in  its  development,  to  use  a  scientific  expression,  and  not 
only  made  no  advance  with  the  times,  but  was  allowed  to  lapse  into 
retrogression.  All  the  railroad  lines  starting  from  Boston  were  short, 
and  we  had  no  trunk  routes  under  our  control.  The  Boston  and  Wor- 
cester aud  the  Western  Railroad  Companies,  which  together  furnished 
the  direct  means  of  communication  with  the  West,  were  always  at  cross 
puri)oscs  with  each  other.      The   former  had   no  track   connection  with 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  15^ 

tidewater,  and  the  latter,  until  1865,  had  no  brido^e  aeross  the  Hudson 
River,  and  was  only  partially  double-tracked.  All  merchandise,  whether 
passino-  east  or  west,  had  to  be  handled  and  transhipped  at  Albany,  at 
a  serious  cost  of  money  and,  .what  was  of  more  importance,  of  time ; 
the  delays  there  in  the  spring-  of  the  year  were  often  most  disastrous. 
While  the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  in  the  interest  of  the  port  of 
New  York,  increased  its  rolling  stock  threefold  during  the  decade,  1H55 
to  18G5,  the  Western  Railroad,  supposed  to  be  managed  in  the  interest 
of  the  port  of  Boston,  added  to  its  freight  cars  in  the  same  period  about 
twelve  and  a  half  per  cent.  It  appeared  also,  in  evidence  before  a 
legislative  committee  in  ISGG,  that  the  Worcester  Railroad  Company  had 
not  added  a  single  freight  car  to  its  rolling  stock  for  through  business 
in  twenty  years,  and  that  the  through  traffic  from  Albany  to  Boston 
was  a  trifle  less  in  1865  than  it  had  been  in  18-17.  Under  these  circum- 
stances it  was  impossible  for  the  export  trade  of  the  city  to  grow. 
This  amounted  in  1857  to  $28,326,918;  the  next  year  it  fell  off  one - 
third,  and  it  was  not  until  1873  that  the  figures  of  1857  were  again 
reached.  Such  legislation  was  enacted  in  1867  as  compelled  the  Wor- 
cester Railroad  Company,  which  had  been  the  reluctant  party,  to  enter 
into  a  consolidation  with  its  connecting  line,  the  Western ;  and  after 
the  long-desired  union  had  been  arranged,  a  better  state  of  things  be- 
gan at  once.  In  1868  the  double  track  between  Boston  and  Albany 
was  completed,  and  a  connection  was  perfected  with  the  wharves  at 
East  Boston;  and  in  1870  an  elevator  for  grain  was  erected  on  these 
wharves  with  a  capacity  which  was  afterward  increased  to  a  million 
bushels. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  18()8,  the  Cunard  Steamship  Company 
withdrew  its  mail  steamers  from  Boston,  after  an  uninterrupted  service 
from  Liverpool  by  way  of  Halifax  to  this  port  of  nearly  twenty-eight 
years.  The  company  was  feeling  the  competition  of  other  transatlantic 
lines  at  the  port  of  New  York  and  thought  it  expedient  to  concentrate 
its  best  energies  there.  Its  subsidy  from  the  British  government,  also, 
was  being  steadily  diminished,  and  it  was  necessary  for  it  to  obtain  full 
cargoes  for  its  passages  to  the  eastward,  which,  while  it  employed  onl}- 
or  chiefly  paddle-wheel  steamers,  and  while  its  mail  contract  was  large, 
it  had  cared  little  or  nothing  for.  For  such  vessels  as  the  China.,  the 
Cuba,  and  the  Java — screw-propellers — return  cargoes  were  indispensa- 
ble, and,  as  we  have  just  shown,  Boston  was  not  in  a  position  at  this 
time  to  furnish  them.      Railroad  connections  were  becoming  closer  and 


1,18  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

more  direct,  and  terminal  conveniences  on  a  broad  scale  were  in  pro- 
cess of  construction ;  but  these  improvements  for  the  purposes  of  the 
Cimard  Company  came  rather  late.  The  company  continued  to  send 
caro'o  steainers  here,  but  they  proceeded  to  New  York  to  complete 
their  unloading-  and  to  load  for  Liverpool  direct. 

In  the  same  year,  1808,  an  effort  to  establish  a  line  of  steamers 
between  Boston  and  Liverpool  failed  disastrously,  and  it  .seemed 
as  though  the  foreign  trade  of  the  port  which,  in  various  ways, 
had  been  declining  for  several  years,  woiild  soon  cease  to  exist  at  all. 
The  American  Steamship  Company  was  organized  under  a  legislative 
charter  in  July,  1804.  Its  board  of  directors  inckided  many  merchants 
and  business  men  of  high  standing,  such  as  Edward  S.  Tobey,  Osborn 
Howes,  William  Perkins,  James  L.  Little,  Avery  Plumer,  George  C. 
Richardson,  Chester  W.  Chapin  and  others.  It  raised  by  subscriptions 
to  its  capital  stock  nearly  one  million  dolhirs,  and  l)y  bonds  three  or 
four  htnidred  thousand  dollars  more.  It  built  two  fine  wooden  screw 
steamers,  of  three  thousand  tons  each,  the  Eric  and  the  Ontario;  but, 
with  all  the  money  it  had  procured,  the  company  could  l)arely  pay  the 
first  cost  of  these  ships,  and  had  nothing  left  with  which  to  meet  cur- 
rent expenses,  or  to  begin  the  construction  of  two  more  vessels,  which 
were  needed  to  form  a  bi-weekly  line.  After  two  or  three  trips,  the 
steamers  were  laid  up  in  ordinary  for  a  time;  and  when  they  were  dis- 
posed of,  and  the  company  wound  up  its  affairs,  there  was  a  total  loss. 

It  should  be  said,  however,  that  the  labors  of  the  American  Steam- 
ship Company,  protracted  during  four  or  five  years,  were  not  in  vain ; 
and  what  it  accomplished  indirectly  was  worth  to  the  community,  per- 
haps, all  the  pecuniary  loss  to  which  the  stockholders  had  been  sub- 
jected. It  aroused  the  people  to  the  general  importance  of  ocean 
steam  navigation  ;  it  stimulated  the  railroad  companies  to  the  exten- 
sions and  improvements  which  have  been  referred  to;  it  inspired  the 
local  press  with  new  spirit  in  its  utterances  upon  all  business  questions; 
and  it  was  the  first  to  fix  the  attention  of  the  West  upon  what  Boston 
might  do,  and  was  about  to  attempt,  as  an  export  city.  At  its  instance, 
representatives  from  the  commercial  bodies  of  Detroit,  Chicago,  Mil- 
waukee, Cincinnati,  and  vSt.  Louis,  came  to  Boston  in  the  month  of 
June,  18r),5,  and  to  them  the  ca])al)iHties  of  the  port,  and  the  far-reach- 
ing plans  of  our  more  ])rogressive  Inisiness  men  were  carefully  explained. 
All  this  effort  was  of  no  advantage  to  the  company  in  whose  esjiecial 
beliair  it  was  put  forth;   but  it  made  it  not   onl\'  possilile,  but   easy,  for 


^i^^^ 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  151) 

other  steamship   Hnes  to  establish  themselves  here.      They  have  since 
been  reaping  where  others  had  sown. 

Before  passing  from  the  review  of  the  period  from  1857-58  to  1807- 
08,  we  would  say  that  it  was  only  in  its  foreign  trade,  or  a  portion  of  it, 
that  Boston  for  the  time  failed  to  advance,  or  even  to  hold  its  own. 
The  imports  fell  from  $44,840,083,  in  1857,  to  $2:5,1)57,021,  in  1802,  and 
to  $24,540,41)4,  in  1S05.  In  1807 , they  exceeded  the  figures  of  1857, 
although  in  1808  the}"  declined  somewhat.  The  exports  of  domestic 
merchandise  fell  from  $24,81)4,019,  in  1857,  to  $12,183,040,  in  1802, 
and  in  1808  their  vakie  was  only  $15,090,873.  But  during  most  of  this 
time  other  branches  of  business  were  doing  well,  and  the  general  pros- 
perity of  the  city  was  very  considerable.  The  taxable  valuation  ad- 
vanced from  $254,714,100,  in  1858,  to  $493,573,700,  in  1808.  How 
much  of  this  increase  was  due  to  the  inflation  of  the  currency,  we  will 
not  attempt  to  decide ;  but,  after  making  all  proper  allowance  for  this 
disturbing  influence,  we  think  that  there  was  still  a  substantial  ad- 
vance. 

In  1809  Mr.  James  Alexander  was  sent  froin  Glasgow  as  the  agent  of 
the  Cunard  Company  in  Boston.  He  at  once  put  himself  in  communi- 
cation with  the  officers  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  and  with  others  compe- 
tent to  give  him  full  and  correct  information,  and  after  much  corres- 
pondence with  his  principals,  he  induced  them  to  attempt  the  loading 
of  two  or  three  of  their  cargo  steamers  at  Boston  for  Liverpool  di- 
rect. This  was  done  in  1870.  The  Palmyra  sailed  September  22,  being 
the  first  departure  of  a  steamship  to  Liverpool  since  the  Africa  left  the 
port  on  the  1st  of  January,  1808.  Other  vessels  followed  the  Palmyra 
at  irregular  intervals,  but  on  the  8th  of  April,  1871,  the  Siberia  sailed 
as  the  first  of  a  regular  line.  The  Boston  and  Albany  Railroad  Com- 
pany co-operated  cordially  with  the  steamship  company  and  joined  it  in 
some  large  purchases  of  grain,  which  at  the  outset  it  was  necessary  to 
make  in  order  to  insure  full  cargoes  for  the  ships.  The  exports  of  do- 
mestic merchandise  which  for  the  year  ended  June  30,  1871,  were 
$12,901,291  advanced  in  the  next  fiscal  year  to  $21,443,154,  and  steadily 
increased  year  by  year.  Owing  to  the  completeness  of  the  arrange- 
ments at  East  Boston  the  foreign  immigration  at  this  port  also  made 
a  decided  advance,  increasing  from  15,128  in  1808,  to  31,042,  in  1873; 
and  again,  after  a  falling  off^  here  in  common  with  the  other  seaboard 
cities,  to  33,02(j  in  1880.  In  the  winter  of  1879-80  the  Cunard  Com- 
pany suspended  its  trips  to  Boston  for  a  time,  and  its  future  policy  with 


160  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

reference  to  this  port  seemed  to  be  cjiiite  undetermined.  A  year  or  two 
later  it  resumed  its  business  here  on  something  like  the  old-time  basis, 
and  placed  vessels  upon  the  route  with  comfortable  passenger  accom- 
modations as  well  as  large  capacity  for  cargo.  With  these  it  has  main- 
tained weekly  sailings  between  Liverpool  and  Boston  as  against  its  bi- 
weekly sailings  previous  to  1808.  The  BotJinia  and  Scytliia^  which  now 
come  to  Boston,  are  four  times  the  size  of  the  BritiDuiia  and  her  sister 
ships;  and  the  CcpJialonia  and  Pavoiiia,  which,  we  believe,  were  ex- 
pressly built  for  the  Boston  trade,  are  not  only  live  times  as  large  as 
the  Britainiia  but  twice  as  large  as  the  Cuba  ^Vidjava,  the  withdrawal 
of  which  from  our  port  was  regarded  as  such  a  misfortune  a  quarter  of  a 
century  ago. 

The  successors  of  Enoch  Train  &  Company — Thayer  &  Warren, 
afterward  Warren  &  Company — were  among  the  earliest  to  appreciate 
the  commercial  importance  of  iron  screw  steamers,  and  they  gradually 
substitvited  them  for  sailing  vessels  in  the  Boston  and  Liverpool  trade. 
Through  their  English  house  they  were  in  a  very  favorable  position  for 
engaging  all  such  steamers  as  they  required,  having  abundant  room  for 
freight  and  steerage  passengers.  The  first  steamers  of  this  line  pro- 
ceeded from  Boston  to  other  ports  to  obtain  return  cargoes,  but  as  soon 
as  the  conditions  here  made  it  practicable  they  went  back  to  Liverpool 
direct.  The  carrying  capacity  of  the  ships  has  increased  since  1800 
from  fifteen  hundred  to  nearly  five  thousand  tons;  and  this  increase  is 
represented  in  its  different  stages  by  the  names  of  the  Propoutis,  the 
Bosphoriis,  the  Miniusota,  the  Victoria.,  the  hnca^  the  Missouri.,  the 
Kansas,  and  the  Ottoman.  The  Warren  line  may  be  regarded  as  in 
fact  a  Boston  line,  although  its  ships  have  always  borne  the  British 
flag. 

In  the  winter  of  IST^-iv)  the  Inman  line  was  disposed  to  have  a  share 
in  the  growing  business  of  the  port,  and  sent  the  City  of  Boston  here, 
as  a  pioneer,  on  her  way  to  New  York ;  on  her  return  trip  to  Liverpool 
this  steamer  called  at  Halifax,  and  then  proceeded  on  her  way  never  to 
be  heard  froni  again.  This  was  a  sad  discouragement  to  begin  with. 
Then  the  shipments  consigned  to  Boston  were  smaller  than  had  been 
anticipated  by  the  company  ;  the  steamers  were  slow  and  were  detained 
by  their  call  at  Halifax,  so  that  importers  preferred  to  bring  their  goods 
by  faster  v^essels  coming  direct.  Other  considerations  had  weight  and 
the  service  was  abandoned  after  a  few  months. 

The  Messrs.  Leyland,  i)roprietors  for  many  years  of  a  line  between 
Liverpool  and  the  Mediterranean,  arranged  to  send  some  of  their  ships 


TRADE  AND   COMMERCE.  101 

to  Boston  in  the  spring  of  187(J.  The  service  was  fortnightly  at  Hrst, 
but  was  made  a  weekly  one  in  January,  1878.  It  began  with  the 
Bavarian,  the  Batavian  and  the  Bo/uvniaii,  and  the  Istriaii^  the  Illyrian 
and  the  Iberian.  The  Virginian  and  the  Valcncian  came  out  a  few 
yeai's  later,  and  they  have  been  followed  by  the  Lancastrian,  the  Colum- 
bian, the  Bostonian,  and  the  Georgian.  The  weight  capacity  of  their 
present  steamers  is  fifty-five  hundred  tons,  not  including  coal,  and  the 
space  for  cargo  under  deck  is  estimated  at  eight  thousand  tons  meas- 
urement. The  Bohemian  was  lost  on  the  Irish  Coast,  on  her  voyage 
from  Boston  to  Liverpool,  in  February,  1881. 

Branches  of  the  Allan  and  Anchor  lines  have  been  maintained  at  this 
port  at  intervals,  and  there  are  now  two  lines,  the  Johnston  and  the 
Furness,  which  ply  regularly  between  Boston  and  the  Thames.  We 
doubt  whether  in  the  whole  history  of  commerce  there  is  to  be  found  a 
record  of  any  such  commercial  development  as  that  which  Boston  can 
boast — an  advance  from  ;///,  no  sailing  of  a  steamship  for  Europe  in 
18(;i),  to  one  hundred  such  sailings  in  1877,  to  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
two  in  1880,  and  to  more  than  four  hundred  in  18'.)'2.  Certainly  the 
projectors  of  the  American  Steamship  Company  were  not  too  sanguine 
in  18<i5-(i7,  when  they  insisted  that  there  was  plenty  of  business  to  be 
done  between  Boston  and  Liverpool  if  only  the  proper  facilities  were 
supplied  and  the  proper  efforts  put  forth. 

The  more  recent  history  of  Boston  is  so  fresh  in  the  minds  of  most  of 
us,  and  the  record  of  everything  relating  to  it  is  so  easily  accessible  to 
all,  that  we  have  thought  it  preferable  to  use  the  space  at  our  disposal 
in  making  mention  of  events  less  near  to  the  present  day  and  less  gen- 
erally known  or  remembered.  Of  the  newer  development  since  the 
period  of  the  Civil  War,  of  the  city  which  has  attained  metropolitan  pro- 
portions, of  the  vast  business  here  carried  on  in  accordance  with  modern 
methods,  and  of  all  the  commercial  conditions  so  utterly  changed  since 
the  last  generation  of  merchants  passed  from  the  scene,  we  can  only 
give  the  merest  intimation.  It  must  be  the  duty  of  some  later  writer 
to  describe  the  material  activities  and  resovirces  of  Boston  in  the  last 
third  of  the  current  century,  and  to  compare  them  with  those  which 
marked  the  earlier  years  in  the  history  of  the  town  and  city,  and,  par- 
ticularly, the  exceptionally  pro.sperous  years  from  1850  to  1857. 

We  must  recall  one  event,  however,  perhaps  the  most  momentous  in 
the  history  of  Boston  as  a  city,  and  of  its  trade — the  fire  of  the  !)th  and 
10th  of  November,  1872.    The  territory  devastated  by  this  fire  was  about 

21 


162  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

sixty-five  acres,  coiiiprisini;-  thirty  streets  and  containini^- between  seven 
and  eit^ht  hundred  buildins^s.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  streets  near 
the  water,  this  area  was  wholly  devoted  to  business  purposes,  and  the 
buildinj^s  which  covered  it,  in  size  and  architectural  effect,  were  unsur- 
passed, and  perhaps  une(|ualed,  by  those  of  any  other  city  in  the 
world.  Here  was  concentrated  the  wholesale  trade  in  hides,  leather  and 
shoes,  in  dry  j^oods,  domestic  and  foreig'n,  in  wool,  in  ready-made 
clothing-,  in  hardware,  and  in  part  in  earthenware  and  china.  The 
value  of  the  property  destroyed  was  out  of  all  proportion,  therefore,  to 
the  extent  of  the  land  burnt  over  as  compared  with  the  great  fires  of  other 
cities.  The  loss  was  variously  estimated  at  fnmi  sixty  to  seventy  mill- 
ion dollars,  but  there  was  a  vast  amount  of  property  destroyed — papers, 
portraits,  anti(iuities,  libraries,  on  storage — the  value  of  which  could 
not  be  estimated  in  figures.  The  blow  was  a  terrible  one  to  the  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city,  but  never  for  a  moment  did  they  lose  heart.  The 
work  of  rebuilding  was  entered  upon  without  delay,  and  st)on  the  terri- 
tory was  built  over  again,  but  with  wider  streets  and  more  stately 
warehouses  than  those  which  had  been  swept  away.  To  many  individ- 
uals and  firms  the  loss  was  irretrievable,  but  the  business  community, 
as  a  whole,  proved  its  inherent  vitality  and  soundness  by  its  recovery 
from  the  disaster  in  a  marvelously  short  time.  The  terrible  eclipse 
which  shadowed  the  general  prosperity  soon  passed  off,  and  in  a  very  few 
years  hardly  a  trace  remained  "  of  that  dark  hour  of  destiny." 

We  enriched  one  of  our  earlier  pages  with  a  quotation  from  Emerson. 
In  closing  our  sketch  of  the  commercial  enterprise  and  activity  of  our 
city,  we  cannot  do  better  than  to  reproduce  other  v/ords  written  by  the 
same  shrewd  observer  and  profound  thinker  in  the  spring  of  1<SG1. 
The  message  was  addressed  to  another  generation  of  Bostonians,  but 
it  may  not  be  altogether  without  meaning  or  value  to  the  ear  of  that 
upon  which  the  responsibility  rests  for  what  the  city  is  to  become  in 
the  twentieth  century : 

"  And  thus  our  little  city  thrives  and  enlarges,  striking  deep  roots 
and  sending  out  boughs  and  buds,  and  propagating  itself  like  a  banyan 
over  the  continent.  Greater  cities  there  are  that  sprang  from  it,  full 
of  its  blood  and  names  and  traditions.  It  is  very  willing  to  be  out- 
numbered and  outgrown,  so  long  as  they  carry  forward  its  life  of  civil 
and  religious  freedom,  of  education,  of  social  order,  and  of  loyalty  to 
law.  It  is  very  willing  to  be  outrun  in  numbers  and  in  wealth,  but  it 
is  very  jealous   of  any   superiority  in  these   its  natural   instincts  and 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE.  l(i^ 

privileges.  You  cannot  conquer  it  by  numbers,  or  by  square  miles,  or 
by  counted  millions  of  wealth.  For  it  owes  its  existence  and  its  power 
to  principles  not  of  yesterday,  and  the  deeper  principle  will  always 
prevail  over  whatever  material  accumiilations. 

"As  long  as  she  cleaves  to  her  liberty,  her  education,  and  to  her 
spiritual  faith  as  the  foundation  of  these,  she  will  teach  the  teachers 
and  rule  the  rulers  of  America.  Her  mechanics,  her  farmers,  will  toil 
better ;  she  will  repair  -mischief ;  she  will  furnish  what  is  wanted  in  the 
hour  of  need ;  her  sailors  wnll  man  the  Constitution.,  her  mechanics  re- 
pair the  broken  rail,  her  troops  will  be  the  first  in  the  field  to  vindicate 
the  majesty  of  a  free  nation,  and  remain  last  in  the  field  to  secure  it. 
Her  genius  will  write  the  laws,  and  her  historians  record  the  fate  of 
nations. " 


THE  FINANCIAL  HISTORY  OF  SUFFOLK 

COUNTY. 

Compiled  nv  Oshorne  Howks,  jr.,  and  Moses  Williams. 

Two  hundred  and  sixty-two  years  have  i^assed  away  since  the 
foundation  of  Boston,  and  althoug"h  tliis  seems  a  long  time,  yet  if  a 
human  life  is  taken  as  the  term  of  measurement,  it  is  found  that  the 
period  since  Boston  was  first  settled  is  no  more  than  five  successive 
human  lives  of  fifty-two  years  each.  Viewed  in  this  way  the  chan_o-es 
which  have  been  broug'ht  about  during'  the  interval  are  both  wonderful 
and  enormous. 

These  have  been  the  results  of  human  effort  exerted  at  first  under 
conditions  of  great  difficult}^  and  hardship,  but  later  under  the  extra- 
ordinary stimulus  of  public  education,  free  institutions,  and  admirable 
opportunities  for  the  acquisition  of  w^ealth. 

It  is  proposed  in  this  paper  to  briefly  review  the  progress  of  our  city 
in  its  financial  aspect,  ]:)earing  in  mind  that  the  results  of  human  effort 
for  any  long  period  of  time  are  best  measured  as  the  fruits  of  successive 
human  lives,  and  that  in  this  way  it  is  possible  to  secure  some  guide  to 
the  prolmble  Boston  of  the  future. 

The  first  element  in  a  financial  system  is  money ;  and  in  going  back 
to  the  early  days  of  our  city  we  find  that  this  was  a  subject  of  great  in- 
terest and  importance  to  its  founders.  These  no  doubt  brought  with 
them  from  the  mother  country  a  few  of  the  stamped  coins  of  the  time, 
but  in  amounts  evidently  insufficient  for  the  needs  of  a  growing  and 
trading  commmiity.  They  found  on  arriving  here  that  Europeans  who 
had  visited  America,  trading  along  the  coast  for  fish  and  peltry,  had 
been  accustomed  to  use  in  bartering  with  the  natives,  beads,  knives, 
hatchets,  blankets,  and  especially  tobacco,  powder,  shot,  guns,  and  al- 
coholic beverages.  There  were  not  only  ]')hilanthroi:)ic  reasons  for  a 
discontinuance  of  the  latter  ])ractice,  in  conseciucnce  of  its  demoraliz- 
ing effect  ui)on  the  Indians,  but  it  was  also  evident  that  to  su]iply  their 
possible  enemies  with  ])o\vder,  shot  and  guns,  was  to  jeopardize  the 
future  safetv  of  the  settlements.      In  trading  among  themselves  the  set- 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  165 

tiers  could  resort  in  part  to  barter,  exchangint)"  hardware  for  Ixjots  and 
shoes,  or  household  utensils  for  Indian  corn,  oats,  and  potatoes;  but  this 
method,  although  maintained  ior  a  long-  period  of  time,  was  unsatis- 
factory, and  by  unconscious  consent  wampum  seems  to  have  been 
adopted  as  a  medium  of  currency  with  wdiich  trade  transactions  were 
carried  on,  not  only  with  the  Indians,  but  among  the  white  people  as 
well. 

Roger  Williams  in  his  observations  on  the  money  of  the  Indians  said : 
"  This  is  of  two  sorts;  one  w^hite,  which  they  make  of  the  stem  or  stock 
of  the  periwinkle  when  all  the  shell  is  broken  off,  and  of  this  sort  six  of 
their  small  beads,  which  they  make  with  holes  to  string  their  bracelets, 
are  current  for  a  penn}'.  The  second  is  black,  inclining  to  blue,  which 
is  made  of  the  shell  of  a  fish  which  some  English  call  '  hens-poqua- 
hock,'  and  of  this  sort  three  make  an  English  penny.  One  fathom  of 
this  string  of  money  is  worth  5  shillings." 

This  was  a  crude  form  of  currency,  but  perhaps  the  best  that  could 
then  be  obtained.  It  was  utilized  in  the  same  way  that  during  the  early 
days  of  the  w^ar  postage  stamps  w^ere  used  b}^  our  people  to  make  good 
deficiency  in  change.  Apparently  the  Pequots  and  Narragansett  In- 
dians, who  manufactured  this  form  of  currency,  prospered  by  it,  for  ac- 
cording to  the  chronicles  of  the  times  they  grew  rich  and  potent,  whereas 
the  rest,  who  were  without  these  advantages,  remained  poor  and  beg- 
garly. 

Besides  this  wampum  and  the  occasional  use  of  peltry,  it  was  deemed 
desirable  to  make  use  of  the  products  of  the  ground  in  payment  for 
standard  services.  It  was  a  custom  when  a  surveyor  ran  the  lines  of  a 
lot  of  land  to  compensate  him  with  a  peck  of  corn.  The  records  of  the 
Massachusetts  Colony  give  a  great  number  of  instances  where  grain, 
salt  fish,  meal  and  other  commodities  were  used  in  payment  of  taxes, 
oihcial  fees,  and  for  other  services.  Thus  in  1(>:50  Sir  Richard  Salton- 
stall  was  fined  six  bushels  of  malt  for  his  absence  from  court,  while  in 
the  following  year  the  Indian  Chief  Chickatawbut  was  fined  a  skin  of 
beaver  for  shooting  a  swine  of  the  same  Sir  Richard. 

Great  trouble  was  experienced  by  the  early  settlers  of  Boston  in  keep- 
ing such  coin  as  they  had  in  this  country.  The  Grcsham  law,  which 
affirms  that  where  several  forms  of  currency  exist,  the  most  valuable 
wall  find  its  way  into  export,  was  apparently  brought  into  pla}'  in  these 
early  colonial  experiences.  Thus  on  March  (>,  1032,  the  magistrates 
enacted  the  following:    "  It  is  ordered,  that  no  planter  within  this  juris- 


IGG  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

diction  retnrnino-  for  Enoiand  shall  carry  money  with  him  without  leave 
from  the  g-overnor  under  pain  of  forfeiting  the  money  so  intended  to  be 
transported."  How  far  this  acted  as  a  restraint  it  is  impossible  to  say, 
but  it  is  known  that  traders,  who  were  not  planters,  within  the  juris- 
diction of  the  colony,  preferred  to  take  beaver  skins  or  silver  in  return 
for  their  purchases,  and  that  these  two  forms  of  currency  were  con- 
stantly tending  to  diminish  both  in  Boston  and  the  surrounding  coun- 

It  became  necessary,  as  the  use  of  perishable  commodities  in  the  way 
of  barter  tended  to  increase,  to  lay  down  some  definite  basis  of  ex- 
change ;  hence  the  price  of  corn  was  set  at  a  certain  rate  per  bushel, 
and  the  same  restrictions  applied  to  other  commodities.  Corn  was  at 
that  time  the  leading  farm  product,  and  was  thought  to  be  better  adapted 
than  anything  else  as  a  substitute  for  specie.  In  view  of  its  great  de- 
mand for  these  purposes  no  person  was,  by  order  of  the  magistrate,  al- 
lowed to  feed  his  swine  with  it  "  except  such  as  is  surveyed  by  two  of 
his  neighbors  and  by  them  judged  unfit  for  man's  meat."  Knowing 
that  the  prices  for  mechanical  employments  were  likely  to  be  disar- 
ranged by  an  inordinate  charge  for  imported  goods  and  thereby  the 
currency  depreciated,  the  Court  of  Assistance  passed  the  following  law: 

"Whereas  by  order  of  Court,  holden  in  October  last,  the  wages  of 
workmen  were  reduced  to  a  certainty  in  regard  of  the  great  extortion 
used  by  divers  persons  of  small  conscience  and  the  great  disorder  which 
grew  thereupon  by  vain  and  idle  waste  of  much  precious  time  and  ex- 
pense of  those  inordinate  gains  in  wine,  strong  water,  and  other  super- 
fluities, now  lest  the  honest  and  conscionablc  workmen  should  be 
wronged  or  discouraged  by  excessive  prices  for  those  commodities  which 
are  necessary  for  their  life  and  comfort,  we  have  thought  it  very  just 
and  equal  to  set  order  also  therein ;  we  do  therefore  hereby  order  that 
after  public  notice  hereof  no  persons  shall  sell  to  any  of  the  inhabitants 
within  this  jurisdiction  any  provisions,  clothing,  tools,  or  other  com- 
modities above  the  rate  of  4  pence  in  a  shilling  more  than  the  same  cost 
or  might  be  lx)Ught  for  ready  money  in  England,  on  pain  of  forfeiting 
the  value  of  the  thing  sold,  except  cheese,  which  in  regard  to  the  much 
hazard  in  bringing,  and  wine  and  oil,  vinegar  and  strong  waters,  which 
in  regard  to  leaking  may  be  sold  at  such  rates,  provided  the  same  be 
moderate,  as  the  bii3'er  and  seller  can  agree." 

As  a  sam])lc  of  what  coin  or  its  equivalent  would  command  at  that 
time   tlie   following,  taken    from   the   colonial    records   in    vSe]:)tember  of 


FINANCIAL    HISTORY.  107 

Kit;;;,  afford  a  fair  sample:  "  No  person  that  keeps  an  Ordinary  shall 
take  above  0  pence  a  meal  for  a  person,  and  not  above  1  penny  for  an 
ale  quart  for  beer  out  of  meal  time,  under  the  penalty  of  lU  shillings 
for  every  offence,  either  of  diet  or  of  beer." 

In  1635  it  was  ordered  that  musket  bullets  of  a  full  bore  shall  pass 
currently  for  a  farthing  apiece,  provided  that  no  man  shall  be  compelled 
to  take  above  \'l  pence  at  a  time  of  them. 

The  currency  troubles  did  not  lessen  as  time  went  on.  In  October, 
IGlO,  the  Legislature  passed  the  following  resolve:  "Whereas  many 
men  in  the  plantation  are  in  debt  and  here  is  not  money  sufficient  to 
discharge  the  same,  though  their  cattle  and  goods  should  be  sold  for 
half  their  worth,  as  experience  hath  showed  upon  some  late  executions, 
whereby  a  great  part  of  the  people  in  the  country  may  be  undone,  and 
yet  their  debts  not  satisfied,  though  they  have  sufficient  upon  an  equal 
valuation  to  pay  all  and  live  comfortably  upon  the  rest,  it  is  therefore 
ordered,  that  upon  every  execution  for  debts  passed,  the  officer  shall 
take  land,  houses,  corn,  cattle,  fish  or  other  commodities  and  deliver 
the  same  in  full  satisfaction  to  the  creditor  at  such  prices  as  the  same 
shall  be  valued  at  by  three  understanding  and  indiff'erent  men,  to  be 
chosen,  the  one  by  the  creditor,  another  by  the  debtor,  and  the  third 
by  the  marshal,  and  the  creditor  is  at  liberty  to  take  his  choice  of  what 
goods  he  will  have.  If  he  hath  not  sufficient  goods  to  discharge  it  he  is 
to  take  his  house  or  land  as  aforesaid." 

The  elder  Winthrop  in  referring  to  the  condition  of  affairs  at  this 
time  said:  "The  scarcity  of  money  made  a  great  difference  in  all  com- 
merce. Men  could  not  pay  their  debts  though  they  had  enough.  Prices 
of  land  and  cattle  fell  soon  to  one-half  and  less,  yea,  to  a  third,  and 
after  to  one-fourth  part." 

In  I'jll,  to  enlarge  the  funds  of  exchange  and  aid  in  canceling  the 
public  debt,  the  civil  authorities  let  out  the  wampum  trade  as  well  as 
that  of  fur  to  a  company.  For  this  privilege  the  stockholders  were  to 
reserve  one-twentieth  of  all  their  peltry  for  the  colonial  treasury,  and 
also  to  purchase  whatever  wampum  the  college  (Harvard  College)  might 
have  paid  to  it,  if  not  exceeding  at  one  time  the  sum  of  25  pounds  ster- 
ling. The  company  was  authorized  to  collect  wampum  due  the  govern- 
ment as  a  tribute  from  the  Indians. 

The  additions  to  the  currency  made  in  this  way  seem  to  have  forced 
the  authorities  later  on  to  make  a  new  regulation  as  to  its  value,  for  it 
was  ordered  that  wampum  should  henceforth  be  entire  without  breaches, 


108  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

both  tlic  white  and  the  l)kick,  without  defonninu-  spots,  and  shoidd  be 
suitably  strung-  in  eight  known  parcels,  !<■/,  'id,  12<:/,  and  bs  in  white, 
and  2//,  (J^/,  "iy2S  and  lOs  in  black.  In  lOi!)  the  wampum  came  more 
into  use  than  was  considered  expedient,  and  it  was  therefore  enacted, 
"that  it  shall  ncjt  be  in  the  liberty  of  any  town  or  person  to  pay  wam- 
pum in  their  country  rate  nor  shall  the  treasurer  accept  thereof."  This 
example  set  by  the  government  was  quickly  imitated  by  the  people,  who 
refused  to  take  this  form  of  money,  and  to  prevent  untoward  conse- 
quences that  w'ould  ensue,  an  order  of  the  court  was  issued  to  the  effect 
that  wampumpeage  shall  pass  current  in  payment  of  debts  to  the  value 
of  U)s,  the  white  at  8  a  penny,  the  black  at  4,  "so  as  they  shall  be  en- 
tire and  without  breaches  and  deforming  spots  except  in  payment  of 
country  rates  to  the  treasurer." 

The  only  silver  that  found  its  way  in  any  quantity  to  Boston  seems 
to  have  been  derived  from  commerce  carried  on  with  the  West  Indies, 
the  bullion  received  in  exchange  for  our  exports  being  that  taken  by 
numerous  buccaneers  from  the  Spaniards.  This,  however,  was  in  a 
form  well  calculated  to  encourage  its  exportation,  and  as  a  means  of 
retaining  it  here  it  was  thought  advisable  to  establish  some  system  of 
minting.  The  occasion  was  peculiarly  fitting  to  imdertake  this  work, 
as  the  English  people  had  thrown  off  the  yoke  of  royalty  and  were  on 
the  eve  of  establishing  a  commonwealth  under  Oliver  Cromwell. 

In  1(>52  the  (icneral  Court  voted,  that  "it  is  ordered,  and  by  the 
authority  of  this  court  enacted,  that  from  and  after  the  first  of  Sept- 
ember next,  and  no  longer,  the  money  hereafter  appointed  and  expressed 
shall  be  current  money  of  this  commonwealth  and  no  other,  unless 
English,  in  ])ursuance  of  the  intent  of  this  court  herein.  Be  it  further 
ordered  and  enacted  by  the  authority  of  this  court,  that  all  persons  what- 
soever have  liberty  to  bring  in  unto  the  mint  house  at  Bcjston  all  bullion, 
plate  or  vSpanish  coin,  there  to  be  melted  and  brought  to  the  allay  of 
sterling  silver,  by  John  Hull,  master  of  the  said  mint,  and  his  swtjrn 
officers,  and  by  him  to  be  coined  into  12  penny,  (>  penny,  o  penny  pieces, 
which  shall  be  for  form  flat  and  sc[uare  on  the  sides,  and  stamped  on 
the  one  side  with  N.  E.  and  on  the  other  side  with  the  figure  XII,  VI, 
and  III,  according  to  the  value  of  each  piece,  together  with  a  privy 
mark,  wdiich  shall  be  appointed  every  three  months  by  the  governor, 
and  known  only  to  him  and  the  sworn  oflicers  of  the  mint." 

The  master  of  the  mint  was  therefore  required  to  coin  all  the  money 
of  good  silver  of  the  alloy  of  new  sterling  English  silver,  but  to  have 


FINANCIAL    HISTORY.  KiO 

the  shilling  pieces  of  "2  pence  less  value  than  the  then  English  coin  and 
the  lesser  pieces  in  the  same  proportion.  For  his  services  the  mint 
master  was  to  receive  one  shilling  out  of  every  20  shillings  which  he 
should  stamp.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  our  forefathers  hit  upon  the 
plan  of  keeping  the  money  that  they  coined  at  home  by  making  it  of  a 
less  value  than  equivalent  English  money,  although  they  attempted  to 
give  to  it  a  purchasing  power  in  the  colony,  the  same  as  that  possessed 
by  sterling  silver.  The  English  financiers,  when  the  coin  was  brought 
to  their  attention,  through  exchange,  valued  it  at  a  discount  of  25  per 
cent. ,  this  growing  out  in  part  of  the  somewhat  crude  way  in  which 
the  bullion  was  alloyed  at  the  Boston  mint.  This  was  the  first  attempt 
made  in  the  English  colonies  to  coin  money,  and,  curiously  enough,  al- 
though it  was  continued  for  a  number  of  years  the  coinage  all  bore  the 
date  of  the  first  mintage,  that  is,  1052.  The  act  was  looked  upon  with 
not  the  least  favor  by  the  English  authorities. 

Shortly  after  the  accession  of  Charles  II,  royal  commissioners  were 
sent  here  on  the  ground  that  the  right  to  coin  money  was  a  royal  pre- 
rogative, and  that  the  people  at  Boston  had  no  right  to  usurp  this  ftmc- 
tion.  To  pacify  the  home  authorities  the  General  Court  ordered  that 
two  very  large  masts  be  transported  to  London  for  His  Majesty's  navy, 
something  which  in  his  war  with  the  Dutch  he  was  likely  to  need,  and 
they  furthermore  sent  a  petition  to  the  king  stating  that  they  did  not 
believe  that  those  who  had  been  sent  as  royal  commissioners  to  Boston 
properly  represented  his  views.  They  still  continued  to  coin  the  money 
in  spite  of  objections,  one  of  which,  made  by  the  officers  of  the  London 
mint  to  the  commissioners  of  the  Royal  Exchequer,  was  that  if  the  king 
should  continue  the  Boston  mint  he  should  order  its  emissions  to  be  of 
equal  value  with  his  own  specie  so  as  to  have  unanimity  throughout 
the  empire.  vShortly  after,  however,  the  charter  of  the  colony  was 
suspended,  greatly  to  the  regret  of  the  colonists,  an  event  growing 
largely  out  of  this  attempt  on  their  part  to  better  supply  their  financial 
needs. 

With  the  closing  of  the  mint  the  project  was  started  of  organizing  a 
bank.  President  Dudley  and  his  council  stated  in  a  memoir:  "Upon 
the  consideration  of  the  great  decay  of  trade,  obstructions  to  manu- 
facture and  commerce  in  this  country,  and  multiplicity  of  debts  and 
suits  thereupon,  principally  occasioned  by  the  present  scarcity  of  coin, 
and  for  that  it  is  not  visible  how  the  same  may  be  remedied  unless 
some   other   secure   medium  be   approved  than    the   species   of   silver 


170  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

which  very  iniuriously  have  been  transported  into  other  parts  hence. 
And  for  as  much  as  it  hath  been  suggested  and  may  appear  to  us  that 
the  defects  aforesaid  may  be  suppHed  with  bank  bills  c^r  credit  given  by 
persons  of  estate  and  known  integrity  and  repute,  which  may  pass  with 
greater  ease  and  security  in  all  payments  twenty  shillings  or  above 
than  moneys  coined,  and  that  other  countries  have  found  their  banks 
useful  to  their  great  flourishing  in  trade  and  wealth.  And  bank  credit 
or  bills  are  of  greater  value  than  ready  money  there.  Also  that  His 
Majesty's  revenues  in  this  country  cannot  be  so  well  answered  by  the 
present  species  of  silver  without  a  great  straining,  impairing  and 
damage  to  the  merchandising  trade  and  dealings  of  His  Majesty's  good 
subjects  in  these  his  territories  and  domains,  and  having  perused  and 
considered  a  propcxsal  made  to  us  by  ](A\\\  Black  well,  of  Boston, 
Esquire,  on  behalf  of  his  own  and  divers  other  his  participants,  as  well 
in  England  as  in  this  country,  liberty  is  granted  for  the  directors  or 
conservatives  of  the  bank  to  commence  the  issuing  of  bills  on  security 
of  real  and  personal  estate  and  imperishable  merchandise." 

This  is  the  charter  under  which  the  first  bank  of  Boston  was  started. 
It  was  in  form  and  regulations  like  one  established  in  Lond(m  in  Ki.So, 
and  like  that  w^as  a  short  lived  institution.  The  notes  were  chiefly 
founded  on  land  security;  but  at  the  time  of  the  revolution  of  IGSO, 
which  appears  to  have  occasioned  more  or  less  of  a  panic  in  the  colo- 
nies, the  bank  proved  unequal  to  the  strain  imposed  upon  it  and  passed 
out  of  existence.  With  its  failure  passed  away,  also,  the  hope  of  our 
ancestors  to  (jbtain  a  larger  circulating  medium  than  they  possessed. 
That  the  effect  of  the  stoppage  of  the  mint  and  the  failure  of  the 
bank  was  a  severe  blow  is  found  in  the  fact  that  at  about  this  time  the 
royal  governor,  Sir  Edmund  Andros,  permitted  the  people  of  Hingham 
to  pay  their  taxes  in  milk  pails,  the  only  commodity  they  had  which 
seemed  to  possess  any  exchangeable  value;  while  the  report  of  the 
colonial  treasury  was  given  in  this  way:  "Value  of  corn  remaining  in 
the  treasury  unsold,  ^038  11.S-  \d.      Money,  £\M^)  10-v  ;)^/. " 

In  the  year  KiUO  matters  reached  a  crisis  which  made  decisive  action 
of  some  kind  imperative.  vSir  William  Phips  returned  unexpectedly 
from  an  unsuccessful  expedition  against  Canada.  There  w^as  absolutely 
no  money  in  the  treasury  with  which  to  pay  the  scjldiers,  who  became 
mutinous  in  c()nse([uence  of  this  failure  on  the  part  of  the  authorities. 
The  (icneral  Court  saw  no  other  course  open  to  it  but  to  issue  paper 
currency  cm   its  own   account,  and  on   the    lOth  of   December,  Ki'JO,  the 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  171 

following  was  adopted:  "Whereas,  for  the  inaintaining  and  defending- 
of  their  Majesty's  interests  against  the  hostile  invasions  of  their  French 
and  Indian  enemies,  who  have  begun  and  are  combined  in  the  prose- 
cution of  a  bloody  war  upon  the  English  of  their  Majesty's  colonies  and 
plantations  of  New  England,  this  colony  hath  necessarily  contracted 
sundry  considerable  debts,  which  this  court,  taking  into  consideration 
and  being  desirous  to  prove  themselves  just  and  honest  in  the  dis- 
charge of  the  same,  and  that  every  person  who  hath  credit  with  the 
country  for  the  use  of  his  estate,  disbursements  or  services  done  for  the 
the  public,  may  in  convenient  time  receive  due  and  equal  satisfaction ; 
withal  considering  the  present  poverty  and  calamities  of  the  country, 
and,  through  scarcity  of  money,  the  want  of  an  adequate  measure  of 
commerce,  whereby  they  are  disadvantaged  in  making  present  pay- 
ments as  desired,  yet  being  willing  to  settle  and  adjust  the  accounts  of 
said  debts,  and  to  make  pa3"ment  thereof  with  what  speed  they  can,  a 
committee  are  empowered  to  made  an  immediate  issue  of  ^7,000  in 
bills  from  5^  to  ^5."     The  form  of  these  notes  was  as  follows: 

No.  (4980)  oi- 

This  indented  bill  of  5.9,  due  from  the  Massachusetts  colony  to  the  possessor,  shall 
l)e  in  vakie  equal  to  money,  and  shall  be  accordingly  accepted  by  the  treasurer  and 
receivers  subordinate  to  him  in  all  public  payments,  and  for  any  stock  at  any  time 
in  the  treasury. 

Boston  in  New  England,  Dec.  10th,  1(590. 

By  order  of  the  General  Court 

Penn.  Townsend 
Adam  Winthrop 
Tim.  TffORNTON, 

Committee. 

With  this  issue  began  the  SN'stem  of  paper  currency  on  government 
credit,  which  continued  for  sixty  years  with  all  of  the  evils  incident  to 
an  irredeemable  circulation  of  this  class.  Although  the  government 
had  expressed  its  desire  to  deal  justly,  and  although  the  people  were  in 
great  need  of  a  medium  of  circulation,  the  notes  that  it  issued  were  re- 
ceived with  great  suspicion.  To  aid  in  preventing  a  panic,  vSir  Will- 
iam Phips  exchanged  at  par  value  a  large  amount  of  silver  that  he 
had  obtained  from  successful  ventures  in  the  Spanish  Main  for  this 
provincial  paper  mone}'.  Bitt  the  soldiers  who  came  back  from  the 
expedition  to  Canada,  and  the  widows  and  orphans  of  those  who  perished 
in  that  disastrous  enterprise,  were  compelled  to  part  with  the  money 
they  had  obtained  at  a  discount  of  about  one-third. 


172  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

It  was  ordered  by  the  General  Court,  that  the  bills  out  and  to  be 
emitted  should  not  at  any  time  exceed  ^4-0,000,  but  this  was  on  the 
assumption  that  the  war  was  not  to  continue,  and  it  was  also  assumed 
that  such  bills  as  were  redeemed  would  be  destroyed.  That  this  was 
not  the  case  is  made  evident  by  the  fact  that  by  a  report  made  to  the 
House  of  Representatives  in  1702  it  was  shown  that  there  had  been 
etnissions  and  re-emissions  of  paper  money  to  the  amount  of 
,^110,000. 

In  (uxler  to  create  greater  confidence  in  its  money  the  General  Court 
decreed  in  1002  that  the  notes  issued  by  the  colony  should  be  equiva- 
lent to  money  in  making-  all  payments  within  the  province,  and  that  in 
all  public  payments  there  should  be  a  credit  of  five  per  cent,  accorded 
to  them.  This  means  of  restoring  paper  to  a  par  with  specie  was 
efficacious  for  the  time  being.  The  bonus  of  five  per  cent,  was  allowed 
as  often  as  the  l)ills  were  brought  to  the  exchequer,  although  several 
times  in  a  year,  which  frequently  occurred,  because  they  were  repeat- 
edly issued. 

To  show  the  financial  conditions  under  which  business  was  carried  on 
at  that  time  the  following  extract  is  given  from  a  diary  of  the  period: 
' '  They  give  the  title  of  a  merchant  to  every  trader  who  rates  his  goods 
according  to  the  time  and  specie  they  pay  in,  namely,  pay,  money,  pay 
in  money,  and  trusting.  Pay  means  grain,  pork,  beef,  or  any  other 
commodity  exchanged  at  the  prices  set  by  the  General  Court.  Money 
is  pieces  of  8  reals,  Boston  or  Bay  shillings  or  good  hard  money,  as  some- 
times silver  coin  is  called,  also  wampum,  namely,  Indian  beads,  which 
serves  as  change.  Pay  as  money,  means  the  commodities  such  as  grain, 
pork,  beef,  etc.,  only  at  a  rate  one-third  cheaper  than  that  set  by  the 
General  Court ;  and  trust  is  the  purchase  for  payment  at  the  end  of  an 
agreed  upon  period.  When  the  buyer  comes  to  ask  for  a  commodity, 
before  the  merchant  answers  that  he  has  it  he  says  '  Is  your  pay  ready?' 
Perhaps  the  buyer  replies,  '  Yes. '  '  What  do  you  pay  in? '  says  the  mer- 
chant. The  buyer  having  answered,  then  the  price  is  set.  If  he  wants 
a  0  penny  knife,  in  pay  it  is  12  pence;  if  in  pay  as  money,  8  pence;  if 
in  hard  money  its  price  is  its  own  value,  0  pence." 

But  besides  these  complications  growing  out  of  these  different  meas- 
ures of  value,  to  which  paper  money  added  a  fre.sh  uncertainty,  there 
was  the  difficulty  of  determining  the  true  value  even  of  hard  money, 
for  the  foreign  coins  which  came  into  circulation,  together  with  the 
Pine  Tree  money,  as   tlie   Boston   mintage  was   called,    were   washed. 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  173 

clipped,  filed,  and  in  various  other  ways  inade  to  lose  a  considerable 
part  of  their  value  by  unscrupnlotis  holders  of  them.  The  General 
Court  enacted  stringent  laws  to  prevent  these  frauds.  It  was  ordered 
that  any  one  found  guilty  of  the  crime  of  debasing  the  coins  in  use 
should  stand  in  the  pillory  and  have  one  of  his  ears  cut  off;  and  at 
another  period  the  crime  was  made  one  warranting  a  capital  pimish- 
ment.  But  in  every  store  and  in  every  family  it  was  custom ar}-  in  the 
early  years  of  the  last  century  to  keep  a  pair  of  scales  to  ascertain  the 
value  of  all  gold  and  silver  coin  before  it  was  taken  or  passed. 

Although  the  emissions  of  paper  money  were  tolerably  extensive  from 
1700  onward,  bringing  about  such  a  debasement  of  the  currency  as  to 
increase  the  price  of  labor  to  quite  double  its  ordinary  proportions,  there 
was  still  a  belief  on  the  part  of  the  people  that  their  condition  would  be 
a  great  deal  better  if  they  had  more  money.  As  a  writer  speaking  of 
the  time  (1714)  says:  "  At  this  period  there  were  three  different  views 
as  to  finance  held  by  different  sections  of  the  people.  One  adopted  the 
rule  in  regard  to  money,  that  nothing  is  useful  but  what  is  honest,  ex- 
pressing in  their  views  of  paper  currency  the  conclusion  that  this  should 
be  abolished  and  no  currency  allowed  except  that  of  the  precious  metals ; 
a  second,  both  numerous  and  respectable,  was  made  up  of  those  who 
believed  that  it  was  desirable  to  form  a  bank  and  issue  money  based  on 
real  estate;  a  third  favored  a  system  of  loaning  by  the  province  to  the 
people  on  interest,  payable  annually,  and  applicable  when  applied  to 
the  liquidation  of  the  public  charges." 

The  hard  money  advocates,  while  having  a  great  deal  in  current  ex- 
perience to  sustain  their  contention,  seem  never  to  have  had  a  popular 
following.  The}^  were  looked  upon  as  theorists,  whose  opinions  were 
entitled  to  very  little  weight  in  the  every  day  affairs  of  life.  The  ad- 
vocates of  a  bank  were  decidedly  influential,  and  for  a  time  seemed  to 
have  a  fair  chance  of  carrying  their  project  to  a  successful  ending.  But 
they  were  opposed  in  this  by  Governor  Dudley,  who,  while  advocating 
the  banking  method  some  years  previous,  had  at  the  time  we  refer  to 
(1714-15)  come  to  the  conclusion  that  notes  of  this  kind  should  be  issued 
by  the  government  rather  than  by  corporations. 

vShortly  after  the  arrival  of  Governor  Shute,  in  the  fall  of  1710,  the 
General  Court  passed  an  order:  "That  there  be  an  additional  loan  of 
^100,000."  The  reasons  assigned  for  this  enactment  was  the  heavy 
debt  incurred  in  the  French  War,  that  most  of  the  silver  money  had 
been  sent  to  pay  debts  contracted  in  England,  and  that  there  was  then 


174  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

a  scarcity  of  province  bills.  The  new  loan  was  to  be  committed  to  the 
care  of  county  treasurers,  and  was  to  be  proportioned  to  each  comity 
according  to  its  taxes,  to  be  loaned  out  in  mortgages  on  real  estate  of 
double  the  value  of  the  sum  borrowed,  each  loan  not  to  exceed  ;iQbOQ, 
nor  be  under  ^25,  to  be  at  ten  years  at  five  per  cent,  interest  per  annum. 
The  profits  upon  this  were  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  government,  and 
the  bills  issued  were  to  be  returned  at  the  end  of  the  period  and  burned. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  that  the  action  of  the  provincial  gov- 
ernment on  this  occasion  was  closely  analogous  to  that  which  the  Farm- 
ers' Alliance  has  repeatedly  petitioned  Congress  to  take.  There  was  a 
scarcity  of  money ;  debts  could  not  well  be  paid,  and  on  this  account 
the  government  advanced  money  to  the  fanners  upon  their  land  at  what 
was  then  a  low  rate  of  interest,  giving  them  ten  years  in  which  to  make 
good  the  advances  made.  This  might  seem  to  be  a  highly  desirable 
arrangement,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  its  effect  upon  the  currency  system 
of  Boston  and  colony  was  exceedingly  pernicious.  There  was  a  sudden 
depreciation  in  the  value  of  paper  currency,  so  that  on  the  basis  of  sil- 
ver it  sold  for  not  much  more  than  half  its  value. 

That  one  bad  act  of  this  kind  is  productive  of  a  long  train  of  sad  con- 
sequences is  made  evident  by  the  address  which  was  sent  to  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  province  by  the  House  of  Representatives  in  March  of 
1721.  "  Yoiir  Excellency,"  it  said,  "  was  pleased  to  acquaint  us  that 
you  lately  assembled  some  of  the  principal  gentlemen  and  merchants 
of  Boston  with  a  view  to  public  good,  that  they  might  propose  or  re- 
ceive schemes  for  the  relief  of  this  people  inider  their  grievance  for 
want  of  a  good  medium  of  trade.  If  these  gentleinen  when  assembled 
did  agree  upon  any  method  and  had  laid  the  same  before  the  House,  it 
had  l)een  very  readily  received  and  due  consideration  had  thereon,  but 
none  such  as  yet  hath  been  shown  forth.  Last  session  a  bill  for  emit- 
ting  _{,"!  ()(),()()()  to  help  the  inhabitants  to  pay  their  public  debts  passed 
the  House,  but  stopped  in  the  Council.  We  feel  it  our  duty  to  do  all 
we  can  this  session  to  promote  such  an  object.  We  agree  with  Your 
Ii^xcellency  that  if  a  new  emission  should  depreciate  the  bills  out  it 
would  be  pernicious.  To  prevent  this  a  bill  was  passed  the  present  and 
last  session  to  hinder  buying  and  selling,  bartering  or  exchanging  silver 
money  or  bullion  at  higher  rates  or  prices  than  hitherto  stated  by  act  of 
Parliament.  Our  judgment  is  that  had  such  an  act  been  made  by  Mas- 
sachusetts when  they  fh-st  issued  paper  l)ills,  they  had  to  this  day  been 
equal  in  value  and   credit  to  silver   money.      We,  therefore,  think   that 


f  / 


FINANCIAL    HISTORY.  175 

passing  it  now  would  prevent  depreeiation  of  bills  and  bring  them  np 
to  what  they  once  were." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  our  forefathers  entertained  ideas  closely  an- 
alogous to  those  that  have  been  held  by  representatives  of  the  farming 
classes  in  the  West,  that  it  is  possible  by  simple  legal  enactments  to 
create  value  where  value  does  not  exist  under  the  ordinary  laws  of  trade. 
In  other  words,  they  seemed  to  suppose  that  it  was  possible  to  issue  as 
much  paper  money  as  the  printing  presses  could  turn  out,  and  if  by 
statute  it  was  enacted  that  the  buying  and  selling  of  silver  money  or 
bullion  was  prohibited,  then  this  paper  money  would  have  the  same 
value  as  silver  and  would  in  no  way  depreciate  as  the  result  of  its  ex- 
cessive quantity. 

In  1T22  it  was  found  that  the  small  coin,  as  well  as  the  large,  was  e^i- 
ceedingly  scarce,  and  for  this  reason  the  General  Court  ordered  that 
there  should  be  an  emission  of  ;^500  in  bills  of  one,  two  and  three  pen- 
nies each.  The  form  of  the  first  of  these  bills  was  round,  the  second 
square,  and  the  third  rectangular. 

For  some  time  past  the  authorities  of  England  had  insisted  through 
the  representative  of  the  home  government.  Governor  Shute,  that  there 
should  be  a  redemption  made  of  as  many  as  possible  of  the  outstanding 
bills  of  credit.  This  brought  the  governor  into  constant  conflict  with 
the  representatives  of  the  people,  and  on  this  account  great  opposition 
was  raised  to  the  payment  of  his  salary,  so  much  so  that  the  governor 
in  despair  decided  to  leave  the  colony  for  England. 

The  amount  of  paper  outstanding  as  given  in  the  report  of  James 
Taylor,  treasurer,  in  :\Iay,  1T25,  was  ^202,088  IS5.  'Id.  The  value  of 
this  paper  money  and  the  steady  decrease  that  took  place  in  it  can  best 
be  judged  by  giving  its  estimated  worth  in  silver  at  various  periods, 
these  being  the  several  figures  by  which  it  was  required  that  all  debts 
contracted  in  bills  of  credit  should  be  settled.  In  ITIO  bills  were  worth 
at  the  rate  of  8^.  for  an  ounce  of  silver;  in  1T14,  \\s.  ;  in  1717,  l()s.  ;  in 
1718,  11^-.  ;  in  172U,  12.s-.  ;  in  1721,  V^s.  ;  in  1722,  l^s.  ;  in  1723,  lbs.  ;  in 
1727,  17^-.  ;  in  1728,  l^s.  ;  in  1720,  'I'ls.  ;  in  1730,  20.s-.  ;  in  17:51,  V.)s.  ;  in 
1732,  20.?.  ;  in  1733,  23^-.  ;  in  1734,  27^".  ;  in  1739,  29,?.  ;  in  1743,  28^-.  ;  in 
1745,  37.y.  ;  in  1747,  40.s-.  ;  in  1751,  60^. 

During  this  period  the  people  of  Massachusetts  had  to  contend  not 
only  with  depreciation,  due  to  their  own  excessive  paper  currency,  but 
the  colony  was  flooded  with  paper  money  coming  from  Connecticut, 
Rhode  Island  and  New  Hampshire,  the  issues  of  these  provinces  find- 


17(i  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

iris^-  their  way  in  ku\!4c  anunnits  across  the  border  line,  and,  as  it  was 
said,  having  for  their  reason  for  existence  the  opportunity  that  was 
afforded  by  them  of  purchasing  goods  at  Boston,  which  was  the  chief 
town,  at  lower  rates  than  would  otherwise  be  possible. 

The  distressful  state  of  financial  affairs  in  Boston  was  made  an  object 
lesson  and  warning  to  other  American  communities.  James  Logan, 
writing  on  the  subject  from  Pennsylvania  to  the  Proprietors  in  1739,  in 
referring  to  the  bills  that  were  issued  there,  said :  "I  dare  not  speak 
one  word  against  it.  The  popular  frenzy  will  never  stop  till  their 
credits  will  be  as  bad  as  they  ai'e  in  New  England." 

But  as  if  this  superabundance  of  currency  were  not  sufficient,  a 
number  of  merchants  and  others  of  Boston,  in  order,  as  they  said,  to 
supply  the  deficiency  t)f  a  medium  for  trade,  engaged  in  173;5  in  a  pro- 
ject of  issuing  paper  money  to  the  value  of  ^110,000.  This  was  known 
as  the  Private  Bank,  and  the  bills  that  it  issued  were  redeemable  in 
ten  years  in  silver  at  the  rate  of  nineteen  shillings  an  ounce.  There  is 
this  to  be  said  in  favor  of  these  Private  Bank  bills,  that  while  they  were 
in  circulation  they  were  a  better  medium  of  exchange  than  the  govern- 
ment l)ills  of  credit.  They  depreciated  in  value  during  the  interval 
between  their  issue  and  redemption,  but  almost  invariably  commanded 
a  premium  equivalent  to  about  thirty-three  and  one-third  per  cent,  over 
the  government  issue. 

In  1734  Governor  Belcher,  who  had  been  appointed  chief  magistrate 
of  the  colony  of  Massachusetts,  said  in  his  address  tt)  the  General  Court : 
"  I  must  observe  to  you  to  what  a  low  ebb  our  bills  of  credit  are  re- 
duced, which  carry  in  the  face  of  them  these  words,  '  in  value  equal  to 
money.'  And  yet  10^.  in  these  bills  will  not  at  this  day  purchase  6s. 
lawful  money.  It  will  then  become  the  wisdom  of  the  Legislature  to 
search  into  this  matter,  and  to  apply  a  speedy  remedy,  for  next  to  the 
defence  of  the  province  I  take  this  to  be  an  affair  of  the  greatest  con- 
sequence. I  should  also  think  it  prudent  to  look  carefully  into  the 
several  loans  of  the  province,  and  after  so  many  years'  indulgence  to 
the  borrowers,  to  order  them  to  be  paid  in  without  more  delay.  For  a 
sacred  observation  of  the  terms  of  the  several  acts  by  w^hich  the  bills 
have  been  issued,  must  have  a  natural  tendency  to  support  their  credit. 
I  think  it  would  be  an  instance  of  the  wisdom  and  justice  of  this  gov- 
ernment not  t(j  suiTer  an  emission  of  any  sort  of  notes  or  bills  for  the 
future  but  such  as  will  instantly  and  at  all  times  honestly  and  truly 
command  the  value   expressed  in  them.      I  look   upon   the  land  and 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  177 

commerce  of  the  country  to  be  but  one  joint  interest,  and  shcnild  be 
always  equally  encourao-ed.  And  it  is  \yith  much  concern  I  mention 
to  you  the  decaying  state  of  the  trade  of  the  province.  While  our  im- 
portations are  so  exceeding  as  constantly  to  leave  us  a  large  balance  in 
arrear  to  our  friends  abroad,  it  is  impossible  we  should  carry  on  a 
gainful  trade  or  have  among  us  gold  and  silver,  the  only  valuable 
medium  of  commerce.  Happy  would  it  then  be  for  the  province  if  the 
Legislature  would  establish  some  large  premiums  to  encourage  the 
cultivation  of  the  lands,  as  on  hemp  and  other  naval  stores,  and  our 
English  grain.  Something  of  this  kind  may  gradually  bring  the  balance 
of  trade  in  our  favor,  which  will,  of  course,  fix  the  standard  of  money 
among  us." 

In  spite  of  these  valuable  suggestions,  the  General  Court  could  not 
make  up  its  mind  to  adopt  an  heroic  course;  but  in  17:57  it  decided 
upon  a  half-wa}-  measure.  Perceiving  that  with  all  of  its  vigilance  and 
exertions  it  could  not  restore  the  credit  of  their  notes,  the  General 
Court  res,olved  to  have  others  made,  differently  expressed.  Thus  on 
February  4  of  that  year  it  was  voted  to  make  an  emission  of  ^18,000 
in  bills  of  the  current  form,  and  _^'.),U0()  in  a  different  form.  The  first 
sum  was  to  be  recalled  in  a  year,  and  the  last  in  1742.  As  a  sinking 
fund  for  bills  of  these  amounts,  the  people  were  allowed  to  pay  their 
taxes  in  hemp  at  four  pence  a  pound,  and  flax  at  six  pence,  to  the 
treasurer,  or  in  money,  both  hard  and  paper,  if  they  could.  As  the 
conditions  of  the  ^9,000  differed  from  these  preceding  bills  of  credit, 
it  caused  them  to  be  denominated  new  tenor,  and  the  others  old  tenor. 
The  new  tenor  notes  stated ; 

"  This  bill  of  20^-. ,  due  from  the  Province  of  Mas.sachusetts  Bay,  in 
New  England,  to  the  possessor  thereof,  shall  be  in  value  equal  to  3 
ounces  of  coined  silver,  Troy  weight,  of  sterling  alloy,  or  gold  coin  at 
the  rate  of  4  pounds  ]  85.  per  ounce ;  and  shall  be  accordingly  accepted 
by  the  Treasurer  and  receivers  subordinate  to  him  in  all  payments  (the 
duties  of  import  and  tonnage  of  shipping  and  incomes  of  the  Light 
House  only  excepted)  and  for  any  stock  at  any  time  in  the  treasury." 

A  reason  why  these  notes  were  not  to  be  received  for  the  excepted 
duties  was  because  such  duties  were  ordered  to  be  paid  in  hard  money, 
with  which  the  notes  were  to  be  redeemed.  As  the  act  authorizing  the 
issue  of  these  bills  limited  the  preceding  ones  in  the  payment  of  like 
taxes,  the  merchants  complained  bitterly  that  this  was  a  breach  of 
public  faith,  and  the  dissatisfaction  thus  engendered  tended  to  injure 

23 


178  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

both  classes  of  bills.  Thus,  thoii<;h  the  o-overnnient  set  the  new  tenor 
bills  at  one  for  three  of  the  old,  the  people  passed  them  at  one  for 
four. 

In  1TT4  Mr.  Thomas  Hutchinson,  afterwards  governor,  and  then  a 
leading"  member  of  the  General  Court,  brought  forward  a  proposition 
which  he  believed  would  have  the  effect  of  setting  the  currency  ques- 
tion upon  a  satisfactory  basis.  This  was  to  hire  220, 000  ounces  of 
silver,  or  gold  equivalent,  for  ten  years  at  four  per  cent.,  in  England 
on  the  credit  of  the  province.  This  was  to  be  used  for  the  redemption 
of  the  outstanding  bills  of  credit  and  to  provide  a  guarantee  for  the 
colony.  Although  this  ])lan  was  urged  with  great  force  and  with  much 
clearness  of  reasoning,  it  did  not  at  the  time  receive  the  support  needed 
to  secure  its  adoption. 

Instead  of  thus  turning  toward  hard  money,  the  minds  of  the  people 
seem  to  have  been  infected  by  the  mania  for  a  larger  emission  of  paper 
m<mey,  and  the  powers  of  the  General  Court  falling  under  parliament- 
ary restraints  and  the  unwillingness  of  the  chief  executive,  instructed 
from  England,  to  sanction  large  issues  of  bills,  a  petition  was  presented 
in  the  spring  of  1740  to  the  Legislature,  signed  by  John  Colman  and 
three  hundred  and  ninety-five  others,  for  authority  to  issue  ^150,000, 
to  be  loaned  in  notes  on  land  security  and  payable  in  twent}"  years  by 
various  articles  of  merchandise.  Another  petition  presented  to  the 
Legislature  l)y  Edward  Hutchinson  and  one  himdred  and  six  partners, 
was  for  the  issue  of  ^120,000,  by  them  redeemable  in  fifteen  years  with 
silver  at  20^.  an  ounce,  or  gold,  pro  rata.  The  latter  plan  was  similar 
to  the  Private  Bank  referred  to  above,  and  its  bills  were  denominated 
merchants'  notes.  It  was  promoted  chiefly  to  oppose  the  Colman 
Bank,  which  was  called  the  Land  Bank,  while  the  Hutchinson  combina- 
tion went  popularh'  under  the  name  of  the  Specie  Bank. 

The  authorization  for  the  establishment  of  these  two  banks  was  never 
definitely  given,  but  both  began  operation.  The  Land  Bank  aroused 
the  strenuoiis  opposition  of  (Tovernor  Belcher,  who,  in  July,  1710,  issued 
a  proclamation  warning  all  his  Majesty's  good  subjects  of  the  danger 
the}^  were  in  and  cautioning  them  against  receiving  or  passing  the 
notes  of  the  Land  Bank  "  as  tending  to  defraud  men  of  their  substance 
and  disturb  the  j^eace  and  good  order  of  the  people,  and  give  great 
interrupti(jn  and  bring  much  confusion  into  their  trade  and  business." 
In  spite  of  this  strenuous  a])peal  of  the  governor,  the  Land  Bank  propo- 
sition was  taken  up  with  great  ccjrdiality  by  the  people  in  all  classes  of 
society. 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  179 

Governor  Belcher,  being-  assured  that  part  of  the  military  of  the 
colony  encouraged  the  circulation  of  Land  Bank  paper,  issued,  Novem- 
ber, 1740,  a  proclamation,  in  which  he  said:  "I  hereby  warn  all  com- 
missioned officers  of  the  militia  from  signing  or  giving  an}^  coiintenance 
in  passing  of  said  notes  of  hand,  directly  or  indirectly,  and  as  I  appre- 
hend, that  if  these  should  obtain  a  currency,  it  will  reflect  great  dis- 
honor on  his  Majest3''s  government  here,  and  be  very  detrimental  to 
the  public  interests  of  this  province  and  people,  I  do  hereb}"  declare  my 
firm  resolution  that,  if  after  this  public  notice  is  given,  any  of  the  mili- 
tary officers  of  this  province  persist  in  being  in  any  way  concerned  in  or 
giving  any  encouragement  whatsoever  to  the  passing  of  the  said  notes 
of  hand,  and  full  proof  be  made  thereof  to  my  satisfaction,  I  will 
immediately  dismiss  them  from  their  said  offices. " 

This  pledge  was  kept  on  a  number  of  notable  occasions,  and  aroused 
a  strong  spirit  of  resistance.  Samuel  Adams,  the  father  of  the  patriot 
of  that  name,  sent  in  his  resignation  of  the  commission  he  held  under 
the  government,  and  his  course  was  adopted  by  a  number  of  the  jus- 
tices of  the  peace  and  other  prominent  officials.  In  order  to  obtain  a 
clear  idea  of  the  character  of  the  banking  institution  that  was  at  that 
time  receiving  great  popular  encouragement,  and  that  was  calling  forth 
the  denunciation  of  the  representative  of  the  English  government,  the 
following  agreement  of  association  of  the  Land  Bank  is  of  value,  espe- 
cially as  it  has  an  important  bearing  on  not  a  few  projects  that  have  been 
brought  forward  in  this  country  within  the  last  two  or  three  years: 

Provinxe  of  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  Exgland. 

In  order  to  redress  the  distressing  circumstances  which  the  trade  of  this  province 
labors  under  for  the  want  of  a  medium,  other  methods  having  failed,  it  is  proposed 
to  set  up  a  bank  on  land  security,  no  person  to  be  admitted  but  such  as  dwell  in  this 
province,  and  hath  a  real  estate  therein. 

I.  The  stock  to  be  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds  lawful  money;  no  man 
to  subscribe  more  than  two  thousand  pounds,  and  none  less  than  one  hundred  pounds; 
the  subscriptions  not  to  be  binding,  luiless  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  be  sub- 
scribed, each  subscriber  for  one  hundred  pounds  to  have  one  vote,  five  hundred 
pounds  two  votes,  one  thousand  pounds  three  votes,  two  thousand  pounds  four  votes, 
and  no  person  to  have  more  than  four  votes. 

II.  Each  subscriber  shall  pay  into  the  hands  of. the  committee  forty  shillings  law- 
ful money  for  one  thousand  pounds,  and  so  in  proportion  for  a  greater  or  less  sum, 
toward  the  charge  of  bringing  forward  the  affair. 

III.  Each  subscriber  shall  make  over  an  estate  in  lands  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
directors,  and  shall  jiay  in  three  per  cent,  per  annum  interest  for  the  same  in  any  of 
the  following  manufactures,  being  the  produce  of  this  province,   viz. :   Hemp,   flax. 


LSO  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

cordage,  bar  iron,  cast  iron,  linens,  sheep's  wools,  copper,  tanned  leather,  flax  seed, 
bees-wax,  bayberry-wax,  sail  cloth  or  canvas,  nails,  tallow,  lumber  or  cord  wood, 
or  logwood  brought  from  New  Spain  ;  whoever  pays  in  any  of  them  shall  deliver  them 
to  the  directors  or  such  as  they  shall  appoint,  at  such  prices  as  the  directors  shall 
from  time  to  time  regulate,  or  pay  in  the  same  in  the  company's  bills. 

IV.  Every  subscriber  shall  pay  annually  five  per  cent,  as  part  of  the  principal  un- 
til the  whole  is  j)aid,  under  the  same  regulations,  and  in  the  same  manner,  as  in  the 
foregoing  Article  expressed. 

V.  There  shall  be  twelve  directors  and  a  treasurer  chosen  on  such  allowances  as 
shall  be  thought  proper,  who  shall  appoint  clerks  and  other  attendants  as  they  shall 
find  necessary,  and  agree  with  them  for  their  salaries,  and  as  there  vaa.y  be  occasion, 
may  dismiss  them  and  choose  others;  they  shall  also  appoint  persons  to  value  the 
lands  taken  for  securities,  who  shall  be  paid  by  the  mortgager.  All  the  said  officers 
to  be  under  oaths,  and  give  securit)^  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  their  trust.  The 
appraisers  to  be  under  oath. 

VI.  No  person  shall  be  capable  of  being  a  director  or  treasurer  who  signs  less  than 
five  hundred  pounds,  and  if  any  director  or  treasurer 'die,  or  is  removed,  the  vacancy 
shall  be  filled  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  company  by  a  major  vote  of  the  partners 
present;  and  if  any  of  them  be  found  guilty  of  fraud  in  tlie  execution  of  his  office, 
a  major  part  of  the  directors,  concurring  with  a  major  part  of  the  partners,  shall  put 
his  bond  in  suit,  and  he  shall  be  declared  no  longer  a  partner. 

VII.  All  mortgages  and  bonds  shall  be  made  to  the  directors  for  the  use  of  the 
company,  except  what  is  given  by  any  director,  which  shall  be  made  to  the  rest  of 
the  directors ;  and  all  mortgages  shall  be  put  upon  public  record,  to  prevent  clandes- 
tine conveyances,  the  charge  of  recording  to  be  paid  by  the  mortgager;  and  every 
partner  shall  be  obliged  on  demand  of  the  directors,  or  the  major  part  of  them,  to 
give  such  better  security  as  they  shall  think  needful,  in  case  their  security  already 
given  be  by  them  esteemed  insufficient,  and  if  any  of  them  refuse  so  to  do,  his  mort- 
gage shall  be  sued  out,  and  he  shall  no  longer  be  partner. 

VIII.  To  oblige  all  partners  to  pay  their  interest  and  dividend  of  the  principal 
pimctually,  whoever  neglects  paying  above  three  months  after  it  is  due,  his  mortgage 
shall  be  put  in  suit,  and  he  shall  be  no  longer  a  partner. 

IX.  The  directors  shall  from  time  to  time  put  out  upon  lawful  interest  on  good 
security  all  such  sums  as  shall  be  in  the  treasurer's  hands  for  the  use  and  benefit  of 
the  company ;  the  annual  contingent  charge  first  deducted ;  the  borrowers  to  pay 
principal  and  interest  in  the  company's  bills,  or  in  the  aforesaid  manufactures. 

X.  There  shall  be  a  meeting  of  the  partners  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  June  an- 
nually, and  at  the  end  of  five  years  at  that  meeting  there  shall  be  a  dividend  made 
of  so  much  f)f  the  profits  as  shall  l)e  agreed  on  by  a  major  part  of  the  directors,  con- 
curring with  a  major  part  of  the  partners  then  present,  and  from  that  time  there  shall 
be  a  dividend  at  every  annual  meeting;  provided  always  that  in  such  dividends  care 
shall  be  taken  that  there  still  remain  in  the  stock  double  the  principal  paid  in  from 
time  to  time  as  aforesaid. 

XI.  It  shall  be  in  the  power  of  any  partner  to  redeem  the  estate  he  hath  mort- 
gaged at  the  end  of  five  years,  or  afterwards,  he  having  the  consent  of  the  major 
part  of  the  directors,  with  the  major  part  of  the  partners,  by  paying  in  the  mcmey  he 
received  out  thereon,  witli  the  interest  then  due,  either  in  the  company's  bills,  or  in 
the  manufactures  before  mentioned. 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  ISl 

XII.  Whereas  it  is  principally  designed  that  all  the  subscribers  shall  give  land 
security,  as  before  mentioned  in  the  third  Article,  yet  as  there  are  many  artificers 
and  traders  m  this  town  of  Boston,  in  good  credit,  who  have  not  real  estate  to  mort- 
gage, but  can  give  good  personal  .security  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  directors ;  Now 
that  such  persons  and  they  only  be  encouraged  in  their  respective  occupations,  it 
shall  be  in  the  power  of  the  directors  to  admit  such  persons  to  be  subscribers,  but 
none  for  more  than  one  hundred  pounds,  they  giving  bonds  with  two  sufficient  sure- 
ties in  double  that  sum. 

XIII.  As  the  signers  of  the  bills  oblige  themselves  to  the  possessors  in  behalf  of  the 
partners,  so  the  partners  must  oblige  themselves  by  an  instrument  to  indemnifv  the 
signers. 

XIV.  At  the  annual  meetmg  in  June  all  accounts  relating  to  the  companj-  shall  be 
laid  before  them  by  the  directors  and  treasurer,  and  a  major  part  of  the  directors, 
concurring  with  a  major  part  of  the  company  then  present,  may  agree  upon  anj^ 
other  rules  or  methods  for  the  better  observing  and  fulfilling  the  Articles  aforesaid. 

The  bill  to  be  as  follows,  viz. :  Twenty  Shillings. 

We  promise  for  our.selves  and  partners  to  receive  this  Twenty  Shilling  Bill  of 
Credit  as  so  much  lawful  money,  in  all  pa3nTients,  trade  and  business,  and  after  the 
expiration  of  twenty  years  to  pay  the  possessor  the  value  thereof  in  manufactures  of 
this  Province.      Boston,  etc. 

It  i.s  worthy  of  remark  that  the  anticipations  of  Governor  Belcher 
were  signally  verified  as  time  went  on.  The  bank,  no  donbt,  labored 
nnder  the  disadvantage  of  having  opposed  to  it  the  highest  colonial 
authorities ;  but  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  basis  upon  which  it  was  formed 
was  not  one  which  could  be  fairly  sustained  under  varying  conditions, 
and-  with  the  tendency  of  human  nature  to  throw  disagreeable  burdens 
upon  others  rather  than  to  assume  an  equitable  share  of  the  load.  The 
bank  issued  notes  to  a  large  amount,  but  when  it  became  necessary  to 
recall  and  redeem  them  it  was  found  that  quite  a  number  of  the  asso- 
ciates were  not  in  a  condition  to  make  good  their  pledges,  and  the  more 
responsible  of  their  number  had  to  bear  a  disproportionate  share  in  the 
work.  Thus  as  late  as  17G0  the  stockholders  of  the  Land  Bank  peti- 
tioned the  Legislature  for  authority  to  start  a  lottery  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  money  to  meet  their  indebtedness,  and  as  late  as  17GS  there  were 
petitioners  to  the  General  Court  asking  that  they  might  be  relieved  from 
obligations  that  had  been  assumed  twenty-eight  years  before.  The  set- 
tlement led  to  a  vast  amount  of  litigation,  the  holders  of  the  notes  hav- 
ing to  content  themselves,  after  expenses  had  been  paid,  with  a  rela- 
tively small  return  upon  the  face  value  of  the  bills,  while,  as  we  have 
just  said,  the  burden  of  redemption  fell  upon  a  relatively  small  nutnber 
of  the  original  incorporators. 


182  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

And  yet,  this  bank,  so  crudely  org'anized,  and  bearing-  upon  its  face 
the  marks  of  speedy  dissolution,  was  for  a  time  so  popular  as  to  almost 
occasion  a  local  revolution.  In  Ma}"  of  1741  the  governor  had  assur- 
ance that  a  thousand  men  were  to  rise  in  Boston  and  to  be  joined  by  a 
number  of  thousands  from  the  country,  for  the  purpose  of  demanding- 
his  reasons  for  opposing  the  Land  Bank,  and  to  mob  the  traders  who  re- 
fused to  sell  coin  for  its  bills.  The  insurrection  did  not  materialize, 
partly  for  the  reason  that  Governor  Belcher  took  the  initiative  and  ar- 
rested a  number  of  those  who  were  thought  to  be  the  leaders  in  the  con- 
templated disturbance. 

To  show  the  mixed  state  of  the  currency  of  Boston  at  that  period,  it 
is  well  to  quote  from  a  letter  written  by  a  resident  of  Boston  to  a  mer- 
chant in  London.  "  We  have  in  Massachusetts,"  he  says,  "public  bills 
of  four  provinces  at  'l^^s  for  an  ounce  of  silver.  New  tenor  of  Massa- 
chusetts at  (ij- S,'/ of  silver.  Connecticut  new  tenor  at  S.s-,  and  Rhode 
Island  new  tenor  at  (Lv  \)d.  Of  Private  Bank  bills  there  are  ^110,000, 
issued  in  1*73:),  to  prevent  an  enormous  Rhode  Island  emission  from  de- 
preciating our  currency.  They  are  punctually  paid  in  gold  and  silver, 
and  are  '.V.\  y>q\'  cent,  better  than  Province  bills.  There  is  another  sum 
of  ^120, ()()(»  in  merchants'  notes  emitted  in  1740,  on  a  silver  bottom  to 
stifle  the  Land  Bank,  which  are  equivalent  to  cash.  They  wht)  are  re- 
sponsible for  them  are  eminent  and  wealthy  merchants.  The  bills  of 
the  Land  Bank  are  payable  in  20  years,  and  then  only  in  goods  at  an 
arbitrary  price." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  little  town  of  Boston  at  that  time  was  not 
only  overloaded  with  depreciated  currency,  but  had  a  vast  and  curious 
assortment  of  different  kinds  of  notes  in  circulation,  so  that  the  ordinary 
tradesman,  as  well  as  the  ordinary  citizen,  needed  to  possess  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  varieties  of  paper  bills  and  their  respective  values, 
which  would  now  be  found  only  among  those  trained  in  the  oflice  of  an 
exchange  broker. 

Matters  seem  to  have  gone  for  the  next  few  years  from  bad  to  worse, 
for  while  the  paper  issues  of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  were  not 
materially  extended,  the  emissions  of  bills  of  credit  by  the  adjoining 
colonies  were  extremely  frecpient.  In  1744  the  governor  in  a  message 
to  the  Legislature  stated  that  there  were  at  that  time  ^A:U),0{)0  of 
Rhode  Island  bills  in  circulation,  of  which  ^:)r)0,00(»  were  passing  in 
Massachu. setts,  and  that  otlicr  adjoining  colonies  seemed  to  consider 
that  Boston  was  the  best  place  in  which  they  could  di.spose  of  their 
paper  money. 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  183 

On  May  31,  1744,  in  the  annual  election  sermon,  Rev.  James  Allen 
said,  referring-  to  these  troubles:  "And  you  (the  governor)  will  be  the 
means  of  delivering  us  from  the  perplexing  difficulties  we  are  involved 
in,  particularly  by  an  unhappy  medium,  uncertain  as  the  wind,  and 
fluctuating-  like  the  waves  of  the  sea,  which  lies  at  the  mercy  of  every 
one  to  rise  or  sink  at  his  pleasure.  Through  the  imrighteonsness 
whereof  the  land  mourneth,  and  the  cries  of  many  are  going  up  into  the 
ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabbaoth. " 

A  changed  condition,  when  it  came,  was  brought  about  by  circum- 
stances that  could  not  have  been  foreseen,  and  yet  thrcnigh  a  line  of 
action  sug-gested  several  years  before  by  Mr.  Thomas  Hutchinson.  In 
174?  a  report  was  made  by  the  English  Lords  of  the  Treasury  on  the 
expense  of  the  North  American  colonies  in  the  expedition  against  Cape 
Breton.  They  stated  the  proportion  of  Massachusetts  to  be  ^261,700 
in  the  new  tenor  bills.  This  computed  at  143  per  cent,  for  exchang-e 
made  about  ^LS3,000,  which  was  said  to  be  the  credit  of  this  colon3\ 
On  the  receipt  of  this  estimate,  Mr.  Hutchinson  moved  in  the  Legis- 
lature that  the  public  notes  be  redeemed  by  specie  to  be  received  from 
the  Royal  Exchecpier  for  charges  in  the  capture  of  Louisburg. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  merchants  of  London  who  traded  in  Boston 
petitioned  the  Parliament  to  the  same  effect.  The  project  of  Mr.  Hutch- 
inson did  not  at  first  receive  much  encouragement,  at  least  from  the 
House  of  Representatives,  and  it  seems  to  have  required  all  of  his  per- 
suasion, eloquence  and  influence  to  secure  its  adoption.  Biit  in  time  he 
succeeded,  and  a  committee  was  designated  to  meet  similar  bodies  from 
other  New  England  governments  on  the  same  subject.  These  other 
colonies  did  not,  however,  seem  to  be  favorably  impressed  with  the 
plan,  hence  it  was  necessary  for  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  to  un- 
dertake the  work  of  redemption  on  its  own  account. 

The  redemption  law  passed  the  Legislature  on  the  3l)th  of  January, 
174S.  It  required  all  of  its  bills  of  credit  to  be  exchanged  at  the  treas- 
ury by  March  31,  1750,  at  the  following  rates:  For  A:bs  in  bills  of  the 
old  tenor,  one  piece  of  eight  or  a  dollar;  for  IIjt  and  3^/ of  the  middle 
and  new  tenor,  the  same  coin ;  and  so  in  proportion  for  greater  or  less 
sums.  If  any  of  such  bills  were  kept  back  for  a  year  after  the  time 
designated,  they  were  to  be  irredeemable.  The  enactment  further  pro- 
vided that  as  the  paper  system  was  to  be  dispensed  with,  all  public  and 
private  demands  contracted  after  the  date  fixed  for  recalling  the  treasury 
notes  should  be  accounted  as  payable  in  silver  coin  estimated  at  (js  8d 


184  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

fur  an  ounce.  It  was  further  provided  that  what  the  specie,  to  be  re- 
ceived from  Eno-kmd,  should  hick  of  paying  these  notes,  should  be  can- 
celled by  a  tax. 

In  addition  the  following  penalty  was  enacted  for  taking  or  passing 
any  of  the  New  Hampshire,  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  notes,  the 
oath  in  question  to  be  taken  at  the  renewal  of  licenses  of  all  innholders 
and  all  officers  of  towns  and  states:  "  You,  A.  B.,  do  in  the  presence 
of  God  solemnly  declare  that  you  have  not,  since  the  last  day  of 
March,  1750,  wittingly  and  willingly,  directly  or  indirectly,  either  for 
yourself  or  any  for  or  under  you,  been  concerned  in  receiving  or  paying 
within  this  government  any  bill  or  bills  of  credit  of  either  of  the  gov- 
ernments of  Connecticut,  New  Hampshire  or  Rhode  Island.  So  help 
you  God." 

It  is  probable  that  this  oath  was  more  formidable  in  its  reading 
than  in  its  execution,  for  it  is  a  matter  of  rec(;rd  that  bills  of  these  ad- 
joining colonies  circulated  to  some  extent  in  Boston  after  the  period 
designated. 

On  September  IS,  174'.),  the  public  were  informed  that  the  specie 
paid  by  the  crown  had  arrived  in  Boston  under  the  charge  of  Mr. 
William  Bollan,  then  the  provincial  agent  of  Massachusetts  in  London. 
This  money  consisted  of  (;5;3,0(H)  ounces  of  silver  and  ten  tons  of  copper. 
There  is  reason  to  believe  that  this  was  more  coin  than  there  had  ever 
before  been  in  Massachusetts  at  the  same  time.  The  remittance  and 
other  subsequent  ones,  in  connection  with  the  prohibition  of  bills  of 
credit  here,  gave  to  Massachusetts  the  name  of  the  "hard  money 
colony." 

In  the  following  winter,  in  order  to  prevent  the  farthings  and  coined 
silver  and  gold  from  passing  at  a  proportionately  higher  rate  than  a 
milled  dollar  at  (l.v. ,  it  was  thought  desirable  by  the  Legislature  to  issue 
a  paper  bill  of  small  denominations,  and  for  this  reason  it  was  voted 
that  ^':), ()()(»  of  bills  be  struck  off,  to  be  denominated  \d.,  'Id.,  ?uL, 
iyid.,  Vu/.  and  IS^/. 

While  it  is  probable  that  among  the  business  men  the  change  in  the 
system  of  currency  was  received  with  tmqualified  satisfaction,  there 
appears  to  have  been  serious  doubts  in  the  minds  of  the  agricultural 
classes  who  traded  in  Boston.  This  is  brought  out  in  the  following- 
poetical  dialogue,  printed  in  the  Boston  l/Vr/Vr  Ncti's  Letter  of  1750, 
Honestus  representing  a  country  trader  and   I'oliticus  a  merchant: 


FINANCIAL  HISTORY.  185 

HONESTUS. 

Why,  Sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I'm  come 
To  bring  some  paper  trash  to  Town 
To  pay  my  debts ;  for  I  do  fear 
I  shan't  be  able  'nother  year. 

i-OLrncus. 
When  once  the  dollars  shall  come  out, 
Ther  '1  be  no  want  of  money  then ; 
Eager  you  '1  catch  the  glittering  Coin, 
And  bless  the  golden  era  when 
This  paper  trash  is  no  more  seen. 

IIONESTUS. 

Ah,  Sir,  we  hear  the  Province  bills 
Do  lie  recluse  within  the  tills 
Of  some  great  men,  to  wait  the  time 
The  dollars  shall  the  same  redeem. 
And  what  is  worse  than  all,  'tis  said 
To  foreign  lands  they  '1  be  conveyed. 
,  Then  what  's  our  fate — the  silver  gone — 

The  paper  burnt — and  we  undone. 

This  feeling-  of  distrust  was  further  increased  by  artful  agitation  on 
the  part  of  those  who  had  previously  benefited  through  the  paper  issues 
of  neighboring-  colonies,  and  the  House  of  Representatives  took  into 
consideration  the  case  of  two  individuals  who  were  suspected  of  pub- 
lishing and  dispensing  a  printed  paper  containing  sundry  expressions 
tending  to  bring  into  contempt  and  subvert  the  constitution  of  this 
government.  These  persons  appear  to  have  beeii  concerned  in  having 
verses  printed  in  Rhode  Island  containing  a  lamentation  for  the  death 
of  old  tenor  currency  and  having  very  hard  reflections  on  the  General 
Court.  In  April  of  1751  a  large  number  of  people  from  Abington  and 
other  towns  came  to  Boston  with  riotous  intentions  to  force  the  Legis- 
lature to  condemn  a  system  which  was  threatening  to  cut  down  the 
wages  of  those  dependent  on  labor  for  their  support,  while  granting  to 
the  wealthy  an  opportunity  to  hoard  rip  silver  and  gold.  The  rioters, 
however,  when  they  arrived  in  Boston  w^ere  not  met  by  the  large  party 
of  co-operators  that  they  had  expected,  and  their  cotirage  consequently 
evaporated. 

The  commi-ssioners  appointed  to  exchange  the  puV)lic  notes  for  specie 
closed  their  labors  June  o,  1751,  and  reported  at  the  time  that  they  had 
redeemed  ^"l,7'.»2,2;3<i  5.s\    \d.   of  the  different  credit  bills  of  the  colony, 

24 


180  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

at  the  rate  in  the  total  of  about  one  in  speeie  for  ten  in  paper.  This 
was  nearly  all  of  the  paper  eurreney  that  was  out.  For  years  following 
petitions  eame  in  from  time  to  time  to  the  Legislature  asking  that  the 
paper  money  found  might  be  redeemed,  some  having  been  discovered 
in  old  desks,  bottoms  of  leather  chairs,  and  other  private  places  of  de- 
posit. The  government  of  the  time  seems  to  have  been  exceedingly 
lenient  and  to  have  allowed  the  claims  of  these  subsequent  petitioners 
for  losses  sustained  in  bringing  about  this  wholesome  and  healthy 
change. 

It  is  only  fair  to  point  out  that  the  one  chiefly  responsible  for  the 
reform  was  Mr.  Thomas  Hutchinson.  As  he  remarked  afterward  to  a 
correspondent  in  England:  "  I  think  that  I  may  be  allowed  to  call  my- 
self the  father  of  the  present  fixed  medium,  and  perhaps  have  a  natural 
bias  in  favor  of  it."  It  is  well  to  have  this  fact  kept  clearly  in  view, 
for  Governor  Hutchinson,  as  he  afterwards  became,  was  later  one  of 
the  most  tmpopular  men  in  Boston,  and  the  historical  accounts  that 
have  come  down  to  us  concerning  him  have  referred  almost  entirely  to 
his  opposition  to  the  patriotic  wishes  of  the  colonists,  and  have  made 
little  reference  to  the  very  able  part  he  took  in  rescuing  the  colony 
from  this  quagmire  of  depreciated  currency. 

On  June  25,  1751,  a  law  was  enacted  by  Parliament  that  the  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  colony  should  not  thereafter  issue  bills  of  credit,  and 
should  emit  only  such  paper  money  as  was  needed  for  the  expenses  of 
the  government  each  year,  or  in  case  of  invasion  by  an  enemy,  but 
never  as  a  legal  tender  for  debt.  That  this  requisition  might  be  com- 
plied with,  any  governor  who  should  consent  to  a  rule  of  different 
signification  on  this  subject  was  to  be  dismissed  from  office  and  ever 
after  be  ineligible  to  public  employment. 

In  spite  of  the  large  volume  of  specie  that  had  l)een  received  in  1741), 
in  1755  the  contraction  of  the  currency,  due  to  the  necessity  of  paying 
l)ills  abroad,  was  so  great  that  the  General  Court  voted  to  negotiate  a 
loan  of  ;^23,000  in  London  for  six  years  at  lawful  interest.  This  course 
was  adopted  several  times  as  a  means  of  obtaining  the  silver  needed  for 
the  conduct  of  business. 

In  1700  the  Lords  of  the  Treasury  in  London,  in  settling  the  account 
of  expenses  due  to  carrying  on  the  war  with  Canada,  allowed  to  Massa- 
chusetts the  sum  of  ^200,000  as  its  proportion.  It  was  thought  desir- 
able by  some  that  this  .should  be  remitted  to  the  colony  in  silver,  in  the 
same  manner  that  the  former  remittances  had  l)een  made;  but  the  chief 


FINANCIAL  HISTORY.  187 

magistrate  for  the  time  being,  Governor  Bernard,  considered  it  desir- 
able to  give  to  the  General  Court  a  simple  lesson  in  finance,  as  had 
some  of  his  predecessors.  He  said:  "If  we  look  for  the  advantages 
which  are  to  balance  the  great  cost  of  importing  the  reimbursement  in 
hard  money,  we  shall  find  them  all  imaginary.  They  are  not  of  the 
real  value  of  one  shilling.  If  there  is  any  want  of  specie  for  circulation, 
it  would  be  but  a  temporary  convenience,  and  not  a  lasting  gain  to 
introduce  specie,  and  the  want  must  be  gi"eat  to  justify  so  large  a 
premiuiu  as  ten  per  cent.  It  is  the  nature  of  trade,  like  water,  to  bring 
itself  to  a  level.  It  is  just  the  same  thing,  whether  you  bring  a  certain 
quantity  of  specie  into  the  province,  or  prevent  the  like  quantity  from 
going  out  of  it.  As,  therefore,  the  advantages  of  negotiating  your 
money  by  bills  are  very  plain  and  certain,  the  only  cpiestion  will  be 
whether  it  is  practicable." 

In  accordance  with  the  advice  of  the  governor  it  was  ordered  by  the 
Legislature  that  the  treasurer  draw  bills  of  exchange  on  London  for 
the  proportion  of  money  granted  by  Parliament  to  Massachusetts  for 
military  charges. 

At  this  time  a  new  question  arose  in  the  colony  in  relation  to  our  local 
currency,  which  is  curiously  the  antithesis  of  the  controversies  that 
have  been  going  on  for  some  time  past  in  relation  to  the  currency 
system  of  the  L^nited  States.  Silver  was  found  to  be  most  profitable 
by  the  merchants  for  the  payment  of  debts  due  in  England,  and  for  this 
reason  silver  was  the  metal  oftenest  exported.  At  the  same  time  gold 
not  being  of  so  ready  an  exchange  there  for  mercantile  obligations,  and 
not  being  a  legal  tender  for  debt  here,  although  it  was  current  as  in- 
dividuals might  agree,  was  exceptionally  plentiful.  To  prevent  the 
inconvenience  arising  from  this  unsettled  relationship  between  the  two 
metals,  a  majority  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  as  well  as  the 
business  community,  were  desirous  of  having  gold  made  a  legal 
tender. 

This  led  to  the  introduction  of  a  bill  into  the  General  Court  in  No- 
vember, 1761.  This  said:  "Whereas,  divers  species  of  foreign  gold 
coin  are  current  in  this  province,  and  are  received  into  and  paid  out  of 
the  public  treasury,  but  are  not  lawful  money  in  public  or  private  pay- 
ments, b}^  which  it  is  apparent  many  inconveniences  have  arisen  to  the 
prejudice  of  trade  and  commerce,  and  consequently  very  detrimental 
to  the  public,  therefore  such  luoney  is  to  be  placed  on  the  same  footing 
of  legality  as  silver."     Curiously  enough,  in  this  effort  to  give  a  legal 


188  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

tender  value  to  ookl  Mr.  Thomas  Hutchinson  was  found  in  the  opposi- 
tion. vSo  far  as  one  can  judge,  he  was  profoundly  convinced  of  the 
desirability  of  having  a  single  standard  of  value,  and  was  of  the  opin- 
ion that  silver  best  performed  that  function.  He  said,  writing  to  a 
correspondent  in  December,  17<>1  :  "  The  last  session  of  the  Court  was 
spent  in  a  controversy  about  our  money.  The  House  passed  a  vote  for 
making  gold  a  lawful  tender  at  the  rate  it  passes.  This  would  have 
driven  away  our  silver  and  eventually  depreciated  the  currency.  I 
stood  in  front  of  the  opposition,  and  it  was  with  diiificulty  the  Council 
was  kept  from  concurring.  I  am  afraid  the  next  session,  as  the  gov- 
ernor at  present  is  not  sensible  of  the  ill  consequences  of  the  proposal, 
it  will  pass.  If  it  succeed  I  look  upon  it  to  be  the  first  step  of  our 
return  to  P^gypt. " 

A  part  of  his  premonitions  were  correct.  In  January,  1702,  in  again 
writing  to  his  correspondent  he  says:  "  The  House  has  passed  a  bill 
for  issuing  notes  payable  in  dollars  at  (J.s',  or  in  gold  at  the  rate  now  set, 
which  sinks  our  currency  four  or  five  per  cent.  It  will  pass  the  Board 
with  little  opposition.  The  secretary,  Irving,  Bowdoin,  and  two  or 
three  more  are  with  me,  and  a  great  clamor  is  raised  against  my 
papers.  Pray  tell  me  if  I  am  wrong  and  let  me  know  what  people  say 
on  your  side  of  the  water.  If  the  party  see  them  ccmdcmned  I  shall 
have  no  chance.      Our  debts  will  be  paid  in  a  twelvemonth." 

Apparentl}^  the  evils  that  Mr.  Hutchinson  anticipated  did  not  come 
to  pass.  The  people  of  Boston  were  severely  straitened  in  their  re- 
sources by  depreciations  in  trade,  and  by  their  inability  to  export  in 
commodities  values  to  the  amount  that  they  imported.  But  the  driv- 
ing out  of  silver  by  gold,  and  the  necessary  adoption  of  a  single 
standard  of  gold,  did  not  seem  to  follow. 

The  financial  affliction  which  was  next  felt,  and  which  aroused  the 
quickest  opposition,  was  the  imposition  of  taxes  by  the  English  Parlia- 
ment, which  necessitated  the  payment  of  coin  into  the  British  treasur}^ 
It  may  be  well  to  point  out  at  this  time  that  the  indignation  that  was 
aroused  in  Boston  and  its  vicinity  by  the  vStamp  Act  and  other  similar 
imperial  enactments,  was  due  (juite  as  much  and  perhaps  more  to  the 
belief  that  they  would  deplete  the  colony  of  its  currency  than  to  any 
theoretical  feeling  concerning  the  injustice  of  imposing  a  tax  without 
according  representation.  We  are  disposed  to  believe  that  this  basis 
for  resistance  was  an  afterthought.  Thus  in  ITHSa  majorit}' of  the 
Massachusetts  Council   petitioned  the  House  of  Commons  to  aid  in  the 


jdMyio^i^  y  .^^^^^^^ 


FINANCIAL  HISTORY.  189 

removal  of  grievances  it  endured.  The  petition  says:  "  This  province 
is  still  in  debt  on  account  of  the  charge  incurred  by  the  late  war.  The 
yearly  taxes  upon  the  people  for  lessening  the  debt,  though  not  so 
great  as  during  the  war,  are  nevertheless  with  more  difficulty  paid  by 
reason  of  the  great  scarcity  of  inoney.  The  scarcity  of  money  in  the 
colonies  is  owing  to  the  balance  of  their  trade  with  Great  Britain  being 
against  them,  which  balance  drains  them  of  their  money  to  the  great 
embarrassment  of  their  trade,  and  the  only  source  of  it.  This  em- 
barrassment is  much  increased  by  the  regulations  of  trade  and  by  the 
tax  acts,  which  draw  immediately  from  trade  the  money  necessary  to 
support  it,  on  the  support  whereof  the  payment  of  the  balance  afore- 
said depends.  The  exports  of  the  colonies,  all  their  gold  and  silver, 
and  their  whole  power  of  remittance  falls  short  of  the  charged  value  of 
what  the}'  import  from  Great  Britain." 

In  other  words,  the  imposition  of  taxes  which  drew  the  money 
directly  from  the  colony  without  hope  of  its  return,  tended,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  Boston  merchants,  to  bring  their  currency  system  again 
into  the  demoralized  condition  in  which  it  had  been  prior  to  its  estab- 
lishment upon  a  specie  basis.  In  spite  of  these  protests  the  tax  still 
continued,  and,  curiously  enough,  the  industrial  and  financial  condition 
of  the  province  seemed  to  improve. 

Thus  in  January  of  1774  Governor  Hutchinson  said:  ''There  never 
has  been  a  time  since  the  first  settlement  of  the  country  when  the 
treasury  has  been  in  so  good  a  state  as  it  is  now.  I  may  congratulate 
the  province  upon  its  being  entirely  free  from  debt,  the  tax  of  last  year 
with  a  stock  in  the  treasury  being  ecpial  to  all  the  securities  due  from 
the  government  and  to  the  charges  of  the  current  year."  The  people 
of  Boston  were  not  in  the  least  disposed  to  receive  these  flattering- 
statements  in  good  part,  and  maintained  that  the  governor's  descrip- 
tion was  due  to  his  desire  to  pacify  the  political  animosities  of  the 
people,  and  that  they  were  not  justified  by  facts,  though  so  far  as  evi- 
dence shows  they  were  incorrect  in  this  supposition,  for  the  statements 
of  Governor  Hutchinson  appear  to  have  been  strictlv  true. 

In  May  of  1775  the  Committee  of  Safety  appointed  by  the  Provincial 
Council,  passed  the  resolve  that,  "Whereas,  many  of  our  brethren  of 
the  colonies  of  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  are  now  with  us  to  assist 
us  in  this  day  of  public  and  general  distress,  in  which  we  are  deeply 
concerned,  and  whereas  our  brethren  of  said  colonies  have  brought 
with  them  some  of  the  paper  currencies  of  their  respective   colonies. 


190  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

which  have  not  of  late  had  a  currency  with  lis,  and  for  want  of  which 
our  common  interests  may  greatly  suffer,  Resolved,  that  said  paper 
currencies  shall,  and  after  the  date  hereof,  be  paid  and  received  within 
this  colony  in  all  payments  to  all  intents  and  purposes  in  the  same  pro- 
portion to  silver  as  the  same  are  paid  and  received  within  the  respective 
colonies  by  which  the  same  have  been  issued." 

This  was  the  first  act  of  financial  independence,  setting,  as  it  did,  at 
defiance  the  severe  restrictions  and  penalties  that  the  English  Parlia- 
ment had  imposed.  To  sustain  the  defences  of  the  colony  money  was 
needed,  and  the  Provincial  Congress  empowered  the  treasury  to  borrow 
;^100,000  lawful  money  secured  by  notes  of  the  province  at  six  per 
cent.,  and  the  General  Congress  was  asked  to  promote  the  circulation 
of  this  currency  throughout  the  Union.  The  form  of  note  was  substan- 
tially the  same  as  had  been  previously  issued,  bearing  the  heading  of 
the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  stating  that  the  notes  "will  be 
received  in  all  payments  in  the  colony,  and  no  discount  or  abatement 
shall  be  made  thereon  in  any  payment,  trade  or  exchange  whatsoever." 

This  was  a  revival  of  paper  money  as  a  legal  tender,  after  a  lapse  of 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  during  which  time  the  people  had 
become  accustomed  to  and  had  realized  the  advantages  of  a  specie  cur- 
rency or  of  a  currency  founded  distinctly  upon  specie.  These  provin- 
cial ImUs  of  credit  with  the  notes  to  the  amount  of  $2,0t)(),000  issued  by 
the  Continental  Congress,  soon  had  their  effect  in  bringing  about  their 
own  depreciation,  although  the  congressional  bills  were  issued  under 
the  order  that  "whoso  refuses  to  take  these  notes  without  some  dis- 
count shall  be  deemed  an  enemy  to  his  country;"  while  the  Com- 
mittee of  Public  Safety  of  Massachusetts  voted  on  their  second  issue  of 
paper  money  in  July  of  1775  that  they  were  a  legal  tender  in  all  pecun- 
iary transactions  as  equivalent  to  specie  at  the  usual  rates,  under  penalty 
of  treble  damages  to  both  the  payer  and  receiver. 

The  General  Court  of  the  colony  under  the  new  order  of  things, 
which  assembled  in  August,  1775,  authorized  a  fresh  emission  of  ^100,- 
000  in  paper,  and  at  this  time  decreed  that  on  the  back  of  it  should  be 
stamped  the  figure  of  an  American  citizen,  with  a  sword  in  his  right 
hand,  and  with  an  inscription  which  is  still  our  State  motto.  This 
money  received  the  appellation  of  "  sword  in  hand  money"  because  of 
the  armed  image  on  its  l)ack. 

While  the  discounts  at  which  the  colonial  and  continental  paper  money 
circulated  were  at  first  ccmiparatively  slight,  during  the  year   1775  loss 


FINANCIAL  HISTORY.  191 

•^f  credit  became  apparent.  In  the  early  part  of  1776,  as  a  sign  of  the 
scarcity  of  specie,  as  well  as  of  a  distrust  in  the  security  of  paper  money, 
strenuous  efforts  were  made  to  raise  ^30,000  of  hard  money  in  Massa- 
chusetts on  exchange  for  bills,  this  to  promote  the  expedition  of  our 
forces  to  Canada;  but  the  effort  met  with  a  disheartening  degree  of 
success. 

In  order  to  meet  this  growing  trouble  the  New  England  colonies  sent 
delegates  to  a  convention  which  was  held  in  Providence,  R.  I. ,  to  see 
if  something  could  not  be  done  by  general  action  to  strengthen  their 
credit.  The  result  was  a  passage  of  resolves  that  "whoever  pays,  or 
receives  the  colonial  or  continental  currency  at  a  less  rate  than  origi- 
nally prescribed,  besides  being  accounted  a  foe  to  the  liberties  of  his 
country,  shall  forfeit  the  sum  so  exchanged. "  They  also  advise  several 
States  to  make  this  paper  a  legal  tender  for  debts  as  previously  re- 
cjuired,  and  to  provide  that  a  refusal  of  it  in  such  a  mode  should  be 
the  extinguishment  of  all  claims. 

In  accordance  with  agreements  made  at  this  convention  the  State  of 
Massachusetts  in  January,  1777,  adopted  a  statute  in  which  it  set  forth 
the  value  in  money  of  practically  all  the  commodities  sold  in  the  colony 
and  the  value  as  well  of  services  paid  for  by  the  day.  These  were  to 
be  the  prices  at  which  goods  were  to  be  sold  and  services  given,  the 
same  to  be  paid  in  the  legal  tender  of  the  country,  and  any  discount 
therefrom  or  other  charge  would  constitute  a  serious  offence. 

In  spite  of  these  strenuous  efforts  depreciation  still  continued,  and  it 
was  asserted  that  to  intensify  this  the  British  put  in  circulation  a  large 
amount  of  counterfeit  bills  in  imitation  of  those  that  had  been  emitted 
by  Congress.  In  June  of  177!)  Congress  felt  constrained  to  take  into 
account  the  serious  question  of  currency  depreciation.  It  therefore  is- 
sued a  proclamation  which  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  had  print- 
ed and  read  by  all  of  the  ministers  in  its  jurisdiction  on  the  first  vSun- 
day  after  it  reached  them. 

This  document  said :  ' '  The  present  situation  of  public  affairs  de- 
mands your  serious  attention,  and  particularly  the  great  and  increasing 
depreciation  of  your  currency  requires  the  immediate,  strenuotis  and 
united  efforts  of  all  true  friends  to  their  country  for  preventing  an  ex- 
tension of  the  mischiefs  that  have  already  flowed  from  that  source.  For 
defraying  the  expenses  of  this  uncommon  war,  our  representatives  to 
Congress  were  obliged  to  emit  paper  money.  They  were  very  sensible 
of  the  inconveniences  with  which  too  frequent  emissions   would  be  at- 


192  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

tended  and  endeavored  to  avoid  them.  For  this  purpose  they  establish- 
ed loan  offices  as  early  as  in  October,  177ii,  and  have  from  that  time  to 
this  repeatedly  and  earnestly  solicited  you  to  lend  them  money  on  the 
faith  of  the  United  States.  The  sums  received  on  loan  have  neverthe- 
less proved  inadequate  to  public  exig-encies.  Our  enemies  prosecuting 
the  Avar  by  sea  and  land  with  implacable  fury,  and  with  some  success, 
taxation  at  home  and  borrowing  abroad  in  the  midst  of  difficulties  and 
dangers  were  alike  impracticable,  hence  the  continued  necessity  of  new 
emissions.  Your  government  being  now  established  and  your  ability 
to  contend  with  your  invaders  ascertained,  we  have  on  the  most  mature 
deliberation  judged  it  indispensably  necessary  to  call  upon  you  for 
$45,000,000,  in  addition  to  the  fifteen  millions  required  by  resolution  of 
Congress  on  the  3d  of  June  last." 

At  that  time  the  paper  issues  of  the  national  government  were  about 
$1()0,()<)0,(I()(»;  but  the  proclamation,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  although  ap- 
pealing to  patriotism,  did  not  produce  the  desired  result  in  strengthen- 
ing the  credit.  In  vSeptember  of  the  same  year  (1770)  the  conditions  of 
the  currency  were  such  that  the  Legislature  of  this  State  passed  the  re- 
solve that,  ' '  Whereas,  this  vState  are  using  their  utmost  endeavors  to 
appreciate  the  currency  of  the  United  States,  there  is  great  danger 
that  their  laudable  exertions  will  be  entirely  defeated  if  measures  are 
not  speedily  taken  to  prevent  the  inhabitants  of  this  and  the  other 
United  vStates  from  conveying  articles  out  of  this  vState,  therefore  be  it 
enacted,"  etc.,  "there  shall  be  no  exportation  of  them  either  by  land  or 
water. " 

The  articles  included  were  wines,  spirits,  coffee,  molasses,  sugar,  co- 
coa, cotton  wool,  sheep's  wool,  fiax,  salt,  linen  and  cotton  and  woolen 
goods,  etc.  In  certain  respects  this  law  seemed  necessary,  for  in  con- 
sequence of  the  fluctuations  in  different  localities  in  the  value  of  conti- 
nental and  vState  bills  advantages  were  taken  in  trade  somewhat  disas- 
trous to  our  people.  For  example,  while  in  the  latter  part  of  177'.)  forty 
dollars  in  continental  money  was  worth  one  dollar  in  specie  in  Boston, 
the  value  elsewhere  might  be  sixty  dollars  in  continental  money  to  one 
in  specie ;  and  it  is  related  that  a  merchant  in  Boston  received  a  large 
amount  of  this  paper  from  a  friend  of  his  in  Philadelphia  with  instruc- 
tions to  buy  whatever  salable  articles  he  conveniently  could.  Accord- 
ingly he  went  to  the  principal  stores  which  were  filled  with  dry  goods, 
pointed  to  the  shelves  of  cotton  or  linen  and  so  on,  inquired  the  price, 
and  when  told  said  that  he  would  take  the  whole  k^t,  paying  for  this  in 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  193 

continental  bills  that  at  the  time  were  worth  fully  fifty  per  cent,  more 
here  than  in  Philadelphia. 

The  representatives  in  Congress,  although  they  continued  issuing 
paper  money,  allowed  themselves  to  believe,  or  tried  to  make  the  peo- 
ple think  that  they  believed,  that  the  depreciation  in  it  was  due  to  arti- 
ficial rather  than  other  reasons.  In  the  proclamation  which  they  sent 
out  they  said  that  "  the  depreciation  of  this  money  is  always  either  nat- 
ural or  artificial.  The  latter  is  our  case.  The  artificial  depreciation  is 
a  most  serious  subject,  a  distrust,  however  occasioned,  entertained  by 
the  mass  of  the  people  either  in  the  ability  or  inclination  of  the  United 
States  to  redeem  their  bills  is  the  cause  of  it.  The  ability  of  the  United 
States  must  depend  on  two  things,  first,  the  success  of  the  present  rev- 
olution, secondly,  on  the  sufficiency  of  the  natural  wealth,  value  and 
resources  of  the  country.  That  the  time  has  been  when  honest  men 
might,  without  being  chargeable  w'ith  timidity,  have  doubted  the  suc- 
cess of  the  present  revolution,  we  admit ;  but  that  period  is  past.  The 
redemption  of  these  bills  and  the  settlement  of  the  accounts  of  the  sev- 
eral States  for  expenditures  or  services  for  the  common  benefi-t  are 
among  the  objects  of  this  confederation,  and  consequently  it  cannot,  so 
far  as  it  may  respect  siich  objects,  be  dissolved  consistent  with  the  laws 
of  God  or  man.  In  order  to  prevent  further  natural  depreciation  of  our 
bills  we  have  resolved  to  stop  the  presses  and  to  call  upon  yoii  for  sup- 
plies by  loans  and  taxes.  Leave  us  not,  therefore,  without  supplies, 
nor  let  in  that  flood  of  evils  which  would  follow  froin  such  neglect.  Let 
it  never  be  said  that  America  had  no  sooner  become  independent,  than 
she  became  insolvent,  or  that  her  infant  glories  and  growing  fame  were 
obscured  and  tarnished  by  broken  contracts  and  violated  faith  in  the 
very  hour  when  all  the  nations  on  the  earth  were  admiring  and  almost 
iidoring  the  splendor  of  her  rising." 

In  spite  of  these  protestations  and  this  almost  burning  eloquence  the 
credit  of  the  country  did  not  improve.  In  fact  the  depreciation  of  cur- 
rency went  on  at  a  more  rapid  rate  during  the  three  or  four  months 
after  the  issuance  of  this  proclamation  than  it  had  at  any  previous  time. 
This  became  so  obvious  that  in  the  following  year  Congress  decided  to 
abandon  the  hopeless  task  of  restoring  credit  to  its  currency  and  raise 
its  existing  condition,  by  agreeing  to  consider  forty  dollars  of  national 
paper  to  be  equal  to  one  of  specie,  to  call  in  its  notes  upon  this  basis, 
and  to  redeem  them  by  a  new  emission  of  bills  equal  to  and  payable  in 
silver  and  gold  within  six  years  at  five  per  cent,  interest. 


194  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

It  was  a  sini^-ular  fact  that  in  1780  hard  money  had  become  quite 
plentiful  here  and  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  "Large  quantities  of  it 
came  from  the  French  and  British  forces,  from  Havana  and  other  for- 
eign parts,  and  from  prizes  captured  in  the  West  Indies.  But,  while  it 
passed  freely  among  the  people,  not  a  dollar  of  it  could  be  found  in  the 
State  treasury,  because  a  thousand  claims  stood  there  unsatisfied  and 
ready  to  seize  upon  it  as  soon  as  it  made  its  appearance. 

To  show  the  steady  decline  that  had  taken  place  in  the  continental 
bills,  it  may  be  said  that  they  circulated  in  1781 — if  they  could  be  said 
to  have  any  circulation  at  all^ — at  ;^50()  for  $1  of  specie.  That  is,  that 
was  the  value  of  the  early  issues,  while  the  later  issue,  which  had  been 
put  out  partly  to  redeem  the  former  one,  circulated  on  the  basis  of  three 
paper  dollars  to  one  of  specie. 

It  was  at  about  this  time  that  the  Bank  of  North  America  received 
its  charter,  although  the  representatives  from  Massachusetts  have  to  be 
put  down  as  voting  against  the  proposition.  No  doul)t  the  bank  did  a 
great  deal  to  solve  the  financial  problem  by  giving  stability  to  our  cur- 
rency system.  In  1782  an  act  passed  by  the  Legislature  incorporated 
a  branch  of  it  in  Boston,  in  compliance  with  the  wish  of  the  general 
government.  The  condition  of  this  act  w^as  that  no  other  similar  asso- 
ciatio*!  should  be  allowed  in  this  jurisdiction  while  the  war  lasted  with 
Great  Britain.  Penalty  of  death  was  affixed  to  the  ofi^ence  of  embez- 
zling the  funds  of  this  branch  by  any  of  its  officers,  and  a  resolve  was 
passed  that  the  paper  of  this  institution  and  the  securities  of  others,  as 
signed  by  Robert  INIorris,  shall  be  received  toward  a  tax  of  ^o()(),()0() 
assessed  on  the  pe()]:)le  of  the  United  States. 

The  close  of  the  war  left  the  people  of  Boston  and  its  vicinity  in  an 
exceedingly  trying  C(mditi(m.  This  State  had  contributed  much  more 
than  her  fair  proportion  in  money  to  the  national  cause,  and  it  was  with 
feelings  of  indignation  that  it  was  realized  that  the  obligations  thus  as- 
sumed were  hardly  likely  to  be  liquidated.  The  soldiers  who  had  been 
paid  ofl:  in  depreciated  currency  could  hardly  consider  that  their  serv- 
ices had  been  justly  requited,  and  it  was  long  before  the  evils  incident 
to  a  deranged  ciirrency  system  could  be  corrected. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  .State,  with  its  old  fondness  for  specie  cur- 
rency, concluded  to  undertake  the  work  of  minting  its  own  money. 
Congress  had  already  decided  that  the  coins  of  the  country  should  be 
cents  and  half  cents  of  copper,  dollars,  half  dollars,  double  dimes  and 
dimes  of  silver,  and  eagles  and  half  eagles  of  gold,  and  had  decided 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  195 

upon  the  Troy  weight  of  these.  But  the  money  was  not  sent  out  with 
the  readiness  that  was  desired.  On  this  account  mints  were  established 
with  the  needed  machiner}^  part  of  the  works  on  Boston  Neck,  and  the 
rest  at  Dedham. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  copper  coins  sent  out  from  this  mint, 
encircled  with  the  letters  of  the  word  Massacl^usetts,  were  the  first  to 
have  upon  them  the  American  eagle  that  has  since  been  found  on  so 
many  of  our  other  coins,  having  in  its  right  talon  a  bunch  of  arrows, 
and  in  its  left  an  olive  branch,  the  semblance  of  defence  and  peace. 
This  effort  on  the  part  of  the  local  authorities  to  enter  into  the  coinage 
of  money  was  arrested  by  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  constitution, 
which  provided  that  "no  vState  shall  coin  money,  emit  bills  of  credit, 
or  make  anything  but  gold  and  silver  coin  a  tender  in  payment  of 
debts." 

This  was  a  drastic  law;  but  when  one  takes  into  account  the  painful 
experiences  through  which  the  people  of  this  and  other  American  com- 
munities had  passed,  how  they  had  witnessed  from  time  to  time  the 
depletion  of  their  specie  and  the  depreciation  of  their  paper  currency  in 
consequence  of  excessive  issues  of  bills  of  credit,  one  can  well  under- 
stand why,  as  a  safeguard  for  the  future,  it  was  thought  desirable  to 
place  this  salutary  check  upon  their  action. 

The  next  step  in  the  financial  history  of  Boston  was  the  formation  of 
what  has  has  been  .since  that  time  the  banking  system  of  Massachusetts. 
In  17S4  a  charter  was  obtained  for  the  first  officially  recognized  local 
bank,  and  one  which  from  that  time  to  this  has  been  in  constant  and 
regular  existence. 

The  establishment  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank  was  recognized  in  its 
charter  as  a  species  of  experiment.  In  this  it  was  said  that  it  would 
probably  be  of  great  public  utility  and  particularly  beneficial  to  the 
trading  part  of  the  communit}^  if  such  an  institution  was  established 
within  the  borders  of  this  State.  The  grant  of  authority  from  the  Gen- 
eral Court  was  that  the  corporation  should  have  the  right  to  hold 
^50,000  and  no  more,  in  lands,  rents  and  tenements,  and  ^500,000  and 
no  more,  in  moneys,  goods,  chattels  and  effects.  These  it  was  per- 
mitted to  sell,  grant  and  devise,  alien  or  dispose  of;  but  except  that  it 
was  liable  to  be  sued,  and  that  it  could  not  inake,  establish  and  put  in 
execution  regulations  that  were  repugnant  to  the  laws  and  constitution 
of  the  State,  the  charter  granted  was  a  broad  one,  giving  to  its  holders 
permis.sion,  without  interference  on  the  part  of  the  authorities,  to  carry 


19G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

on   any  form   of  bankino-,  and  in   fact  almost  any  form   of  mercantile 
business  that  mig-ht  seem  desirable. 

It  is  probable  that  partly  through  want  of  experience  and  partly  from 
a  tolerably  fair  knowledg-e  of  the  purposes  of  the  incorporators,  the  re- 
strictions that  now  apply,  both  in  general  and  special  laws,  to  the  pro- 
ceedings of  corporations  were  then  thought  unnecessary.  But  two 
months  after  the  act  of  incorporation,  and  doubtless  at  the  instigation 
of  the  bank  ofhcials,  the  Legislature  passed,  March  10,  1784,  an  act  en- 
titled "  An  Act  to  Prevent  Frauds  on  the  ]\Iassachusetts  Bank."  This 
is  so  far  charactetistic  of  the  spirit  of  the  times  that  it  warrants  repro- 
diiction : 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Court  assembled,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  same,  that  if  any  president,  director, 
officer  or  servant  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank  shall  secrete,  embezzle  or  convert  to  his 
own  use  any  note,  bill,  obligatif)n,  security,  money  or  effect  belongintj  to  tlie  said 
bank,  or  deposited  tliere  by  any  other  persons,  every  person  so  offending  and  being 
thereof  convicted  before  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court,  shall  be  set  in  and  upon  the 
gallows  with  a  rope  about  his  neck,  or  be  set  in  and  upon  the  pillory  for  the  space  of 
two  hours,  shall  forfeit  all  his  personal  estate  and  the  issues  and  profits  of  his  real 
estate  during  life  to  the  use  of  the  Commonwealth  (after  deducting  such  sum  as  shall 
indemnify  the  bank  for  the  loss  they  may  have  sustained  by  means  of  the  said  fraud) 
and  shall  ever  after  be  rendered  infamous  and  incapable  of  sustaining  any  office, 
either  civil  or  military. 

Section  3.  And  be  it  enacted  by  the  autliority  aforesaid,  that  if  any  person  shall 
forge,  counterfeit  or  alter  any  bill,  note,  or  obligation  made,  signed  or  given  for  or 
in  the  name  of  the  president,  directors,  cashier,  or  other  person  in  behalf  of  the  said 
bank,  or  sliall  forge,  alter,  or  counterfeit  any  endorsement  on  such  bill,  note  or  obli- 
gation, or  shall  forge,  alter  or  counterfeit  any  order  or  check  drawn  by  any  person 
on  the  said  president,  directors  or  cashier,  every  person  so  offending  and  being  therof 
convicted  before  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court,  shall  suffer  the  pains,  penalties,  for- 
feitures, and  disabilities  as  aforesaid,  and  shall  be  subjected  to  hard  labor  within 
this  Commonwealth  during  the  term  of  seven  years,  to  be  disposed  of  by  the  directors 
of  the  said  bank  in  such  manner  and  under  such  confinement  as  they  shall  direct  for 
the  use  and  benefit  of  the  said  bank. 

Section  3.  And  be  it  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  that  if  any  person  shall 
utter,  pass,  tender  in  payment,  or  offer  to  pass  any  forged,  altered  or  counterfeited 
bill,  note  or  obligation  made,  signed  or  given  m  the  name  of  said  president,  directors, 
cashier,  or  other  person  in  behalf  of  the  said  bank,  or  any  order  or  check  drawn  b}- 
any  person  on  the  said  president,  directors,  or  cashier,  knowing  such  bill,  note,  obli- 
gation or  check  to  be  so  forged,  altered  or  counterfeited,  every  person  so  offend- 
ing and  being  convicted  as  aforesaid,  sliall  suffer  the  pains,  penalties,  forfeitures 
and  disabilities  as  aforesaid,  and  shall  be  subjected  to  hard  labor  in  such  manner 
and  for  tlie  purpose  as  aforesaid. 

vSection  4.  And  be  it  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  that  if  any  person  shall 
forge,  alter  or  counterfeit  any  letter  of  attorney,  order  or  other  instrument  to  transfer 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  197 

or  convey  any  share  or  shares  of  stock  in  the  said  bank,  or  to  receive  the  same  or  any 
dividend  or  part  thereof,  or  shall  knowingly  and  fraudulently  demand  to  have  the 
share  or  shares,  dividend,  or  anj'  part  thereof  transferred,  conveyed  or  received  b\' 
virtue  of  such  forged,  altered  or  counterfeited  letter  of  attorne}^  order  or  other  in- 
strument, or  shall  falsely  and  deceitfully  personate  any  true  and  lav/ful  proprietor 
or  proprietors  of  any  share  or  shares  of  stock  or  dividend  or  money,  or  other  prop- 
erty deposited  in  the  said  bank,  therebj^  transferring,  or  endeavoring  to  transfer, 
the  said  stock,  dividend,  money  or  other  property,  in  every  such  case  the  person  so 
offending,  and  being  thereof  convicted  as  aforesaid,  shall  suffer  the  pains,  penalties, 
forfeiture  and  disabilities  as  aforesaid,  and  shall  be  subjected  to  hard  labor  in  such 
manner  and  for  the  purpose  as  aforesaid. 

It  hardly  needs  to  be  pointed  out  that  an  act  of  this  kind  is  a  peculiar 
species  of  special  legislation  which  would  find  little  countenance  in  any 
of  our  present  vState  Legislatures.  While  it  was  considered  necessary 
to  protect  the  stockholders  of  the  bank  against  malfeasance  on  the 
part  of  its  officers  and  employees,  and  while  these  if  they  committed 
wrong'  doing  were  to  be  exposed  to  public  scorn  and  contempt,  and 
were  to  have  whatever  property  they  possessed  either  taken,  or  made 
use  of,  for  the  benefit  of  the  defrauded  corporation,  there  seems  to  have 
been  a  singular  leniency  shown  respecting  punishment  by  imprisonment. 
The  defaulting  cashier  or  teller  having  sat  for  two  hours  upon  the  gal- 
lows with  a  rope  about  his  neck,  or  having  passed  the  same  period  of 
time  in  the  uncomfortable  confinement  of  the  public  pillory,  had  his 
liberty  granted  to  him  and  might  go  wherever  he  pleased,  the  seizure 
of  his  property,  if  he  had  not  previously  disposed  of  it,  being  the  only 
serious  drawback. 

On  the  other  hand,  those  who  forged  or  counterfeited  notes,  or  those 
who  endeavored  to  obtain  stock  and  dividends  that  did  not  belong  to 
them — offences  which  would  now  be  considered  perhaps  less  heinous 
than  the  betrayal  of  trust  on  the  part  of  a  bank  official — had  to  endure 
under  this  law  all  of  the  public  disgrace  brought  about  by  infamous 
exposure  which  fell  to  the  share  of  the  defaulting  bank  official,  had 
to  lose  such  property  as  might  be  possessed,  and  had,  moreover,  to 
suffer  a  restraint  or  confinement  for  seven  years,  which  we  take  to 
have  been  an  intention  on  the  part  of  the  law  to  reduce  the  offender 
during  that  period  to  a  state  of  slavery,  in  which  his  labor  was  at  the 
disposal  of  the  bank  officials,  and  apparently  without  the  least  interfer- 
ence on  the  part  of  the  State  authorities,  except  that  they  were  to  see 
that  his  time  and  services  inured  to  the  benefit  of  the  bank.  It  would 
seem  from  this  rather  one-sided  means  of  punisliment   that  the  law  in 


ms  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

question  was  drawn  up  by  the  officers  of  the  bank,  havinj^  in  so  doing 
a  wish,  if  not  to  shelter  themselves,  at  least  to  clear  themselves  from 
too  severe  a  punishment  if  the  weaknesses  of  human  nature  prevailed 
over  the  dictates  of  common  honesty. 

At  the  same  time,  March  10,  1784,  it  was  considered  advisable  to  en- 
act a  law  restricting'  the  taking-  of  excessive  usury.  By  this  it  was 
declared  that  six  per  cent,  per  annum  interest  was  a  sufficient  return 
for  money  or  merchandise  loaned,  and  that  any  contract  arranging  for 
a  higher  rate  of  interest  should  be  considered  utterly  void,  and  that  all 
and  every  person  who  made  such  a  contract  or  entered  into  any  corrupt 
bargain  as  a  means  of  evading  the  law,  should  forfeit  and  lose  for  every 
such  offence  the  full  value  of  the  goods  and  moneys  or  other  things 
loaned,  and  that  a  moiety  of  the  same  should  go  to  the  use  of  the  Com- 
monwealth, the  other  half  to  him  or  them  who  prosecuted  or  com- 
plained by  suit  for  the  same,  any  custom,  usage  or  law  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding. 

It  was  under  these  conditions  that  the  Massachusetts  Bank  began  its 
business,  and  there  is  abundant  reason,  from  the  returns  that  it  made 
to  its  stockholders,  to  believe  that  it  had  a  satisfactory  experience.  Its 
charter,  as  we  have  pointed  out,  was  a  broad  and  comprehensive  one, 
and  although  it  was  brought  into  competition,  in  certain  classes  of  its 
business,  with  the  branch  of  the  Bank  of  North  America  that  had  been 
established  here,  yet  this  did  not  prevent  it  from  accumulating  to  itself 
the  larger  part  of  the  local  business  and  of  establishing,  in  spite  of  the 
usury  laws,  its  own  rate  of  discount. 

While  at  that  time  Boston  was  a  small  town,  considered  from  a 
numerical  standpoint — for  it  was  no  larger  than  Taunton,  Haverhill, 
and  some  of  our  minor  Massachusetts  cities — it  had  an  importance  in 
the  world  wholly  independent  of  its  vsize.  It  was  the  center  of  trade 
for  this  part  of  the  American  continent,  and  the  same  energy  that  its 
people  had  displayed  in  insisting  upon  their  rights  in  opposition  to  the 
dictation  of  the  British  crown,  was  shown  in  the  activit)^  they  dis- 
played in  prosecuting  their  business.  To  provide  the  financial  support 
for  carrying  on  this  business,  to  give  to  our  merchants  of  that  day,  who 
had  begun  sending  their  ships  not  only  to  China  and  the  East  Indies 
but  to  the  West  Coast  of  North  America,  the  temporary  credit  they 
needed,  was  a  work  of  finance  so  obviou.sly  necessary  that  the  wonder 
is  that  banks  such  as  the  Massachusetts  Bank  were  not  estalilished  in 
Boston  years  before  they  were. 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  199 

It  is  probable  that  if  the  directors  and  manaoers  of  this  first  institu- 
tion had  exhibited  in  the  conduct  of  their  business  a  greater  regard  for 
the  prolonged  maintenance  of  their  interests,  not  only  would  it  have 
been  of  material  advantage  to  them  and  to  their  bank,  but  that  the 
entire  svstem  of  banking  in  Boston  as  we  now  know  it  would  have  been 
quite  different.  The  Massachusetts  Bank  made  through  these  early 
years  of  its  existence  a  very  large  profit,  this  averaging  in  1701  and 
17i)2  quite  sixteen  per  cent,  per  annum  on  the  par  value  of  its  stock. 

It  was  obvious  that  this  was  altogether  too  large  a  source  of  revenue 
to  be  continued  without  competition,  and  hence  in  IT'.V^  the  second  Bos- 
ton bank,  the  Union  Bank,  as  it  was  called,  was  incorporated,  having 
its  capital  fixed  at  $1,2()0,(»00,  this  being  nearly  five  times  greater  than 
the  original  paid  in  capital  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank  when  it  started 
eight  years  before. 

It  is  sufficiently  evident  that  the  money  needed  for  banking  purposes 
could  then  be  obtained  in  this  city,  particularly  when  the  returns  held 
out  to  investors  were  as  large  as  we  have  shown  them  to  have  been. 
The  large  returns  received  through  discounts  indicate  that  the  financial 
facilities  that  the  Massachusetts  Bank  had  at  its  disposal  were  not  suf- 
ficient to  meet  the  demands  of  its  customers,  and  hence  the  proper 
course  would  have  been  to  have  expanded  these  facilities  so  that  a  fair 
and  even  large  return  might  be  obtained  upon  the  capital  invested,  but 
not  one  so  great  as  to  encourage  outside  competition. 

If  the  directors  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank,  realizing  the  sitiuition 
and  knowing  that  if  the  business  was  made  tmduly  profitable,  competi- 
tion would  surely  set  in,  had  expanded  their  capital  and  put  their  rates 
of  discount  upon  a  reasonable  basis,  there  is  reason  to  doubt  whether 
the  second  bank,  the  Union  Bank,  would  have  been  started,  and  cer- 
tainly within  the  next  few  years  it  would  not  have  been  found  neces- 
sary to  establish  the  large  number  of  additional  banking  institu- 
tions that  were  brought  into  existence.  No  doubt  some  of  these 
were  formed  for  the  purpose  of  providing  official  and  salaried  posi- 
tions for  the  friends  of  certain  wealthy  gentlemen,  but  this  im- 
plied that  the  business  of  discounting  paper  must  bear  the  tax  which 
these  salaries  imposed.  If  the  financiers  who  held  the  key  to  the 
position  at  the  outset  had  realized  the  value  of  the  situation  they  could 
undoubtedly  have  broadened  out  their  field  of  operation,  increased  their 
capital  stock  to  the  needs  of  the  times  and,  by  showing  less  solicitude  in 
the  matter  of  dividends,  could  have  built  up  a  great  banking  institution 


200  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

which  would  have  had  far  more  mfluence  than  a  number  of  smaller 
banks  combined,  and  would  also  have  established  a  btmking  method 
by  means  of  great  institutions.  It  is  frequently  the  first  step  that  de- 
termines action,  and  the  first  step  in  bankintif  in  Massachusetts  dis- 
tinctly favored  the  organization  of  relatively  small  brinks  having 
their  business  restricted  to  local  needs,  in  place  of  the  formation  of  a 
few  great  monetary  institutions  having  their  headquarters  in  Boston, 
but  having  branches  or  agencies  established  in  those  parts  of  the  State 
where  banking  capital  was  needed.  This  has  been  the  form  of  develop- 
ment in  England  and  France,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  with  more 
progressiveness  and  enterprise  on  the  part  of  the  original  directors  of 
the  Massachusetts  Bank  something  of  the  same  kind  might  have  been 
attempted  here. 

It  is  clear  that  there  was  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  people  in  other 
parts  of  the  State  to  avail  themselves  of  banking  facilities,  for  the 
charter  of  the  Union  Bank  provided  that  one-fifth  of  the  bank's  funds 
should  be  appropriated  to  loans  outside  of  Boston  for  the  benefit  of 
agriculture,  in  sums  of  not  less  than  one  hundred  or  more  than  one 
thousand  dollars,  secured  by  mortgages  on  real  estate  and  having  not 
less  than  one  year  to  run.  In  fact  the  influence  of  the  State  govern- 
ment was  specially  turned  to  secure  fcjr  the  country  people  opportuni- 
ties in  the  way  of  credits  that  they  did  not  possess,  and  if  the  Boston 
banks  of  that  day  had  shown  themselves  willing  to  undertake  the  work 
they  could  unquestionably  have  absorbed  through  branch  establish- 
ments the  larger  ])art  of  the  banking  business  of  all  of  the  New  Eng- 
land States. 

Another  feature  in  the  bank  charters  of  that  time  was  the  subscrip- 
tion by  the  State  to  a  certain  part  of  the  stock.  As  new  banks  were 
fc^rmed  the  Commonwealth  became  one  of  the  stockholders,  until  at  the 
time  of  the  War  of  1S12  it  was  said  to  be  the  owner  of  nearly  one-eighth 
of  all  the  banking  ca])ital  of  Massachusetts.  The  reason  that  led  to 
the  adoption  of  this  policy  is  not  clear  at  the  present  time.  There  had 
been,  as  the  foregoing  history  will  show,  a  belief  on  the  part  of  the 
agricultural  classes  in  Massachusetts  that  they  were  in  some  way  ex- 
cluded from  the  benefits  of  a  sound  banking  currency  system,  and  that 
these  inured  to  the  benefit  of  the  capitalists,  merchants  and  dwellers  in 
Boston.  We  can,  perhaps,  undei'stand  this  feeling  by  taking  into  ac- 
count the  present  hostility  shown  in  some  of  the  agricultural  States  of  the 
West,  not  only  against  the  national  banking  system,  but  against  any- 
thing that  appertains  to  corporate  banking. 


FINANCIAL  HISTORY.  201 

At  that  time  it  is  evident  that  the  feelings  which  express  themselves 
in  resolutions  of  Farmers'  Alliances  and  granger  lodges  in  the  West 
were  pronounced  factors  in  the  minds  of  the  country  dwellers  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  that  bank  charters  could  not  be  obtained  from  our  Leg- 
islature in  the  absence  of  a  provision  which  would  accord  to  the  farm- 
ing inhabitants  of  the  wState  special  opportunities  of  obtaining  such 
credit  as  they  desired.  It  is  a  possibly  happy  omen  that  with  in- 
creased experience  and  with  growth  of  knowledge  this  suspicion  and 
distrust  in  Massachusetts  has  very  largely  evaporated.  The  people  of 
the  country  districts  of  Massachusetts  have  realized  that  the  banks  are 
not  their  enemies,  that  credit  can  be  obtained  whenever  reasonable 
ground  for  giving  it  exists,  and  that  there  is  no  special  advantage,  except 
that  of  holding  available  securities  upon  which  loans  can  be  effected, 
that  the  capitalist  has  over  the  other  members  of  society.  The  disposi- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  State  to  interest  itself  in  banking  ventures  may 
have  been  due  to  this  same  distrust  of  moneyed  institutions.  If  the 
State  w'as  a  large  shareholder  it  was  assumed  that  it  would  give  to  it 
the  right  to  regulate  in  some  degree  the  conduct  of  the  banking  business, 
and  in  this  way  see  that  the  favors  were  evenly  bestowed.  It  was  dis- 
covered later  on  that  the  connection  was  not  one  which  could  be  wisely 
maintained ;  that  to  the  ordinary  shareholders  in  the  bank  a  partner- 
ship with  the  government  was  liable  to  bring  about  interference  detri- 
mental to  the  proper  conduct  of  business,  while  on  the  part  of  the  State 
it  was  discovered  that  the  money  of  the  people  was  in  this  way  placed 
at  risk  in  a  manner  detrimental  to  the  public  policy. 

In  1812  the  Commonwealth  owned  about  a  million  dollars  in  the  stock 
of  these  banking  corporations,  being  at  the  time  nearly  one-eighth  of 
the  banking  capital  of  the  State.  But  when  clearer  views  prevailed  it 
was  found  expedient  to  dispose  of  all  of  this,  and  since  that  time,  bank- 
ing, like  any  other  business,  has  been  permitted  to  develop  itself  upon 
its  own  lines  without  direct  State  participation. 

The  conditions  under  which  banking  business  was  carried  on  in  its 
earlier  days  were  in  many  respects  different  from  those  of  the  present 
time.  The  Massachusetts  Bank  when  it  was  started  laid  down  certain 
stringent  rules  regulating  the  loaning  of  money  which  are  interesting 
now  rather  as  specimens  of  restriction.  The  Massachusetts  Bank  started 
with  a  paid  in  capital  of  $253,500,  but  the  maximum  loan  to  one  person 
at  one  time  was  $3,000,  and  no  person  was  allowed  to  owe  the  bank 

26 


202  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

more  than  $5,000  at  any  one  time,  or  be  liable  for  more  than  $7,500 
as  a  promisor  or  endorser.  The  renewal  of  notes  was  absolutely  forbid- 
den, and  those  who  failed  to  meet  their  notes  were  not  only  obliged  to 
submit  to  the  immediate  sale  of  their  security,  but  were  denied  the 
privilege  of  having  any  further  notes  discounted  for  a  period  of  eight 
months  thereafter,  unless  the  penalty  was  remitted  by  the  unanimous 
vote  of  the  directors.  The  rules  of  the  bank  also  required  that  the 
names  of  delinciuents  should  be  posted  in  a  conspicuous  place  in  the 
bank  office. 

With  the  establishment  of  our  national  independence  the  ship  mer- 
chants of  Boston  began  those  ventures  into  the  fields  of  foreign  commerce 
which  for  many  years  made  our  city  the  leading  commercial  port  of  the 
American  continent.  The  flag  of  the  United  States,  as  well  as  the  house 
flags  of  Boston  merchants  were  to  be  found  in  the  seaports  of  India  and 
China  as  well  as  on  the  almost  unknown  waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  No 
doubt  the  facilities  that  were  provided  by  the  early  banks  gave  to  the 
Russells,  Phillipses,  Perkinses,  Grays,  and  others,  the  credits  they  re- 
c^uired  for  obtaining  the  large  amounts  of  specie  which  w^ere  needed  to 
carry  on  what  proved  to  be  their  highly  profitable  trade  ventures. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  century  the  government  of  the  United  States 
afforded  credit  opportunities  which  were  quickly  taken  advantage  of  by 
our  Boston  merchants.  For  many  years  the  rule  prevailed  of  taking  at 
the  custom  house  the  endorsed  note  of  an  importer  for  a  very  consider- 
able part  of  the  duty  levied  upon  imported  goods.  For  some  time  the 
method  was  on  importations  from  Europe  or  Asia  to  have  one-third  of 
the  duty  paid  down,  the  other  two-thirds  remaining  upcni  credit,  one  of 
these  thirds  for  three  months  and  the  other  iox  six  months.  This  led 
to  the  formation  in  Boston  of  quite  a  number  of  associations  where 
business  was  dcmc  upon  individual  account,  though  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  the  two  (;r  three  merchants  who  were  associated  together 
were  partners;  that  is,  certain  importations  w^ere  made  in  the  name  of 
Smith  for  the  purpose  of  having  Brown  endorse  the  note  given  in  pay- 
ment of  duties,  while  Brown's  note  for  duties  was  endorsed  by  Smith. 
To  prevent  loss  the  government  was  a  preferred  creditor,  and  in  cases 
of  insolvency  its  claim  had  to  be  settled  in  full  before  any  other  creditor 
could  share  in  the  division  of  the  bankrupt's  assets.  The  effect  of  this 
s}'stem  was  to  materially  stimulate  the  lousiness  of  importing,  quite  a 
number  of  merchants  engaged  in  it  having  very  little  capital  beyond 
that  which  this  credit  of  the  government  accorded  to  them. 


FINANCIAL  HISTORY.  2();i 

The  disturbances  that  o-rcw  out  of  the  Napoleonic  wars  were  severe!}' 
felt  in  Boston,  causing  such  a  demoralization  in  trade  that  real  estate 
values  declined  very  g-reatly,  arid  for  a  time  commerce  was  carried  on 
under  exceedingl}'  precarious  and  profitless  conditions.  Non-inter- 
course and  the  embargo  were  followed  by  war,  to  the  great  discontent 
of  all  of  the  business  interests  of  this  city.  Evasions  of  all  kinds  were 
attempted  because  they  were  looked  upon  as  legitimate,  and  not  a  few 
of  the  prominent  ship  owners  engaged  in  smuggling  and  other  devices, 
which  received  at  the  time  a  local  sanction,  even  though  they  were  in 
direct  violation  of  the  national  statutes. 

The  condition  of  our  local  currency  was  in  the  main  satisfactory,  but 
the  notes  of  New  York  and  Vermont  banks  of  very  doubtful  solvency 
were  spread  broadcast  over  the  country,  and  found  a  readier  acceptance 
in  Boston,  because  it  seemed  to  be  the  policy  of  our  banks  at  that  time 
to  keep  themselves  strong  by  refraining  from  the  issue  of  bank  bills. 
Thus,  in  1813,  according  to  the  returns  made  to  the  vState,  the  four  banks 
of  Boston  had  more  than  four  and  one-half  millions  dollars  of  specie  in 
their  vaults,  while  their  aggregate  circulation  did  not  reach  a  million 
and  a  half  dollars.  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  New  England  Bank 
was  chartered,  having  for  one  of  its  purposes  of  business  the  collection 
of  the  notes  of  foreign  or  non-State  banks  on  behalf  of  those  who  did 
business  with  it.  The  discount  at  which  these  foreign  notes  had  pre- 
viously circulated  was  very  considerable,  because  the  question  of  their 
redemption  was  always  an  open  one.  But  when  the  New  England 
Bank  undertook  to  charge  only  the  actual  cost  of  sending  foreign  money 
home  to  the  issuing  bank  and  obtaining  specie  for  it,  the  rates  of  dis- 
count both  on  bills  of  Massachusetts  banks  out  of  Boston  and  those  on 
reasonably  sound  banks  out  of  the  State,  were  very  materially  reduced. 

This  action  on  the  part  of  the  New  England  Bank,  which  in  1818 
was  also  adopted  by  the  vSuffolk  Bank,  created  a  great  deal  of  indig- 
nation on  the  part  of  the  officers  of  the  banks  whcxsc  notes  were  thus 
sent  in  for  redemption.  In  1814  three  wagon  loads  of  specie,  amount- 
ing to  more  than  if;io8,(i00,  which  had  been  collected  by  the  New  Eng- 
land Bank  through  the  redemption  of  the  bills  of  a  number  of  the  New 
York  banks,  was  seized  at  Chester,  by  the  collector  of  New  York,  while 
on  its  way  to  Boston.  The  reason  given  for  this  seizure  was  the 
alleged  intention  of  the  New  England  Bank  to  send  the  money  to  Can- 
ada ;  but  representations  made  by  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  to 
the  president  of  the  United  States  led  to  a  restoration  of  the  specie. 


^04  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

But  the  l)usincss  of  the  New  England  Rank  and  of  its  rival,  the  vSuf- 
folk  Bank,  in  deahnjj-  with  foreign  money,  as  it  was  termed,  was  not 
carried  on  without  great  friction.  The  plan  of  the  Suffolk  Bank,  which 
was  chartered  in  ISIS,  was  that  if  any  bank  deposited  with  it  five 
thousand  dollars  as  a  permanent  deposit,  with  such  further  sums  as  would 
be  sufficient  from  time  to  time  to  redeem  its  bills  taken  by  the  vSuffolk 
Bank,  such  depositing  bank  should  have  the  privilege  of  receiving  its 
own  bills  at  the  same  discount  at  which  they  were  purchased.  The 
competition  between  the  New  England  Bank  and  the  vSuffolk  Bank  was 
a  lively  one,  and  the  discount  on  foreign  money  was  so  far  reduced  as 
to  decidedly  impair  the  profits  of  both  institutions.  The  country  and 
non-vState  banks,  whose  notes  were  promptly  sent  back  to  them  for  re- 
demption, considered  the  act  to  be  outrageous  and  unwarrantable,  and 
endeavored  as  far  as  possible  to  arouse  public  opinicm  against  such 
proceedings.  This  had  little  effect,  for  in  1834  all  of  the  banks  in 
Boston,  with  the  exception  of  the  New  England,  agreed  to  make  the 
vSuffolk  Bank  their  agent  for  the  redemption  of  bills  of  outside  banks, 
and  a  fund  of  $;30(),()00  was  subscribed  by  these  banks,  in  proportion 
to  their  respective  capitals,  to  be  used  for  carrying  on  the  business. 
The  need  of  this  action  was  apparent  when  one  takes  into  account,  that 
while  Boston  had  more  than  one-half  of  the  banking  capital  of  New 
England,  the  currency  that  it  put  out  represented  only  about  one- 
twenty-fifth  of  that  which  was  in  circulation.  The  system  of  redemp- 
tion as  estal)lishcd  by  the  Suffolk  Bank  was  continued  until  the 
organization  of  the  Bank  of  Mutual  Redem]:)tion,  which  was  established 
in  1S5S  for  the  purpose  of  serving  as  agent  of  all  of  the  New  England 
l)anks  for  the  redemption  of  their  bills.  • 

The  period  between  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812  and  lSo7  was  one 
highly  favorable  to  the  establishment  of  new  banking  institutions.  In 
the  last  named  year  there  were  thirty-four  banks  in  Boston,  and  in  the 
State  outside  there  were  ninety-five.  The  Boston  l)anks  had  a  capital 
of  $21,;)5(),()(K),  deposits  of  $0,5(10,0(10,  and  circulation  of  $4,:i8(;,414. 
The  ninety-five  country  banks  had  a  capital  of  ,f;i  C, !):!(), 00(1,  deposits  of 
i|;i,i)07,123,  and  circulation  of  $5,886,704. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  relative  amount  of  l)ills  in  circulation 
was  very  much  larger  in  the  country  banks  than  in  the  city. 

In  is;)7  a  crisis  came.  On  May  1(1  of  tliat  year  the  banks  of  New 
York  suspended  specie  payments,  and  in  ol)edience  to  the  desires  of  a 
large  number  of  Inisiness  men  who  attended  a  meeting  at  Faneuil  Hall, 
the  banks  of  Boston  also  sns])cnded   payment  on   May   12,  1S;)7.      With 


/^^k^.J^ 


FINANCIAL  HISTORY.  205 

quite  a  number  of  these  banks  this  action  was  unnecessary,  as  they  had 
carried  on  their  affairs  in  such  a  conservative  manner  that  there  was  no 
reason  to  suppose  that  they  would  have  suffered  if  they  had  continued 
their  regular  business.  But  others — and  these  the  newly  formed  banks 
— were  not  strong-  enough  to  resist  the  strain  put  upon  them  even  after 
suspending  specie  payments.  In  July  the  Franklin  and  La  Fayette 
Banks  failed:  in  January  following,  the  Commonwealth  Bank;  and 
before  that  year  was  out  ten  more  of  the  banks  of  Boston  had  either 
failed  or  had  had  their  charters  revoked  by  the  Legislature. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  the  Legislature  decided  to  create  a  Board  of 
Bank  Commissioners,  giving  to  its  members  ample  powers  in  the  direc- 
tion of  examining  and  controlling  the  banks  as  a  means  of  protecting 
their  depositors  and  the  holders  of  bank  bills  and  preventing  reckless 
management  on  the  part  of  bank  officials. 

From  that  time  up  to  1857.  the  banking  business  of  Boston  seems 
to  have  been  carried  on  in  a  safe  and  yet  progressive  manner.  The 
banks  did  apparently  a  good  biisinessand  supplied  their  customers  with 
the  financial  means  required  to  carry  on  their  growing  and  prosperous 
enterprises.  The  part  which  Boston  merchants  took  in  the  immense 
increase  in  ocean  commerce  which  characterized  that  period  was  per- 
haps greater  than  that  taken  by  the  ship  merchants  of  anv  other  city 
of  the  United  vStates.  Boston  maritime  ventures  were  found  all  over 
the  world,  and  these  obviously  were  supported  by  the  aid  granted  by 
Boston  banks.  More  than  this,  the  period  was  one  of  great  progress 
in  cotton  manufactures,  in  which  Boston  capital  also  played  a  promi- 
nent and  possibly  controlling  part,  so  that  the  period  between  1840  and 
1857  may  be  looked  iipon  as  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  in  the  entire 
financial  history  of  this  city. 

The  financial  crisis  of  1857  found  the  banks  of  Boston  in  a  better 
condition  than  they  had  been  in  twenty  years  before.  The  law  of 
1854:  had  required  them  to  make  public  weekly  a  statement  of  their 
condition,  so  that  there  w^as  no  secrecy  observed,  and  false  suspi- 
cions of  weakness — which  are  sometimes  quite  as  bad  as  weakness  itself 
— could  not  be  entertained.  The  suspension  of  specie  payments  which 
took  place  in  the  fall  of  1857  lasted  for  about  two  months,  and  in  that 
crisis  not  a  single  bank  failed.  The  suspension  was  said  to  be  uncalled 
for,  and  during  the  time  the  best  borrowers  had  no  difficulty  in  obtain- 
ing whatever  funds  they  needed.  The  panic  was,  however,  outside  of 
the  banks  an  exceedingly  severe  one.  There  were  in  Boston  alone  253 
failures,   with    liabilities    amounting    to  $4-1,000,000  —  a    collapse    due 


200  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

laro-cly  to  the  fact  that  too  much  of  the  flo-atino-  capital  had  been  sunk 
in  permanent  improvements,  such  as  manufacturins;-  pkmt  and  raih'oad 
enterprises,  and  that  too  Larti;-e  an  amount  of  business  was  carried  on 
upcm  long- credits. 

With  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  the  extraordinary  demand  for 
supplies  produced  abnormal  trade  conditions  in  Boston  and  led  to  an 
equally  active  trade  with  the  banks.  The  national  banking  law,  which 
was  passed  in  lS(i3,  w^as  very  quickly  taken  advantage  of  by  our  local 
banking  institutions,  and  by  the  end  of  lS(i5  every  bank  in  Boston  had 
l)een  transformed  into  a  national  bank. 

The  condition  of  these  institutions  since  that  time  is  brought  out 
more  fully  by  their  own  statements  than  it  can  be  in  any  general  ab- 
stract. 

The  progress  we  have  made  in  the  material  conditions  upon  which 
financial  prosperity  depends  can  be  bast  brought  out  in  the  line  of 
comparison. 

Few  people  have  any  clear  idea  of  the  rapid  growth  that  the  city  of 
Boston  has  made  within  a  relatively  few  years.  In  107:}  the  population 
was  about  5,000;  in  1735,  10, 000;  in  J 71)1,  1S,(I3S;  in  1810,  33,250. 
Macaulay  has  estimated  the  population  of  London  to  have  been  in  1085 
about  half  a  million,  so  that  Boston  has  grown  in  the  last  two  hundred 
years,  that  is,  since  10S5,  from  a  population  of  about  5,()()0  to  about  the 
same  size  that  London  was  two  hundred  years  ago,  or  at  a  period  when 
London  was  larger  than  any  city  of  the  world,  cxce]3t  possibly  some  of 
the  great  cities  of  China. 

Moreover,  while  London  has  in  the  interval  increased  about  tenfold, 
Boston  has  grown  quite  one  hundredff)ld,  assuming,  as  is  probably 
fair,  that  the  effect  of  annexation  of  territory  has  been  proportionate  in 
both  cities.  Massachusetts  of  to-day,  with  its  population  of  over  two 
millions,  has  about  two-fifths  of  the  population  of  p;^ngland  in  1085. 
It  is  of  course  difficult  to  make  just  comparisons  of  the  public  expendi- 
tures of  different  periods  on  account  of  the  variation  in  the  ])urchasing 
power  of  money,  but  after  due  allowance  for  this  fact,  some  curious 
and  interesting  facts  may  be  noted. 

Macaulay's  estimate  of  the  annual  cost  of  the  British  navy  in  the  year 
1  085  was  /:400,000,  or  $2,000,000.  The  city  of  Boston  spent  more  than 
one-half  of  this  sum,  $1,13(),102,  on  its  police  in  the  year  18!I(»,  and  also 
spent  in  the  same  year  $1,'.)40,()84  for  its  public  schools.  Surely  this 
shows  a  wonderful  growth  of  resources  in  the  little  town  of  Boston 
which  two  hundred  vears  ago  had  l)ut  five  thousand  souls,  that  it  can 


FINANCIAL  HISTORY.  207 

now  anniuilly  spend  for  free  education  nearly  the  same  sum  which 
England  annually  spent  upon  her  navy  at  the  time  referred  to. 

The  Earl  of  Stanhope,  in  his  history  of  Queen  Anne,  states  the  entire 
annual  revenue  of  the  kingdom  of  vScotland,  at  the  time  of  the  union 
with  England  in  1714,  to  have  been  ^100,000,  or  about  $8()(),000 — a 
sum  almost  exactly  equal  to  the  receipts  of  the  city  of  Boston  from 
liquor  licenses  alone  for  the  nine  months  ending  January  31,  1892. 

The  auditor's  report  for  the  nine  months  ending-  January  31,  1892, 
shows  the  annual  income  of  the  city  for  that  period  to  have  been  more 
than  $13,000,000,  while  the  amount  of  money  passing  through  the  treas- 
urer's books  for  the  same  period  was  more  than  $19,000,000,  the  latter 
sum  including  receipts  from  loans  and  other  items  not  strictly  income. 

The  total  income  of  England  at  the  time  of  the  union  with  Scotland 
in  1714,  is  stated  by  Earl  Stanhope  to  have  been  _^5, 091,803,  that  is 
$28,000,000,  or  only  about  twice  as  much  as  the  present  income  of  the 
city  of  Boston.  Probably  no  citizen  of  the  town  of  Boston  in  1714 
imagmed  that  within  one  hundred  and  eighty  years  the  little  place  of 
his  residence  would  have  a  revenue  half  as  large  as  that  of  Queen  Anne. 

But  the  present  financial  importance  and  mnjniitude  of  Boston  can 
be  even  more  forcibly  illustrated  b}^  comparisons  drawn  from  the 
present  time.  The  entire  revenue  of  the  kingdom  of  Greece  for  the 
year  1885  was  about  $17,000,000,  from  which  was  supported  among 
other  things  an  army  -of  32,000  men  and  a  small  navy.  The  rev- 
enue of  Denmark  in  the  year  1887  was  about  $15,000,000,  which  sup- 
ported a  considerable  navy  and  an  army  of  35,000  men.  The  rev- 
enue of  Switzerland  for  the  year  1887  was  about  $10,000,000,  a  sum 
considerably  less  than  the  revenue  of  Boston.  The  annual  cost  of  the 
army  of  Great  Britain  in  1887  was  almost  $90,000,000;  that  of  France 
in  the  same  year  was  about  $120,000,000;  that  of  Germany  about  $90,- 
000,000;  so  that  our  annual  financial  expenses  are  a  considerable 
fraction  of  the  annual  expense  of  the  great  armies  of  Europe. 

The  assessed  valuation  of  Boston  during  the  last  seventy  years  has 
been  as  follows : 

1823 . $  44,896,800 

1832 67,514,400 

1842 106,722,800 

1852 187,680,000 

1862 276,217,000 

1872 682, 724,300 

1882 672,497,361 

1892 893,975,704 


208  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

But,  as  it  is  well  known,  the  assessed  valuation  does  not  exhibit  the 
entire  amount  of  personal  property  of  the  city,  and  it  has  been  lately 
estimated,  by  very  eompetent  authority,  that  there  are  now  in  Boston 
from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  the  wealth  of  each 
of  whom  is  a  million  dollars  or  more — surely  a  great  change  from  the 
early  days. 

There  are  undoubtedly  one  hundred  families  in  Boston  to-day  wdiose 
annual  expenses  are  more  than  the  total  cost  of  maintaining  the  entire 
town  government  in  17i»7,  when  $40,061.5'.)  was  spent.  The  aggre- 
gate personal  property  of  the  citizens  of  Boston  probably  amounts  to 
quite  $1,000, 000, ()()(). 

The  following  table  shows  the  annual  expenditures  of  the  tcnvn  and 
city  governments  of  Boston  at  intervals  from  171)7  to  the  present  time: 

1 7'.H) $   49,061.54 

1801 61,489.25 

1802 59,601.99 

1804 71,491.00 

1820 94,988.55 

1823 178,505.18 

1832 254,151.85 

1842 649, 700. 60 

1852 2,11 2,562.73 

1862 3,268,426.70 

1872 12,144,976.34 

1882 13,230,151.16 

1892 16, 195, 028. 07 

No  IE. — In  the  column  of  annual,  actual  total  expenditures  the  figures  previous  to 
1863  are  the  best  that  can  be  obtained,  although  not  absolutely  correct,  on  ac- 
count of  the  manner  in  which  the  accounts  were  kept  at  that  time. 

The  following  table  shows  the  gross  debt  and  surplus  funds  and  net 
dcl)t  of  Boston  at  different  periods: 

Year.  Time  of  Year.  Gros.s  Debt.  Sinking  Fund,  etc.  Net  Debt. 

1822.  $      100,000.00  $  $      100,000.00 

1823.  April  30.  103;550.00  3,267.27  100,282.73 
1832.  "  817,123.93  175,734.75  641,389.18 
1842.  "  1,594,700.00  88,930.79  1,505,769.21 
1852.  "  7,110,679.70  489,065.22  6,621,614.48 
1862.  "  9,031,207.77  851,659.08  8,179,548.69 
1872.  "  28,628,535.82  12,849,159.31  15,779,376.51 
1882.  "  40,079,312.04  15,901,650.44  24,177,661.60 
18!)2.  56,003,997.35  25,569,706.32  30,434,291.03 

*1893.  Dec.  3.  57,083,563.19  26,544,273.22  30,539,289.97 

'  Coninienconient  of  financial  year  changed  from  from  May  i  to  February  i. 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY. 


209 


Roxbury  Debt,  included  after  annexation  in  1867. 
Dorchester,  "  "  "  1869. 

West  Roxbury,  ) 

Brighton,  V     "  "  "  1873. 

Charlestown,       ) 

The  following  table,  prepared  by  Messrs.  Carroll  D.  Wright  and 
Horace  G.  Wadlin,  in  their  article  on  the  industries  of  the  last  hundred 
years,  published  in  the  Memorial  History  of  Boston  in  1881,  shows  the 
actual  and  estimated  value  of  the  annual  products  of  the  industries  of 
Suffolk  county,  present  territory,  for  the  first  year  of  each  decade  from 
1780  to  1880: 

1780 $     3,000,000  to  $4,000,000    Estimated. 

1790 4,500,000 

1800 6,500,000 

1810.. .  9,000,000 

1830 16,000,000 

1830 25,000,000 

1840 30,000,000 

1850 45,000,000 

1855 58,301,028                             Actual. 

1860 64,000,000                             Estimated. 

1865 110,000,000                           Actual. 

1870 .' 120,000,000 

1875 140,809,856 

1880 150,000,000                           Estimated. 

The  same  writers  elsewhere  in  their  article  say :  ' '  The  Boston  of 
1780,  producing  between  $3,000,000  and  $4,000,000  worth  of  goods, 
has  grown  to  the  Boston  of  1880,  producing,  according  to  the  best 
estimates,  $150,000,000  worth  of  goods  within  her  own  territorial 
limits,  while  in  fact  the  manufactures  dependent  upon  Boston  cap- 
ital, if  their  value  could  be  ascertained,  would  reach  $300,000,000  per 
annum."  The  national  census  of  1880  stated  the  product  of  the  in- 
dustries of  Boston  in  that  year  to  be  $130,531,993,  or  somewhat  less 
than  the  estimate  of  Messrs.  Wright  and  Wadlin  for  the  same  year, 
though  many  persons  would  prefer  to  accept  the  intelligent  estimate  of 
the  last  named  gentlemen  rather  than  the  general  census  enumeration. 

The  Massachusetts  State  census  of  1885  placed  the  industrial  product 
of  Boston  at  $149, -281, 727,  while  the  national  census  of  1890  fixed  it  at 
$208,104,083,  showing  a  gain  of  $70,000,000  for  the  decade  as  compared 
wath  the  census  of  1880. 


27 


210  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

If,  as  seems  just,  we  can  now  estimate  the  annual  product  of  the 
manufactures  dependent  upon  Boston  capital  as  at  least  ec^ual  to  $400,- 
000,000  a  year,  it  is  about  one  hundred  times  as  large  as  was  the  pro- 
duction of  Boston  in  1780.  But  taking  merely  the  increase  in  the  pro- 
duct within  the  territorial  limits  of  Boston,  the  present  product  is  about 
sixty  times  more  than  it  was  in  1780,  though  the  population  is  only  a 
little  more  than  thirty  times  as  much  as  it  was  then. 

The  growth  of  the  water-borne  commerce  of  Boston  has  also  been 
very  great.  The  progress  of  the  early  years  after  the  settlement  of 
Boston  is  thus  stated  in  the  historical  description  of  Boston  by  Charles 
vShaw,  published  in  1816: 

"(l(i42)  The  following  memorable  order  was  passed  in  favor  of  the 
Massachusetts  colony  by  the  Commons :  '  That  for  the  better  advance- 
ment of  the  planters,  to  proceed  in  this  undertaking  of  merchandising 
goods  that  by  any  person  or  persons  whatsoever  shall  be  exported  out 
of  this  kingdom  into  New  England,  to  be  spent  or  by  the  growth  of 
that  kingdom  shall  be  from  thence  imported  thither,  shall  be  free  from 
paying  any  custom  or  duty  for  the  same.'  " 

"(1030)  We  hear  but  little  of  trade  for  the  first  seven  years  except  a 
small  traffic  with  the  natives  by  bartering  toys  and  utensils  for  furs  and 
skins.  The  middle  and  lower  classes  had  but  sufficient  to  provide  sub- 
sistence and  construct  comfortable  dwellings,  and  the  wealthy  were 
chiefly  country  gentlemen  unacquainted  with  commerce.  In  a  few 
years,  however,  the  land  produced  more  than  was  necessary  for  home 
consumption  and  the  overplus  was  sent  to  the  West  Indies  and  the 
Wine  Islands.  Those  who  could  be  spared  from  husbandry  were  em- 
ployed in  fisheries,  sorting  boards,  splitting  staves,  shingles  and  hoops, 
and  as  many  as  were  capable  in  building  vessels." 

From  loss  to  1000  trade  was  in  a  very  flourishing  state,  free  admis- 
sion being  allowed  to  all  nations,  and  the  importation  of  no  commodity 
whatever  being  under  any  clog  or  restraint.  From  1000  to  107O  trade 
was  greatly  extended.  No  custom  house  was  established,  and  the  Acts 
12  and  15  of  Charles  II  were  little  observed.  In  1005  the  number  of 
vessels  was  about  eighty,  from  twenty  to  forty  tons,  about  forty  from 
forty  to  oue  hundred  tons,  and  a  dozen  ships  about  one  hundred  tons, 
according  to  the  report  delivered  to  the  commissioners  of  Charles  II. 

Hutchinson,  who  was  well  qualified  to  judge  upon  the  subject,  said 
ot  the  trade  of  this  colony  (Massachusetts,  which  in  a  commercial  view 
respected  Boston  only)  from  10'J2  to  1749,  that  the  other  governments 


FIN  A  NCI  A  L   HIS  TOR  Y. 


311 


of  New  England  imported  no  Eng-Hsh  goods,  or  next  to  none,  directly 
from  England.  They  were  supplied  by  the  IMassachiisetts  traders. 
Again,  in  another  page  of  the  same  work,  it  is  said:  "The  increase  of 
trade  was  so  great  that  from  Christmas,  174T,  to  Christmas,  1748,  five 
hundred  vessels  cleared  from  the  port  of  Boston  to  foreign  ports,  and 
four  hundred  and  thirty  were  entered  inward,  besides  coasting  and 
fishing  vessels,  both  of  which  were  very  numerous." 

Till  a  few  years  before  the  Revolution  the  business  of  shipbuilding 
was  carried  on  here  to  a  great  extent.  Vessels  were  sometimes  built 
on  commission,  but  more  commonly  constructed  by  the  merchants  of 
the  town  on  their  own  account,  these  loading  them  with  the  produce 
of  the  country,  naval  stores,  fish,  fish  oil,  lumber,  etc.,  and  sending 
them  on  trading  voyages  to  Spain,  Portugal  and  the  Mediterranean, 
where,  having  disposed  of  their  cargoes,  they  made  what  they  could 
by  freight  imtil  they  could  sell  the  vessels  to  advantage.  The  proceeds 
they  generall}-  received  in  c(jmmercial  bills  on  London. 

Mr.  Shaw  gives  the  following  table  showing  the  state  of  Boston  com- 
merce at  different  periods: 


Entries. 
1749. 

From  West  Indies 60 

Great  Britain 7 

Other  Ports 382 

1773. 

From  West  Indies 192 

Great  Britain 71 

Other  Ports 324 

1784.     For  six  months. 

From  West  Indies 90 

England  and  Scotland 21 

Other  Ports 261 

1793.     Twelve  months. 

From  West  Indies 167 

Great  Britain 28 

Other  Ports 161 


549 


Clearances. 
1749. 

For  West  Indies 115 

Great  Britain 18 

Other  Ports 371 

1773. 

For  West  Indies .134 

Great  Britain 2^ 

Other  Ports 251 

1784.     For  six  months. 

For  West  Indies 111 

England  and  Scotland 13 

( )ther   Ports 326 

1793.     Twelve  months. 

For  West  Indies 119 

Great  Britain ' 11 

Other  Ports 162 


356 


504 


411 


450 


392 


Amount  of  exports  in  certain  years : 

1809.         FJomestic  products $4,009,031. 11 

Foreign  "  3,979,854.04 


87,988,885.15 


^12  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

1510.  Domestic  products $3,589,680.86 

Foreign  "         4,525,420.73 

1511.  Domestic  products $3,047,641.77 

Foreign  "         2,804,379.17 

1812.  Domestic  productions $1,765,745,91 

Foreign  "  1,218,782.32 

1813.  Domestic  productions $1,458,374.02 

Foreign  "  201,902.66 


1814.         Domestic  productions $    106,976.27 

Foreign  "  _.  11,308.62 


1815.         Domestic  productions.. $3,276,466.52 

Foreign  "  1,967,931.15 


1816.         Domestic  productions $3,186,830.99 

Foreign  "  4,857,146.15 


$8,115,101.09 
$5,852,020.94 
$2,984,528.23 
$1,660,276.68 
$  118,284.89 
$5,244,397.67 
$8,043,977.14 


These  statistics  are  interesting  as  showing  the  considerable  com- 
merce of  the  town  just  before  the  war  of  1812,  its  prostration  during  the 
war.  and  its  rapid  recovery  after  the  close  of  the  war.  They  also  illus- 
trate the  truth  that  trade  flows  in  channels  like  a  river,  which  may  be 
diverted  or  diminished  by  artificial  obstacles  of  miwise  legislation  or 
war,  but  promptly  seeks  its  wonted  course  as  soon  as  the  obstacles  are 
removed. 

If  fostering  legislation  should  in  1S1)3  nurture  again  the  shipping 
interests  of  the  United  States,  so  that  our  immense  commerce  might  be 
conducted,  in  part  at  least,  under  otir  own  flag,  is  it  not  certain  that 
these  interests  would  again  spring  into  vigorous  life  as  did  our  com- 
merce of  181G?  And  how  can  any  Ainerican  read  of  the  enterprise  of 
the  early  merchants  of  Boston  without  indignation  at  the  narrow- 
minded  policy  which  has  driven  our  flag  from  the  seas? 

The  work  of  Mr.  Shaw  also  shows  that  the  early  prosperity  of  Bos- 
ton sprung  from  its  commerce  and  the  trading  instincts  of  its  people, 
and  that  this  writer  of  ISIG  was  fully  in  accord  with  the  tariff  views  of 
1H92  as  affecting  commerce. 

It  is  not  proposed  to  dwell  at  length  in  this  article  upon  the  com- 
merce of  Boston,  because  the  article  of  Mr.  Hamilton  A.  Hill  in  this 
history  deals  exhaustively  with  that  subject ;  but  the  writers  wish  to 
quote  from  the  report  of  the  Massachusetts  Harbor  and  Land  Commis- 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  213 

sions  for  the  year  1801,  to  show  in  a  concise  way  the  present  amount 
of  Boston  commerce  as  compared  with  that  of  18 IG.  The  Board  was 
directed  by  the  Legislature  to  report  upon  the  feasibility  of  a  bridge  to 
East  Boston  over  the  upper  part  of  Boston  harbor,  and  whether  such  a 
structure  could  be  tolerated  with  due  regard  to  the  commerce  of  the 
port.  It  was  claimed  by  the  advocates  of.  the  bridge  that  the  growth 
of  the  population  of  East  Boston  since  1868,  when  a  similar  project  had 
been  defeated,  was  such  as  to  warrant  a  reversal  of  the  decision  and  the 
building  of  the  bridge.  The  commissioners  answered  this  claim  on 
page  32  ct  scq.  of  their  report,  as  follows: 

This  argtiment  has  no  force  unless  it  is  further  shown  that  population  has  grown 
faster  than  commerce.  FaciHties  for  suburban  travel  are  not,  to  say  the  least,  a 
greater  public  necessity'  than  facilities  for  commerce.  The  fact  that  Boston  is  the 
business  and  commercial  center,  is  what  makes  suburban  travel. 

We  propose  to  show,  on  the  other  hand,  that  commerce  has  grown  faster  than 
population,  and  that  the  demands  of  suburban  travel,  instead  of  being  greater,  are 
relatively  less  than  they  were  in  1868. 

We  shall  also  prove  that  the  commerce  of  Boston  has  grown  faster  than  its  valu- 
ation, and  is  therefore  a  more  important  factor  relatively  to  capital  and  wealth  than 
it  was  in  1868. 

The  growth  in  population  and  valuation  as  a  whole,  and  of  the  district  of  East 
Boston,  from  1870  to  1890— the  census  years  nearest  the  beginning  and  end  of  the 
period  under  comparison — is  shown  in  the  following  table: 

Increase  in  Population  and  Valuation  of  Boston  and  East  Boston 
FROM  1870  to  1890. 

1870.  i8go.        Percentag-e  of  Increase. 

Population  of  Boston 250,526  448,477  79.0 

Population  of  East  Boston 23,816  36,930  55.1 

^Valuation  of  Boston $630, 355, 762     $822, 041 , 800  30. 4 

Valuation  of  East  Boston 13,296,900        20,458,675  53.9 

The  largest  percentage  of  increase  shown  in  the  table  is  79  per  cent.,  and  the 
smallest  30.4  per  cent.  ;  and  the  average  increase  of  population  and  valuation,  for 
both  Boston  and  East  Boston,  is  about  55  per  cent. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  the  present  collector  of  the  port  of  Boston  for 
the  following  statistics  of  the  foreign  commerce  of  the  port  for  two  periods  of  five 
years  each,  ending  respectively  with  the  j-ears  1868  and  1891,  the  years  in  which  the 
former  and  the  present  bridge  projects  have  been  under  discussion. 

The  number  and  tonnage  of  vessels  entered  and  cleared  during  each  of  these 
periods  are  shown  for  convenience  in  this  table. 

'  Including  annexations. 


214  <>IJFF0LK  COUNTY.    ■ 

FORF.ICN    COMMKKCE    OF     rilF.    PoRT    OF    BoSTON — COMPARISON    OF    TWO    PERIODS 
OF    FIVE    YEARS    EACH,    ENDING    1868    AND    1891. 

Fiscal  Years.  Percentage 

1864-1868.  1887-1891.  of  Increase. 

Value  of  imports $17!), 783, 754     $325,742,962  81.2 

Value  of  exports . . . .      88, 066, 062       330, 559, 61 3  275. 4 

Total $267,849,816     $656,302,575  145.0 

Number  of  vessels  entered 14,S82  11,996  *19.4 

Number  of  vessels  cleared 15,000  11,914  *20.6 

Total ---  29,882  23,910  20.0 

Total  tonnage  of  vessels  entered. ._        3,398,979  6,894,260  102.8 

Total  tonnage  of  vessels  cleared.  _.        3,251,175  5,839,878  79.6 

Total 6,650,154         12,734,138  91.5 

Average  tonnage  of  vessels  entered         22S  tons  575  tons  151.6 

Average  tonnage  of  vessels  cleared.         217     "  490     "  126.2 

Total 445  tons         1,065  tons  139.2 

The  import  trade  of  Boston,  then,  has  increased  81  per  cent,  in  the  last  twenty- 
three  years,  and  the  export  trade  (a  mf)st  gratifying  exhibit)  275  per  cent.,  and  both 
together  145  per  cent.  Population  and  valuation  have  grown  meantime,  as  before 
shown,  about  55  ])er  cent.  In  other  words,  the  ff)reign  commerce  has  grown  nearly 
three  tmies  as  fast  as  its  population  and  valuation. 

The  domestic  trade  and  navigation  of  the  port  of  Boston  have  increased  in  a  still 
larger  ratio.  There  is  no  corresponding  official  record  to  show  this,  but  it  is  proved 
by  established  or  admitted  facts. 

While  the  tonnage  of  both  foreign  and  domestic  vessels  is  from  two  to  threefold 
greater  than  twenty-three  years  ago,  the  number  of  vessels  engaged  in  both  kinds  of 
commerce  has  largely  increased.  This  must  be  due  to  the  greater  expansion  of 
domestic  trade  and  shipping. 

It  will  be  seen  that  our  bankin«-  system  represents  the  growth  of  one 
hundred  and  eig-ht  years,  or  a  period  equal  to  two  consecutive  lives  of 
fifty-four  years  each,  and  that  a  man  now  living-  at  ninety  years  of  age 
has  witnessed  most  of  its  expansion.  The  capital  of  the  Massachusetts 
Bank  when  it  was  issued  in  1?S4  was  $'253,500,  and  represented  the 
entire  banking  capital  of  the  town.  To-day  there  are  in  the  Boston 
Clearing  House  Association,  fifty-two  national  banks,  with  an  aggregate 
capital  of  $5:2, 700, 000,  with  a  surplus  of  $14,04!),f;oo,  with  loans  of 
$100,000,000.      In   addition  there  are  national   banks,  not  members  of 

"  Decrease. 


FINANCIAL   HISTORY.  215 

the  Clearing  House  Association,  with  an  aggregate  capital  and  surplus 
of  $2, 897, 500,  and  ten  trust  companies  or  State  banks  with  an  ag- 
gregate capital  and  surplus  of  $10,126,005.71.  The  total  capital  in- 
vested in  the  banking  business  of  Boston  is  therefore  about  $87,000,000. 
Moreover  these  figures  do  not  in  any  sense  show  the  magnitude  of  the 
business  done  daily  by  the  banks  of  Boston.  The  aggregate  amount 
of  the  transactions  of  the  clearing  house  daily  represent  the  sum  of 
$1(;,000,000,  and  if  we  add  to  this  sum  the  daily  business  of  these  asso- 
ciated banks  which  does  not  pass  through  the  clearing  house,  and  which 
is  at  least  $0,300,000,  we  shall  see  that  the  aggregate  yearly  transac- 
tions of  the  clearing  house  banks  are  not  less  than  $4,000,000,000. 
In  addition  to  this  are  the  daily  transactions  of  the  trust  companies 
and  banks  and  members  of  the  clearing  house,  $(),000,000,000.  Several 
of  the  large  banks  carry  on  a  business  which  represents  daily  transac- 
tions of  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  dollars.  The  following  table 
exhibits  the  increase  in  business  in  the  Boston  Clearing  House  Associ- 
ation : 

Exchanges.  Balances. 

1856 $1,051,678,544  $  77,990,324 

1866  2,262,939,930  262,159,773 

1876 2,283,729,198  319,629,049 

1886  4,095,215,231  496,051,964 

1892 5,005,389, 685  566, 147,604 

Smallest  exchanges.  May  27,  1862 $  1,377,917.00 

Largest  "  July  2,  1889 31,321,877.00 

Smallest  amount  paid  by  any  one  bank  in  one  day's  settlement  1.45 

Largest  amount  paid  by  any  one  bank  in  one  day's  settlement     2,200,122.20 

.Smallest  gain  by  any  one  bank  in  one  day's  settlement 28 

Largest  gain  by  any  one  bank  in  one  day's  settlement 1,871,855.87 

The  financial  growth  of  Boston,  which  is  found  in  railroads,  has  a 
twofold  aspect.  First,  its  relation  to  railroads  having  their  termin- 
als in  Boston,  and  as  such  a  part  of  itself;  second,  its  relation  to  rail- 
road enterprises  in  other  communities  which  simply  represent  invest- 
ments of  Boston  capital.  The  inarvelous  growth  of  all  of  these  enter- 
prises has  taken  place  wnthin  the  period  of  sixty  years,  so  that  many  men 
who  are  still  in  active  life  have  seen  the  entire  development  of  the  rail- 
road systems  of  this  coimtry.  Whether  any  of  the  gloomy  prophets  of 
1833  wdio  then  seriously  opposed  railroads,  for  the  reason  that  they  did 
not  believe  they  would  succeed,  or  if  they  did,  that  horses  w^ould  cease 
to  have  any  value  after  railroads  should  be  built,  still  exist,  it  is  impos- 


21G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

sible  to  say;  but  if  they  are  living  they  must  recall  their  prophecies  with 
satisfaction  when  they  view  the  elevated  railroad  built  through  the  air 
over  the  streets  of  New  York,  or  read  of  the  sale  of  a  single  stallion  for 
more  than  $100,000. 

The  most  instructive  fact  for  our  guidance  in  considering  the  effect 
of  railroads  is,  that  nobody  who  projected  these  enterprises  could 
realize  in  the  faintest  degree  their  importance  for  the  future  of  Bos- 
ton. We,  however,  who  look  back  to  this  beginning  after  only  six 
decades  have  passed,  can  see  that  the  financial  history  of  Boston  since 
1834  is  largely  the  history  of  its  railroad  system.  To  the  projectors  in 
1834  of  the  Boston  system  of  railroads,  the  ends  had  in  view  were  to 
extend  their  lines  to  Lowell,  Worcester,  Providence,  and  possibly  to 
Albany.  Extensions  much  beyond  these  points  hardly  seemed  possi- 
ble. To  us  the  present  railroad  systems,  which  have  their  terminals 
here,  appears  as  part  of  170,000  miles  of  railroad  running  over  every 
part  of  the  United  States  and  connecting  us  with  Canada,  Mexico,  and 
the  Pacific  Ocean. 


HISTORY  OF  BANKING  INSTITUTIONS. 


As  early  as  168(5  a  bank  was  established  in  Boston.  No  account  of 
its  operations,  however,  has  survived.  It  had  an  ephemeral  existence, 
not  probably  extending-  beyond  1689.  In  1714  a  project  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  bank  was  presented  to  the  Legislature,  but  a  charter  was 
refused.  Notwithstanding  this  official  negative,  a  meeting  was  held 
and  notice  was  given  that  ' '  there  will  be  attendance  at  the  Sun  Tavern 
of  Boston  weekly  to  complete  the  subscriptions  for  entering  into  part- 
nership."  Within  two  months  from  the  publication  of  this  notice, 
directors  of  the  bank  were  chosen  and  circulating  bills  issued  to  the 
amount  of  ^100,000.  Almost  as  little  is  known  of  this  bank  as  of  its 
predecessor,  but  during  its  brief  existence  it  was  the  source  of  consider- 
able embarrassment  and  trouble  to  the  colony.  ^ 

In  1733  sundry  merchants  and  others  of  Boston,  in  order  to  supply 
the  deficiency  of  a  circulating  medium,  and  to  counteract  the  circulation 
of  a  large  issue  of  Rhode  Island  colonial  bills  in  Boston,  formed  a  pri- 

'  In  the  library  of  the  Essex  Institute  is  a  pamphlet  with  the  title  : 

"  A  Vindication  of  the  Bank  of  Credit  Projected  in  Boston  from  the  Aspersions  of  Paul  Dudley, 
Esqr.  In  a  letter  directed  to  John  Burril,  Esqr.,  Late  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
for  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  England.     Printed  in  the  year  1714." 

"  Sir,"  the  letter  begins,  "  Mr.  Attorney  General,  by  his  letter  of  the  Twenty  Second  of  October 
last  past  to  your  Self  as  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  for  this  Province,  having  most 
unaccountably,  with  an  uncommon  Freedom,  taken  upon  him  to  Insult  and  Arraign  a  Consider- 
able Company  of  Gentlemen  Merchants  &c.  (as  he  is  pleased  to  entitle  them)  Projectors  of  the 
Bank  of  Credit  and  call  them  to  the  Bar  of  that  Honorable  House,  charging  them  with  the  many 
High.  C'tnies  and  Misdemeanors  following  :  "  One  was  that  the  project  would  "  invalidate  and  break 
in  upon  the  Prerogative  of  the  Crown  ;  "  another  that  it  would  "  be  in  effect  the  setting  up  of  an 
Absolute  Independent  Government."  It  seems  "that  two  or  three  Gentlemen  in  the  Town  of 
Boston  discoursing  of  the  Difficulties  that  Trade  labored  under  for  want  of  a  Medium  of  Exchange, 
the  Silver  being  sent  home  for  England,  and  the  Bills  of  Credits  on  the  several  Provinces  daily 
called  in  by  the  Funds  on  which  they  are  emitted,  thought  it  proper  to  consult  some  other  Friends 
and  to  meet  together  and  consider  of  a  Suitable  Remedy  for  the  Present  and  growing  Inconven- 
iences and  Difficulties." 

The  letter  is  dated  at  Boston  and  signed  on  behalf  of  the  partnership  by  Samuel  Lynde,  E.  Lynde, 
John  Colraan.  Elisha  Cooke,  jr.,  J.  Oulton,  Timothy  Thornton,  Oliver  Noyes,  William  Pain  and 
Nath.  Oliver. 

The  Boston  merchants  of  1714  were  not  behind  those  of  the  present  in  generous  plans  for  the 
public  welfare.    The  projectors  of  the  Bank  of  Credit  proposed  to  give  out  of  the  "  neet  profits  "  of 

28 


218  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

vate  bank  and  issued  pa])ei-  to  the  nominal  value  of  ^110, GOO,  redeem- 
able in  ten  years  with  silver  at  nineteen  shillings  an  ounce.  A  com- 
mittee of  the  Legislature  reported  that  "  the  merchants'  notes  emitted 
by  Boston  gentlemen  should  be  backed  with  greater  security."  The 
notes,  however,  continued  to  circulate,  and  were  rated  at  thirty-three 
and  one-third  per  cent,  higher  than  the  currency  issued  by  the  Province. 
Still  another  attempt  at  banking  was  made  in  1730-40.  There  were  then 
outstanding  bills  of  credit  to  the  amount  of  over  ^200,000,  which  were 
imder  royal  instructions  to  be  redeemed  during  the  year  1741.  The 
treasury  being  empty,  there  was  no  way  of  effecting  the  redemption  of 
the  notes  except  by  a  direct  tax,  which  was  not  expected  to  yield  more 
than  ;^40,000  annually  at  the  utmost.  Specie  was  extremely  scarce, 
and  as  a  ineasure  of  relief  it  was  proposed  to  establish  ' '  The  Land 
Bank."  This  was  carried  into  effect  in  1740  by  the  association  of  be- 
tween four  hundred  and  eight  hundred  persons.  The  stock  was  paid 
by  mortgages  of  real  estate  at  three  per  cent,  per  annum,  or,  in  case  of 
a  mechanic,  in  notes  for  not  over  ^100  with  two  sureties.  The  bank 
was  to  issue  ^150,000  in  bills  to  be  circulated  as  lawful  money,  and 
every  note  of  ^1  was  to  be  equal  to  three  ounces  of  silver.  Loans  were 
to  be  seciired  by  mortgages  of  real  estate  and  to  be  payable  in  provin- 
cial produce  or  manufactures  at  such  prices  as  the  directors  might  from 
time  to  time  determine.  The  scheme  was  violently  opposed  by  Gov- 
ernor Belcher,  and  the  Land  Bank  was  soon  compelled  by  an  act  of 
Parliament  to  wind  up  its  affairs,  and  a  right  of  action  was  given  to 
each  holder  of  its  bills  against  any  individual  partner  for  the  amount  of 
the  bills  held  and  interest.  Many  years  elapsed  before  the  affairs  of 
the  Land  Bank  were  finally  wound  up,  and  its  stockholders  suffered 
severely  in  their  estates  on  account  of  their  liability.  Another  bank, 
called  the  Specie  Bank,  which  went  into  operation  about  the  same  time, 
shared  the  same  fate.  It  was  to  issue  ^120,000  of  notes  redeemable  in 
fifteen  years  in  silver  at  twenty  shillings  per  ounce. 

The  first  regularly  established  bank  in  Boston,  however,  was  a  branch 
of  the  Bank  of  North  America,  which  was  incorporated  by  the  Legis- 

the  bank  "  Four  Hundred  Pounds  per  Annum  to  the  Use  of  an  Hospital  or  Charity  School  for  the 
Support  and  Education  of  the  Poor  Children  in  the  Town  of  Boston." 

"  Two  Hundred  Pounds  per  Annum  for  a  Mathematical  Professor  at  Harvard  College." 

"  Forty  Pounds  per  Annum  "  for  three  scholarships  at  Harvard  College. 

"  One  Hundred  Pounds  per  Annum  "  for  the  support  of  six  ministers'  sons  at  the  college. 

"  Forty  Pounds  per  Annum  "  to  a  "  Professor  of  Physick  and  Anatomy  "  at  the  college. 

"  Twenty  Pounds  per  Annum  toward  the  further  support  of  a  Publick  Grammar  School  in  each 
county  now  in  the  Province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  England." 


BANKIXG  IXSriTrriONS.  210 

latiire  of  Massachusetts  in  compliance  with  an  act  of  the  general  gov- 
ernment, March  8,  1?82,  or  only  about  two  weeks  after  the  parent  in- 
stitution was  projected  and  founded  in  Philadelphia  by  Robert  Morris, 
at  that  time  superintendent  of  finance,  an  office  corresponding  to  that  of 
secretary  of  the  treasury.  By  its  charter  no  other  bank  was  to  be  in- 
corporated during  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  and  its  notes  were  to  be 
received  for  taxes  or  dues  for  or  on  account  of  the  United  States.  For- 
gery, counterfeiting  and  embezzlement  committed  against  this  bank 
were  made  punishable  by  death  without  benefit  of  clergy,  but  this  pen- 
alty was  subsequently  modified.  Unfortunately  little  record  remains 
of  the  operations  of  the  Bank  of  North  America  at  Boston.  But  it 
proved  so  beneficial  that  two  years  later,  in  1784,  the  Massachusetts 
Bank  was  founded,  being  the  first  purely  local  bank  established  in  the 
vState  and  the  second  in  the  United  States.  "  It  was  the  first  institu- 
tion of  its  kind,"  says  Felt  in  his  History  of  Massachusetts  Currency, 
"promoted  solely  by  the  inhabitants  of  our  commonwealth,  since 
that  of  the  silver  scheme  and  still  more  unfortunate  Land  Bank. 
While  these  were  pressed  into  operation  under  the  burden  of  legislative 
displeasure  and  were  doomed  to  resistance  in  almost  every  direction, 
this  was  received  with  public  and  private  favor  and  extensively  encour- 
aged as  the  instrument  of  promoting  the  interests  of  trade  and  com- 
merce." 

MASSACHUSETTS  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  project  of  the  establishment  of  a  bank  of  deposit  and  issiie  had 
Ijeen  much  discussed  by  leading  merchants  of  Boston  during  the  winter 
of  1783-81.  On  December  18,  1783,  the  following  advertisement  ap- 
peared in  the  Lidcpendent  Chronicle:  "The  utility  of  a  bank,  estab- 
lished on  right  principles,  being  generally  known  and  acknowledged,  a 
plan  has  been  projected  and  is  now  ready  for  the  patronage  of  those 
gentlemen  who  wish  to  derive  the  many  public  and  private  advantages 
which  have  resulted  from  such  institutions  in  other  countries.  Copies 
of  the  plans  are  lodged  with,  and  subscriptions  received  by  William 
Phillips,  Isaac  Smith,  Jonathan  Mason,  Thomas  Russell,  John  Lowell, 
and  Stephen  Higginson,  and  at  the  offices  of  Edward  Payne,  John  Hurd 
and  M.  ]\I.  Ha3-s. "  Like  all  the  banks  established  in  the  State  for  the 
next  seventy  years,  it  was  incorporated  by  special  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture.    Its  charter  was  granted  Februar}-  7,  1781,  with  an  authorized 


no  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

capital  of  $300, 000.      A  copy  of  the  original  subscription  list  is  still  pre- 
served. 1 

When  the  Massachusetts  Bank  was  chartered  in  Boston,  gold  and  sil- 
ver were  the  only  true  standard  of  value  in  conformity  with  the  usage 
in  all  civilized  countries,  and  this  was  the  first  effort  in  the  United  States 
subsequent  to  the  Revolution  to  introduce  a  paper  currency  equivalent 
to  specie.  At  that  period  the  trade  of  our  country  was  limited  in  its 
extent.  Manufactures  were  carried  on  by  individul  exertions  only;  the 
markets  for  them  were  circumscribed  within  the  narrow  precincts  of 
this  immediate  neighborhood,  and  the  products  of  agriculture  were  ex- 
changed for  articles  of  domestic  use.  Our  commerce  was  then  in  its 
infancy  and  was  principally  employed  in  the  conveyance  of  our  agri- 
cultural products,  and  the  proceeds  of  our  fi.sheries,  to  the  West  Indies, 
vSouth  America  and  Europe,  returning  home  with  such  productions  of 
those  countries  as  were  required  for  immediate  consumption  or  use;  and 
bank  facilities  were  hardly  needed  in  these  operations. 

I  The  following-  were  the  conditions  subscribed  to  by  the  original  stockholders  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Bank  : 

PROPOSALS  FOR  A  BANK. 

Taught  by  the  Experience  of  many  Nations  that  well  regulated  Banks  are  highly  useful  to  Society, 
as  they  promote  Punctuality  in  the  Performance  of  Contracts,  increase  the  Medium  of  Trade, 
facilitate  the  Payment  of  Taxes,  prevent  the  Exportation  of.  and  furnish  a  safe  Deposit  for  Cash, 
and  in  the  way  of  Discount,  renders  easy  and  expeditious  the  anticipation  of  Funds  at  the 
Expence  only  of  common  Interest,  while  by  the  same  Means  they  advance  the  Interest  of  the  Pro- 
prietors, we  the  Subscribers,  desirous  of  promoting  such  an  Institution,  do  hereby  engage  to  take 
the  Number  of  Shares  set  against  our  respective  Names  in  a  Bank  to  be  established  upon  the  fol- 
lowing Plan,  viz. 

I.  That  a  Subscription  be  opened  for  Three  Hundred  Thousand  Dollars,  in  Shares  of|Five  Hun- 
dred Dollars  each,  to  be  paid  in  Gold  or  Silver. 

II.  That  the  Subscription  be  paid  into  the  Hands  of  William  Fhiilips,  Isaac  Smith,  and  Jonathan 
Mason,  Esq'rs,  or  their  Agents. 

III.  That  every  Subscriber  of  these  Shares  shall  pay  two-thirds  Af  the  Sum  on  the  first  day  of 
February  next,  or  within  fourteen  Days  afterwards,  and  the  other  third  in  two  Months  from  that 
Day. — Every  Subscriber  of  more  than  three  Shares  shall  pay  half  on  the  first  Day  of  February 
next,  or  within  fourteen  Days  afterwards,  and  the  other  half  in  two  Months  from  that  time,  and 
every  Subscriber  of  less  than  three  Shares  shall  on  the  first  Day  of  February  aforesaid,  or  within 
fourteen  Days  afterwards,  pay  the  Amount  thereof,  and  any  Person  who  shall  fail  of  making  Pay- 
ment in  manner  aforsaid  shall  be  intitled  under  his  Subscription  to  no  more  Shares  than  he  shall 
have  then  actually  paid  for. 

IV.  That  every  Holder  of  a  Share  shall  be  intitled  to  vote  by  himself,  his  Agent,  or  Proxy  prop- 
erly appointed,  at  all  Elections  of  Directors,  and  shall  have  as  many  Votes  as  he  holds  Shares,  and 
that  every  such  .Stockholder  may  sell  or  transfer  his  Share  or  Shares  at  his  pleasure,  the  Transfer 
being  made  in  the  Bank  Books,  in  presence  and  with  the  Approbation  of  the  Proprietor,  or  his  law- 
ful Attorney,  the  Purchaser  then  to  become  intitled  to  the  Right  of  voting  and  every  Advan- 
tage which  the  Stockholder  enjoyed. 

v.  That  there  be  twelve  Directors  chosen  by  a  Majority  of  Voters,  present  in  Person  or  by 
Proxy,  from  among  those  who  are  intitled  to  vote,  who  shall  after  the  first  Choice  be  annually 
elected,  and  as  often  as  any  Vacancy  shall  happen  by  Death  or  otherwi.se,  if  in  the  opinion  of  the 


L>  oC/$rj^^ 


BAXKING  INSTITUTIONS.  m 

The  charter  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank  provided  that  the  bank  might 
hold  real  estate  to  the  amount  of  ;^50,000,  and  "  monies,  goods,  chat- 
tels and  effects  to  the  amount  of  five  hundred  pounds  and  no  more." 
Neither  the  bank  nor  any  person  for  it,  was  to  employ  its  funds  in  trade 
or  commerce,  and  the  Legislature  might  employ  a  person  to  examine 
its  affairs.  By  an  act  passed  March  Ki,  of  the  same  year,  heavy  penal- 
ties were  provided  for  the  crime  of  counterfeiting,  embezzlement  and 
other  frauds  committed  against  the  bank.  By  virtue  of  the  authority 
vested  in  them  by  the  act,  William  Phillips,  Isaac  Smith,  and  Jonathan 
Mason  called  a  meeting  for  organization,  to  be  held  March  18,  1784-,  at 
which  time  the  stockholders  elected  the  following  officers:  James  Bow- 
doin,    president;    Samuel   Breck,    George  Cabot,    vStephen  Higginson, 

remaining  Directors  it  shall  be  necessary  to  fill  tip  such  Vacancies  before  the  Period  for  a  general 
Election,  they  shall  call  a  general  Meeting  of  the  Stockholders  for  that  purpose.  The  Directors 
shall  at  their  first  Meeting  after  every  general  Election  choose  one  from  among  them  for  Presi- 
dent. 

VI.  That  there  be  a  Meeting  of  the  Directors  quarterly,  for  the  Purpose  of  regulating  the  Affairs 
of  the  Bank,  any  five  of  the  Directors  to  make  a  Board,  and  that  the  Board  have  Power  to  adjourn 
from  time  to  time  and  to  meet  at  any  other  time,  when  they  may  think  it  necessary. 

VII.  That  the  Board  of  Directors  determine  the  Manner  of  doing  Business,  and  the  Rules  and 
Forms  to  be  pursued  ;  appoint  and  pay  the  various  Officers,  which  they  may  find  necessary,  and 
dispose  of  the  Money  and  Credit  of  the  Bank  for  the  Interest  and  Benefit  of  the  Proprietors  ;  and 
make  from  Time  to  Time  such  Dividends  out  of  the  Profits  as  they  may  think  proper,  provided 
they  shall  in  no  Instance  do  any  Act  contrary  to  the  Regulations  made  by  the  Stockholders. 

VIII.  That  the  Board  shall  be  empowered  from  Time  to  Time  to  open  new  Siibscriptions  for 
the  purpose  of  encreasing  the  Capital  of  the  Bank,  on  such  Terms  and  Conditions  as  they  shall 
think  proper. 

IX.  That  the  Board  shall  at  every  Quarterly  Meeting  choose  three  Directors  to  inspect  the 
Business  of  the  Bank  for  the  ensuing  three  Months. 

X.  That  the  Inspectors  so  chosen  shall  on  the  Evening  of  every  Day,  Sundays  excepted,  exam- 
ine into  the  State  of  the  Cash  Account,  and  of  the  Notes  issued  and  received,  and  shall  see  that 
those  Accounts  are  regularlj'  balanced,  and  the  Balances  transferred. 

XI.  That  any  Person  especially  appointed  by  the  Legislature  of  this  State  for  that  Purpose, 
shall  have  a  right  to  examine  into  the  Affairs  of  the  Bank,  and  shall  at  all  times  have  access  to 
the  Bank  Books. 

XII.  That  Application  be  made  to  the  Legislature  to  incorporate  the  Subscribers  under  the 
Name  of  the  President.  Directors  and  Company  of  the  Bank  of and  to  pass  Laws  to  se- 
cure the  Bank  Notes  from  being  counterfeited,  and  also  to  prevent  any  President,  Director,  In- 
spector, Officer  or  Servant  of  the  Bank  from  converting  any  Property,  Money  or  Credit  of  said 
Bank  to  his  own  use. 

XIII.  That  any  Director  or  Officer  of  the  Bank  who  shall  commit  any  Fraud  or  Embezzlement, 
touching  the  Money  or  Property  of  the  Bank,  shall  forfeit  all  his  Share  or  Stock  to  the  Company. 

XIV.  That  none  of  the  Directors  shall  be  intitled  to  any  pecuniary  Advantage  for  his  Attend- 
ance on  the  Duties  of  his  Office  as  Director,  or  as  President  or  Inspector,  unless  the  Profits  arising 
from  the  Bank  Stock  shall  exceed  6  per  Cent,  per  Annum,  and  an  Alteration  in  this  respect  shall 
hereafter  be  made  by  the  Consent  of  a  Majority  of  Stockholders. 

XV.  That  as  soon  as  Two  Hundred  Shares  shall  be  subscribed,  and  the  Subscriptions /a?V/,  the 
said  U'illiajn  Phillips,  Isaac  Stinth  and  Jonaihan  Mason.  Esq'rs,  shall  appoint  a  Daj'  for  the  Choice  of 
Directors,  and  notify  the  Stockholders  in  two  of  the  Boston,  a.n^  such  other  Papers  as  they  may 
think  necessarj',  to  meet  for  the  Purpose,  to  whom,  when  chosen,  they  shall  deliver  over  the 
Monej-  b}-  them  received. 


222  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

John  Lowell,  Jonathan  Mason,  vSamuel  A.  Otis,  Edward  Payne,  Will- 
iam Phillips,  Thomas  Russell,  Isaae  Smith,  and  Oliver  Wendell,  di- 
rectors. Subsequently  the  directors  elected  Edward  Payne  cashier. 
The  bank  commenced  business  with  a  paid  in  capital  of  $253,500,  on 
July  5,  1784,  and  on  that  day  its  discounts  amounted  to  $10,045. 

The  bank  first  occupied  the  building  known  in  colonial  days  as  the 
Manufactory  House,  with  125  feet  of  land  fronting  on  Common  (now 
Tremont)  street,  and  225  feet  on  the  east  side  of  what  is  now  Hamilton 
Place.  On  a  map  of  Tremont  street  published  about  that  time  is  a 
picture  of  the  building,  which  somewhat  resembled  the  "Old  Feather 
Store,"  once  at  the  junction  of  Ann  and  Union  s-treets,  with  its  quaint 
roof  with  gable  or  triangular  ends.  This  property,  to-day  valued  at  up- 
wards of  $5,000,000,  the  bank  purchased  for  $4,000. 

The  rules  adopted  for  the  management  of  the  bank  were  of  the  most 
stringent  character,  and  were  "  not  to  be  deviated  from  in  the  smallest 
instance,  nor  on  any  pretense  whatever."  Offerings  for  discount  were 
required  to  be  sealed  up  and  left  at  the  bank,  directed  to  the  cashier,  be- 
tween the  hours  of  ten  and  one  o'clock  on  Mondays.  The  rate  of  dis- 
count was  one-half  of  one  per  cent,  per  month,  and  no  discounts  were  to 
be  made  for  a  longer  period  than  sixty  days  upon  merchandise,  bullion  or 
other  securities  as  collateral,  nor  for  more  than  thirty  days  on  personal 
obligations  with  two  sureties.  No  loan  was  to  be  made  for  a  smaller 
sum  than  $100,  nor  for  a  larger  sum  than  $3,000  to  any  person  at  the 
same  time,  nor  beyond  $5,000  to  any  one  borrower  in  the  aggregate, 
nor  beyond  $7,500  to  any  one  person  as  promisor  and  indorser.  No  per- 
son was  allowed  to  renew  his  note  on  any  terms,  and  in  case  of  non- 
payment the  security  was  to  be  sold,  and  the  borrower  was  not  to  be 
allowed  any  discount  for  eight  months  thereafter,  unless  restored  to 
credit  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  the  directors,  and  the  names  of  delin- 
quents were  to  be  posted  in  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  bank.  This 
would  be  called  hard  treatment  in  these  days  and  otlier  of  the  condi- 
tions named  would  be  found  impracticable,  but  under  these  stringent, 
prudential  regulations  the  bank  became  very  successful,  its  dividends 
increasing  from  nine  per  cent,  in  17S5,  two  ])er  cent,  in  17S<i,  and  six 
and  one-half  per  cent,  in  1787,  to  fifteen  and  one-half  per  cent,  in  1791, 
and  sixteen  and  one-half  per  cent,  in  1792.  Subsequent  dividends  were, 
however,  reduced,  owing  to  competition  of  other  banks. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  its  existence,  before  the  United  States  be- 
gan its  coinage,  fractional  silver  of  any  kind  was  very  scarce  and  the 


BA  NKING   IXS  TIT  I  'TIOXS.  223 

Massachusetts  Bank  issued  notes  of  the  denomination  of  $1.50,  $2.50, 
$3.50,  $4.50,  and  also  of  $0,  $7,  $8,  $9,  $15,  $25,  $:30,  $35,  and  $40 
each,  specimens  of  which  are  still  preserved.  In  1792,  to  check  the  is- 
sue of  small  bills,  which  threatened  to  drive  specie  out  of  circulaticjn,  the 
Legislature  passed  an  act  prohibiting-  the  Massachusetts  Bank  from 
issuing  any  notes  of  a  less  denomination  than  $5,  and  the  total  amount 
of  all  its  promissory  notes,  together  with  the  money  loaned  by  it,  by  a 
credit  on  its  books,  or  otherwise,  was  limited  to  twice  the  amotint  of  its 
paid  up  capital,  and  in  case  of  any  excess,  the  directors,  imder  whose 
administration  it  occurred,  were  made  personally  liable  for  any  demand 
against  the  bank,  unless,  in  case  of  their  absence  or  dissent  from  the 
act  creating  such  excess,  they  forthwith  gave  notice  of  the  fact  to  the 
supreme  executive  of  the  Ccnrimonwealth.  This  was  the  commence- 
ment of  that  war  upon  small  bills  which  was  kept  up  by  the  vState  gov- 
ernment of  Massachusetts  until  1805. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  the  fibre  paper  used  by  the  government 
for  its  notes  and  bills,  to  prevent  cotmterf citing,  is  patented.  This, 
however,  is  erroneous.  The  principle  has  long  been  in  use.  The  Mas- 
sachusetts Bank  more  than  fifty  years  ago  printed  its  notes  on  paper 
through  which  fibres  of  silk  were  liberally  distributed,  paper  similar 
to  that  now  used  by  the  printers  of  the  United  States  currency  at 
Washington. 

The  Massachusetts  Bank  being  for  some  years  the  only  institution  of 
its  kind  in  New  England,  its  president  was  naturally  a  personage  of 
considerable  importance  in  such  a  place  as  Boston.  At  the  reception 
given  to  Lafayette  in  1784,  among  the  list  of  dignitaries  who  dined  with 
him  were  the  governor,  lieutenant-governor  and  Council,  the  president 
of  the  Senate,  the  speaker  of  the  House,  and  the  president  of  the  bank. 
On  all  public  occasions  he  was  one  of  the  central  figures. 

It  was  formerly  the  custom  of  the  Boston  banks  to  celebrate  com- 
mencement Day  at  Harvard  College.  The  custom  came  about  in  this 
way.  When  William  Phillips  was  president  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank, 
the  meetings  of  the  faculty  were  held  in  a  hall  of  the  bank  building, 
Mr.  Phillips  being  a  member  of  that  body.  It  was  the  only  bank  in 
Boston,  and  being  thus  doubl}'  connected,  Mr.  Phillips  observed  the  day, 
which  was  likewise  honored  by  the  other  attaches  of  the  bank.  Subse- 
quent banks  emulated  the  example  of  their  venerated  predecessor,  and 
the  custom  was  continued  until  18(;5.  In  that  year  Decoration  Day  be- 
came a  legal  holiday,  and  as  the  annual  day  of  c<^mmencement  was 


224  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

chang-cd  from  September  to  July,  the  two  holidays  so  elose  were  con- 
sidered more  than  the  banks  could  afford.  So  they  relinquished  the 
observance  of  Commencement  Day,  and  have  substituted  that  of  Deco- 
ration Day. 

The  original  building  in  which  the  Massachusetts  Bank  began  busi- 
ness was  sold  in  180(),  when  the  bank,  having  purchased  the  old  Ameri- 
can Coffee  House  on  State  street,  erected  on  its  site  a  building  for  its 
use,  where  it  remained  for  more  than  sixty  years.  After  the  great  fire 
of  1872  the  bank  removed  to  Post-Office  Square,  where  it  continued  un- 
til 1S!I2,  when  it  removed  to  the  more  spacious  quarters  now  occupied 
in  the  Exchange  Building.  The  original  capital  of  the  bank  was  re- 
duced in  178G  to  $100,000;  increased  to  $200,000  in  June,  1792;  to  $400,- 
000  in  July,  1792;  to  $800,000  in  June,  1807,  and  to  $1,600,000  in  June, 
1810.  In  April,  1821,  its  capital  was  reduced  to  $800,000,  at  which 
figure  it  still  remains. 

The  stable  character  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank  was  exemplified  by 
the  amounts  of  specie  in  its  vaults  in  the  six  years  from  1809  to  1814 
inclusive.  These  amounts  were  marvelously  large  for  those  days,  and 
no  other  bank  in  this  country  before  or  since  had  held  so  large  a  pro- 
portion of  the  specie  of  its  people.  The  sums  are  as  follows:  1809, 
January  1,  $124,700;  July  1,  $184,000;  1810,  January  1,  $230,500;  July 
1,  $217,800;  1811,  January  1,  $109,800;  July  1,  $397,800;  1812,  Janu- 
ary 1,  $904,900;  July  1,  $379,350;  1813,  January  1,  $1,852,744;  July  1, 
$1,900,300;  1814,  January  1,  $2,114,104;  July  1,  $1,890,700. 

For  the  first  fifty  years  of  its  existence  this  bank  never  suspended  its 
specie  payments.  During  the  one  hundred  and  eight  years  which  have 
elapsed  since  its  establishment,  it  has  omitted  to  pay  dividends  biit 
twice,  first  at  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  second  during  the 
financial  crisis  of  1830.  But  after  it  was  converted  into  a  national 
association  it  compensated  for  these  omissions  by  declaring  an  extra 
dividend  of  ten  per  cent.  In  the  eighty-one  years  of  its  existence  as  a 
State  bank,  from  1784  to  1805,  the  whole  amount  of  circulating  notes 
issued  by  it  was  $4,074,177,  of  which  the  amount  lost  or  not  presented 
for  redemption  was  $22,111,  or  not  quite  one-half  of  one  per  cent. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  presidents  of  this  bank  from  1784  to  the 
present  time  in  order  of  service:  James  Bowdoin,  William  Phillips, 
Jonathan  Mason,  Samuel  Eliot,  William  Phillips,  jr.,  William  Parsons, 
Jonathan  Phillips,  J.  L.  Gardner,  J.  J.  Dixwell,  H.  A.  Rice,  A.  O. 
Bigelow   and   William    A.    P'rench.       The   present   board   of  directors, 


BAXKIXG   IXSTITUTIONS.  225 

elected  in  January,  1892,  is  composed  of  William  A.  French,  Edward 
Whitney,  Arthur  T.  Lyman,  Nathaniel  G.  Chapin,  Alexander  H.  Rice, 
Edward  T.  Russell,  George  Munroe  Endicott,  Robert  D.  Evans,  Charles 
A.  wSinclair  and  James  T.  Furber. 

James  Bowdoin,  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  a  descendant  of 
Pierre  Bowdoin,  who  came  to  New  England  in  1G87,  was  born  in  Bos- 
ton, August  7,  1T20,  and  in  17-40  graduated  from  Harvard  College. 
He  entered  into  political  life  in  1753  as  one  of  the  four  representatives 
of  Boston  in  the  Provincial  Legislature  of  Massachusetts,  and  remained 
a  member  of  the  House  for  three  years.  In  1757  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Council,  to  which  he  was  annually  elected  to  the  year 
1774.  During  this  long  period  of  service  he  was  among  the  foremost 
spirits  on  the  part  of  the  colonies  in  the  memorable  fights  between  the 
legislative  and  the  executive  authorities,  which  grew  in  their  intensity 
until  the  last  British  governor  was  driven  from  our  shores.  He  strongly 
urged  retaliation  for  the  arbitrary  taxes  imposed  by  Great  Britain,  and 
was  styled  by  the  English  in  authority  at  the  time  as  the  "principal 
supporter  of  the  opposition  to  the  government."  In  1775  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress  to  organize  the  first  regu- 
lar government,  and  was  made  president  of  the  Council.  He  was  re- 
elected to  the  Council  in  177<i  and  1777,  and  continued  to  serve  as  its 
presiding  officer  whenever  his  health  permitted  until  the  summer  of 
1777,  when  he  resigned.  In  177G,  on  the  receipt  of  the  news  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  he  was  made  chairman  of  the  committee 
to  direct  and  personally  superintend  its  proclamation  from  the  balcony 
of  the  Old  State  House  in  Boston.  In  1779  he  was  elected  a  delegate 
from  Boston  to  the  convention  which  framed  the  Constitution  of  Massa- 
chusetts, of  which  convention  he  was  the"  president.  In  1785,  there 
being  no  choice  by  the  people,  the  Legislature  elected  Bowdoin  gov- 
ernor, and  he  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority  of  the  popular  vote 
in  1787.  He  was  long  connected  with  the  government  of  Harvard 
College,  and  always  manifested  deep  interest  in  educational  projects. 
The  "Bowdoin  Prizes"  were  established  by  his  will.  He  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences  and  was 
its  president  from  its  first  organization  to  his  death,  which  occurred 
November  (i,  1790.  His  eulogist.  Judge  Lowell,  has  said  of  him:  "It 
may  be  said  that  our  country  has  produced  many  men  of  as  much 
genius;  many  men  of  as  much  learning  and  knowledge;  many  (jf  as 
much  zeal  for  the  liberties  of  their  country;  and  many  of  as  great  piety 

29 


226  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

and  virtue ;  but  it  is  rare  indeed  to  find  those  in  whom  they  are  all 
combined,  and  been  adorned  with  his  other  accomplishments." 

Some  of  the  officers  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank  have  served  for  very 
long  periods.  Mr.  James  Dodd  served  the  longest,  having  been  ac- 
countant and  cashier  for  fifty-four  years.  J.  J.  Dixwell  was  a  director 
for  thirty-six  years,  during  twenty-seven  of  which  he  was  president. 
Henry  K.  Frothingham  was  also  connected  with  the  bank  in  an  official 
capacity  for  many  3'ears.  The  Phillips  family  has  been  long  and  ably 
represented  in  the  bank.  William  Phillips,  one  of  the  faculty  of  Har- 
vard College,  was  president  from  178G  to  1797.  His  son,  William 
Phillips,  jr.,  was  president  from  1S04  to  1829.  His  grandson,  Jonathan 
Phillips,  was  president  from  1830  to  18-40. 

The  record  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank  is  remarkable  in  many  re- 
'spects.  Co-extensive  with  the  administraticni  of  Washington,  it  has 
oiitlived  all  that  followed  to  the  present  day.  It  has  withstood  the 
shocks  of  wars  and  financial  fevers  for  more  than  one  hundred  years. 
It  has  marked  the  rise,  decline  and  fall  of  hundreds  of  similar  institu- 
tions in  our  vStates  and  the  widespread  distress  which  their  mismanage- 
ment or  misfortune  occasioned  among  all  classes.  Shaken  but  not 
shattered,  it  has  breasted  the  waves  of  each  recurring  national  or 
financial  calamity,  and  has  been  among  New  England  banks  like  the 
Constitution  among  our  navy,  the  oldest  and  most  glorious  survivor  on 
the  list.  The  hopes  it  raised  were  never  disappointed.  No  crimes  or 
blunders  sully  its  long  record.  Those  eminent  men  who  in  turn 
presided  over  its  destinies,  while  the}^  conferred  distinction  on  its  name, 
received  by  the  association  more  honor  than  they  conferred.  It  has  been 
a  boon  to  the  public  and  a  model  for  the  brotherhood  of  banks.  By  its 
steady  adherence  to  a  plan  founded  in  prudence  and  pursued  with  skill, 
it  has  proved  alike  an  example  and  defence  of  the  banking  system,  a 
standard  and  confidence  at  home,  and  an  assurance  of  American  honor 
abroad. 

The  condition  of  the  Massachusetts  National  Bank  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business  March  (J,  189o,  was 
as  follows: 

KKSUUKCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,064,521.75 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 15. 61 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation 50, ()()(). 00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 0,300.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents _      108,231.07 

Due  from  other  National  Banks  _ _ 222,867.49 


BAXKIXG   IXSTITi'T/ONS.  227 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 8,938.65 

Banking-house  furniture  and  fixtures 4,517.55 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned 20,244. 30 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 17,138.86 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 6,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 6,097.22 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 150,803.24 

Bills  of  other  banks 11,716.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 400.000 

Specie 126,078.50 

Legal  tender  notes 64,555.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Due  from  U.  S.  Treasurer  other  than  5  percent,  redemption  fund  2,000.00 

Total S2, 965, 665. 24 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    800,000.00 

Surplus  fund 100,000.00 

Undivided  profits 44,981.55 

State  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 191.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,235,143.07 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 13,840.62 

Certified  checks 88,453.60 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 117,300.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 113,825.81 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 216,928.50 

Bills  payable 190,000.00 

Total S2, 965, 665. 24 

UNITED  STATES  BANK. 

The  idea  of  a  United  States  Bank,  which  should  be  somewhat  simi- 
kir  in  character  to  the  Bank  of  England,  originated  with  Alexander 
Hamilton,  the  first  secretary  of  the  treasury.  It  was  established  in 
Philadelphia  in  1791,  and  its  charter  expired  in  1<S12,  but  was  revived 
in  1810  and  finally  dissolved  in  1830.  In  1792  a  branch  of  the  United 
vStates  Bank  was  established  in  Boston.  William  Gray  was  the  first 
president,  and  Peter  Roe  Dalton  the  first  cashier.  The  directors,  who 
were  appointed  by  the  parent  bank  at  Philadelphia,  were  Joseph  Bar- 
rett, John  Codman,  Caleb  Davis,  Christopher  Gore,  John  Coffin  Jones, 
John  Lowell,  Theodore  Lyman,  Jonathan  Mason,  jr.,  Joseph  Russell, 
jr.,  David  Sears,  Israel  Thorndike  and  William  Wetmore.  Business 
was  commenced  in  an  old  two-sttuy  wooden  house  which  stood  upon 


i^28  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  site  of  Brazer's  Iniildino-.  In  IT'.IS  a  bank  buildino-  was  erected  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Exchang-c  Buildin-^-,  which  bore  on  its  front  an 
American  eagle  with  its  wings  outstretched,  as  if  in  the  act  of  swoop- 
ing down  npon  the  bulls  and  bears  of  the  street.  The  next  location  of 
the  bank  was  in  Congress  street,  on  the  west  side,  and  not  far  from 
vState  street.  Here  the  bank  erected  a  building,  the  corner  stone  of 
which  was  laid  July  4,  1824,  the  parent  bank  appropriating-  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  for  the  building.''  At  this  time  the  capital  of 
the  Boston  branch  was  $1,500,000,  and  the  officers  of  the  bank  were  : 
Gardiner  Greene,  president;  vSamuel  Frothingham,  cashier;  Gardiner 
Greene,  Thomas  H.  Perkins,  John  Welles,  Jf^hn  Parker,  Daniel  Pinck- 
ney  Parker,  Nathaniel  Silsbee,  David  Sears,  Daniel  Webster,  George 
Blake,  Resin  Davis  Shepard,  Harry  Gardner  Rice  and  Horace  Gray, 
directors.  In  IS  10  George  Cabot  was  serving  as  president  of  this 
bank.  He  was  a  prominent  leader  of  the  Massachusetts  Federal- 
ists. He  was  a  very  successful  merchant,  and  had  a  great  reputation 
as  a  financier.  While  in  the  United  States  vSenate  in  1701-90,  Hamil- 
ton, the  founder  of  our  financial  system,  often  conferred  with  him. 
He  incurred  great  odium  by  his  connection  with  the  Hartford  Conven- 
tion in  1S14,  of  which  body  he  was  president.  Aaron  Burr  once  said 
of  him,  that  "he  never  spoke  but  light  followed  him." 

The  attempt  to  permanently  establish  a  bank  under  government  con- 
trol, like  the  Bank  of  England,  proved  a  failure,  as  is  well  known.  The 
removal  of  the  deposits  by  General  Jackson  affected  the  Boston  branch 
but  little.      In  1830  Congress  revived  the  charter,  but  Jackson  vetoed  it. 

NATIONAL  UNION  BANK. 

From  1784  to  1702  the  Massachusetts  Bank  continued  the  only  insti- 
tution of  its  kind  in  the  State,  with  the  exception  of  the  brief  period 

I  The  building  committee,  "  for  the  information  of  futurity,"  gave  the  following  facts  in  relation 
to  the  erection  of  this  edifice  :  "  The  appropriation  for  the  building  of  this  bank  by  the  parent  in- 
stitution was  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  of  which  sum  fifty-four  thousand,  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  was  paid  for  the  land,  and  it  is  the  hope  of  the  building  committee  that  the  whole  sum 
disbursed  w^ill  not  exceed  the  appropriation.  The  pillars,  under  one  of  which  this  document  is 
placed,  were  quarried  in  Chelmsford  in  this  State,  being  the  fiirst  granite  shafts  of  these  dimensions 
ever  erected  in  this  country.  Their  dimensions  are  twenty-four  feet  in  length,  four  feet  in  diame- 
ter at  the  base,  and  three  feet  at  the  head.  The  cost  of  them,  delivered  at  the  spot  where  they 
were  quarried,  was  nine  hundred  dollars  each,  and  the  expense  of  bringing  them  here  about  five 
hundred  dollars  each.  They  were  brought  separately,  by  land,  and  drawn  by  thirty-four  yoke  of 
oxen.  The  stone  of  the  walls  ot  the  bank  was  worked  principally  at  the  State  Prisons  at  Charles- 
town,  Massachusetts  and  Concord,  New  Hampshire."  This  document  was  signed  by  Solomon 
Williard,  architect;  Gridley  Bryant,  master  workman  ;  James  McAllaster,  master  carpenter  ;  Gar- 
diner (ireene,  John  Welles.  Thomas  H.  Perkins,  Daniel  P.  Parker  and  J  Parker,  building  commit- 
tee, and  attested  November  30,  1824,  by  Samuel  Frothingham,  cashier. 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  ooo 

when  the  Branch  Bank  of  North  America  was  in  operation.  The 
success  of  the  Massachusetts  Bank  led  in  the  latter  year  to  the 
establishment  of  a  rival,  the  Union  Bank.  The  act  incorporating-  this 
institution  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  June  22,  1T02,  and  was  to  con- 
tinue to  1802.  David  Cobb  was  the  speaker  of  the  House,  and  Sainuel 
Phillips,  president  of  the  vSenate.  The  act  was  approved  and  signed  by 
Governor  John  Hancock  on  June  25,  1702.  The  incorporators  named 
in  the  act  were  Stephen  Higginson,  Caleb  Davis,  William  Tudor,  Oli- 
ver Wendell,  Nathaniel  Fellows,  Joseph  Coolidge,  Williain  Smith, 
Joseph  Blake,  Frederick  William  Geyer,  Daniel  Hubbard  and  David 
Green.  The  capital  stock  of  the  corporation  was  to  consist  of  not  less 
than  $400,000,  nor  more  than  $800,000  in  specie,  and  should  be  divided 
into  100,000  shares.  The  vState  was  to  have  the  right  to  be  interested 
in  the  bank  to  the  amount  of  one-third  of  its  whole  capital. 

The  Union  Bank  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  banks  organized  under 
peculiar  charter  provisions.  It  was  not  to  issue  bills  of  less  denomina- 
tion than  $5.00,  nor  to  owe  more  than  twice  its  capital  in  addition  to 
its  deposits;  the  directors  to  be  personally  liable  in  case  of  any  excess. 
One-fifth  of  its  funds  was  to  be  always  appropriated  to  loans  out  of 
Boston,  made  exclusively  for  the  benefit  of  the  agricultural  interest,  in 
sums  of  not  less  than  $100  nor  more  than  $1,000,  secured  by  mortgage 
of  real  estate,  and  to  run  for  a  term  of  not  less  than  one  year.  This 
questionable  provision  does  not  appear  in  any  other  bank  charter 
granted  previous  to  1802.  But  from  that  time  to  181G  nearly  every 
bank  charter  contained  a  requirement  to  appropriate  a  certain  propor- 
tion of  the  bank's  funds  to  such  loans.  In  common  with  the  Massachu- 
setts, the  Union  Bank  was  not  to  vest,  use  or  improve  its  funds  in 
trade  or  commerce.  No  one  but  a  citizen  of  Massachusetts,  and  no 
director  of  any  other  bank  could  be  a  director,  and  any  director  accept- 
ing an  office  in  any  other  bank,  thereby  vacated  his  office  of  director  in 
the  Union  Bank.  No  stockholder  was  allowed  to  have  more  than  ten 
votes,  those  owning  over  $100  of  stock  having  only  one  vote  for  each 
additional  $200.  The  directors  were  to  make  half  yearly  dividends  of 
all  the  profits  of  the  bank,  while  a  loan  not  exceeding  $100,000  w^as  to 
be  inade  to  the  State  at  five  per  cent,  interest.  Provision  was  made 
for  attaching  the  shares  of  its  stockholders,  and  for  the  examination  by 
a  legislative  committee,  and,  if  on  the  report  of  such  committee  and  a 
hearing  theron,  it  should  appear  that  the  corporation  had  exceeded  the 
powers  granted  in  the  charter,  or  failed  to  comply  with  its  provisions, 


230  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

its  corporation  was  thereupon  to  be  declared  forfeited  and  void       The 
bank  was  also  made  the  depository  of  the  Commonwealth. 

Annexed  are  given  the  names  of  some  of  the  original  stockholders  of 
the  Union  Bank,  and  the  number  of  shares  held  by  each: 

OliverWendell 30  Benjamin   Bussey 27 

Timothy  Bigelow 1  JosiahQuincy 26 

vStephen  Codman 8  William   Phillips 20 

Henderson  biehes 1  Samuel  Eliot 277 

Benjamin  Joy 5  George  Cabot 200 

Samuel   Cobb 1  Samuel  Parkman 320 

John  Davis 10  Stephen  Salisbury 109 

Samuel  Brown 12  Andrew  Brimmer 128 

Thomas  L.  Winthrop 45  Jonathan  Amory,  jr. , 117 

John   Welles 10  (xardiner  Greene 240 

The  few  names  above  given  are  selected  at  random  from  a  host  of 
suggestive  names,  some  of  which  have  been  familiar  in  Boston's  history 
for  more  than  a  century,  and  many  of  which  arc  prominent  in  the  rec- 
ords of  other  public  institutions,  from  that  day  to  this,  and  in  the  no- 
menclature of  our  streets,  wharves,  shipping,  etc.  ;  as  for  instance  Moses 
Gill,  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  and  afterwards  governor  of  the 
vState;  Benjamin  Bussey,  the  munificent  donor  of  the  Bussey  Farm; 
Josiah  Ouincy,  a  director  in  1800,  president  of  Harvard  College,  and 
grandfather  of  the  present  Josiah  Ouincy;  John  Welles,  a  director  in 
1803,  resident  in  vSummer  street,  and  one  of  the  wealthiest  citizens  of 
Boston  at  that  day ;  Peter  C.  Brooks,  at  whose  residence,  corner  of 
High  and  Summer  streets,  Daniel  Webster  dwelt  for  years ;  and  Gardi- 
ner Greene,  whose  grand  estate  on  Pemberton  Hill  covered  more  than 
the  scjuare  now  occupied  by  Pemberton  vSquare,  and  was  the  largest  and 
most  beautiful  private  domain  in  the  city,  as  he  was  its  most  opulent 
citizen;  while  the  names  of  Wendell,  Winthrop,  Bigelow,  Codman,  Joy, 
Davis,  Parkman,  Eliot,  Brimmer,  Amory,  Peter  O.  Thacher,  Thomas  H. 
Perkins,  Lynde,  Walter,  AVainwright,  Coolidge,  and  numerous  others, 
who  were  at  various  early  periods  directors  or  stockholders  in  the  bank, 
are  identified  with  the  political,  financial  and  commercial  history  of  the 
city  and  vState,  and  as  Webster  said  of  Lafayette,  "  Have  come  down  to 
us  from  a  former  generation,"  illustrious  for  public  spirit  and  noble  ac- 
tions which  created  and  founded  for  all  time  the  aims  and  character  of 
Massachusetts. 

The  preliminary  meetings  of  the  original   stockholders  of  the  Union 
Bank  were  held  in  Concert  Hall,  corner  of  Court  and  Hanover  streets, 


BAXK/XG  /xswrrr/oxs. 


i:n 


then  and  for  many  years  afterward  the  leading-  fashionable  resort  for 
festive  and  other  assemblages.  The  original  officers  and  directors 
chosen  in  lTi)2  were  as  follows:  President,  Moses  Gill;  cashier,  Alex- 
ander Hodgden ;  directors,  Benjamin  Greene,  Moses  Gill,  vSamiiel  Brown, 
Nathaniel  Fellows,  WilHam  wSmith.  Joseph  Blake,  Samuel  Blodgett,  jr., 
Perez  Morton,  David  Greene,  Samuel  Sewell,  Samuel  Phillips,  and 
Samuel  Salisbury.  The  bank  began  operations  at  its  rooms  on  State 
street  near  its  present  location,  40  State  street,  on  the  first  day  of  Oc- 
tober, 1792,  one  hundred  years  ago.  In  ^^larch,  IT'.lS,  the  Common- 
wealth subscribed  $->00,0U0  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  bank,  and  subse- 
quently $-20(),000  more,  making  the  capital  $1,200,000.  In  1813  the 
stock  owned  by  the  vState  was  assigned  to  the  bank,  thus  leavino-  the 
capital  as  before,  $800,000.  This  amount  was  on  October  1,  1850,  in- 
creased ;$200, 000,  making  the  capital  $1,000,000,  at  which  amount  it  has 
since  remained. 

Following  is  a  list  of  those  who  have  served  as  president  of  the  Uni(jn 
Bank  with  dates  of  service : 


Moses  Gill, 
Oliver  Wendell, 
Samuel  Brown, 
Thos.  L.  Winthrop, 
Samuel  Fales, 
Chester  Adams, 
Thaddeus  Nichols, 


October,  1792,  to  October,  1800,  8  years. 
October,  1800,  to  October,  1812,  12 
October,  1813,  to  October,  1810,  v 
October,  1819,  to  October,  1834,  15 
October,  1834,  to  October,  184(1,  12 
October,  1846,  to  May,  1855,    9 

October,  1855,  to  October,  1803,  8 
George  C.  Richardson,  October,  1803,  to  Januarv,  1878,  15 
Charles  L.  Young,  January,  1878,  to  January,  1882,    4 

George  Whitney,  January,  1882,  to  present  time. 

The  cashiers  have  been  as  follows: 

Alexander  Hodgden,    October,  1792,  to  July, 

George  Burroughs,       July,         1795,  to  Dec, 

Chester  Adams,  Dec,         1819,  to  October, 

Lemuel  Gulliver,  October,  1840,  to  October,  1873,  27       " 

Almarin  Trowbridge,  October,  1873,  to  June,         1890,  17 

Charles  W.  Gulliver,     August,    1890,  to  Feb.,         1892,  1>{^     " 

George  H.  Perkins,       Feb.,  18'.i2,  to  present  time. 

Lemuel  Gulliver  was  connected  with  the  bank  as  discount  clerk  and 
cashier  for  thirty-five  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  resigned,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Almarin  Trowbridge,  whose  total  period  of  serv- 


1795,     3  years. 
1819,  24       " 
1840, 


2,7 


232  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ice  in  the  bank  as  assistant  clerk,  bookkeeper  and  cashier  ct)vered  the 
long-  term  of  fifty-four  years.  Charles  W.  Gulliver,  who  died  February 
15,  18!»2,  was  connected  with  the  bank  for  twenty-five  years,  and  George 
H.  Perkins  has  served  as  teller  and  cashier  for  the  same  period.  There 
have  been  only  these  bookkeepers  in  this  bank  during  its  century  of 
existence.  Nathaniel  Nevins,  who  is  still  living,  served  in  this  capacity 
for  fifty-six  years. 

The  Union  Bank  was  changed  from  a  State  bank  by  the  adoption  of 
the  national  bank  system  in  1805,  since  which  it  has  been  known  as  the 
National  Union  Bank.  During  the  whole  one  hundred  years  of  its  ex- 
istence, including  several  wars  and  various  financial  panics,  its  total 
losses  have  been  quite  an  insignificant  sum,  when  we  consider  the  large 
amount  of  its  transactions  and  the  crises  through  which  it  has  passed. 
But  few  forgeries  have  been  committed  against  it,  and  these  were  only 
for  moderate  amounts.  It  has  never  suspended  specie  payments  ex- 
cept on  those  few  occasions  when  all  other  American  banks  were  com- 
pelled temporarily  to  suspend  The  most  remarkable  thing,  lunvever, 
during  its  existence  is  the  fact  that  it  has  never  passed  a  semi-annual 
dividend,  having  regularl}'  paid  two  dividends  each  year  for  the  whole 
period,  a  very  rare  if  not  an  unequaled  record  in  the  history  of  bank- 
ing institutions.  For  the  first  fifty  years  it  averaged  about  5>^  per  cent.  ; 
up  to  1(S70  a  fraction  over  G^  per  cent.,  and  since  lS(i5  as  a  national 
bank  its  dividends  have  averaged  a  little  over  8  per  cent,  on  the  par 
value  of  its  stock. 

The  directors  of  the  Union  Bank  for  1892  in  order  of  length  of  serv- 
ice are  as  follows:  Charles  L.  Young,  George  Dexter,  Charles  L.  Peir- 
son,  George  Whitney,  president,  Samuel  B.  Dana,  Joseph  S.  Kendall, 
Amory  A.  Lawrence,  Nathaniel  H.  Emmons,  and  Edward  W.  Hooper. 

The  condition  of  the  Union  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency,  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (i,  181)3,  was  as 
follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,285,1 19.81 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured  /- . . 109. 79 

United  States  Bonds  to  secure  circulation 1 50,000. 00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 65, 100.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 188,500.59 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 211,778.34 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 11,831.75 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 673.50 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house _ . 87,898.86 


BANKING   INSriTUTIONS.  233 

Bills  of  other  banks 20,870.00 

Specie 131 ,  814. 77 

Legal  tender  notes 38,500,00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent  of  circulation)  6,750.00 

Total $3,192,436.81 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 400,000.00 

Undivided  profits 236,943.89 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 135,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 5,541.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,332,619.63 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 310.69 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 82,022.60 

.     Total $3,192,436.81 

OLD  BOSTON  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Old  Boston  National  Bank  was  incorporated  as  the  The  Boston 
Bank,  March  5,  L803,  the  charter  being-  signed  by  Governor  Caleb 
vStrong.  The  incorporators  named  in  the  act  were  John  Codman, 
Theodore  Lyman,  James  Lloyd,  jr.,  Thomas  H.  Perkins,  Thomas  C. 
Amory  and  their  associates.  When  the  subscription  books  were  closed 
upwards  of  $3,000,000  had  been  subscribed,  and  the  stock  was  at  once 
quoted  at  110.  The  capital  was  $1,800,000,  the  Commonwealth  of  Mas- 
sachusetts being  a  stockholder  for  $G00,000.  It  was  stipulated  that 
one-eighth  part  be  appropriated  to  loans  to  be  made  to  citizens  of  this 
Commonwealth,  not  residents  of  Boston,  and  that  the  directors  should 
loan  this  sum  wholly  upon  farms,  which  loans  should  be  made  in  sums 
not  less  than  $100,  nor  more  than  $500,  upon  the  personal  bond  of  the 
borrowers  with  collateral  security  by  a  mortgage  of  real  estate.  The 
treasurer  of  the  Commonwealth  was  to  be  an  cx-officio  director  of  the 
bank.  During  the  organization  of  the  bank  the  following  were  the 
officers:  Jonathan  Jackson,  president;  Peleg  Coffin,  cashier;  Thomas 
C.  Amory,  Samuel  P.  Gardner,  Joseph  Hall,  Peter  C.  Brooks,  John 
Codman,  Thomas  K.  Jones,  James  Lloyd,  jr.,  James  Perkins,  Daniel 
vSargent,  jr.,  Jonathan  Mason,  Adam  Babcock,  Jonathan  Jackson, 
directors.  These  men  ranked  among  the  most  prominent  in  the  com- 
munity at  the  time  for  respectability  and  business  capacity ;  and  the 
bank,  conservative  from  the  first  in  its  character,  has  continued  in  its 

30 


234  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

lono-    line    of    successive    directors  always  to   number  citizens  of  like 
standing  and  attributes. 

The  bank  was  authorized  to  commence  business  June  1,  180:),  the 
charter  to  continue  until  the  first  Monda}-  in  October,  1812.  The  board 
of  directors  chosen  June  1,  1803,  were:  Thomas  C.  Amory,  Peter  C. 
Brooks,  Isaac  P.  Davis,  Thomas  K.  Jones,  Nathaniel  O.  Lee,  James 
Lloyd,  jr.,  Daniel  Sargent,  jr.,  William  vSullivan,  wStephen  Higginson, 
jr.,  James  Perkins,  Jonathan  Jackson,  Adam  Babcock.  In  February, 
1817,  the  bank  purchased  the  State's  interest  ($600,000),  and  reduced 
the  capital  to  $1,200,000.  The  par  value  of  the  shares  was  originally 
$100,  but  in  April,  1817,  twenty-five  per  cent,  was  paid  to  the  stock- 
holders, reducing  the  capital  to  $900,000,  in  shares  of  $75  each.  April 
1,  1830,  one-third  more  w^as  returned  to  the  stockholders,  making  the 
capital  $000,000,  par  $50.  June  15,  1857,  $300,000  was  added  to  the 
capital,  making  it  again  $1)00,000,  the  present  amount.  In  1888  the 
par  value  of  the  shares  was  fixed  at  $100.  The  bank  was  re-chartered 
in  October.  1812,  and  converted  into  a  national  bank  in  May,  18(15.  At 
that  time  the  National  Bank  of  Boston  becoming  a  national  banking 
institution,  had  taken  the  name  of  the  Boston  National  Bank.  The 
Boston  Bank  of  1803,  to  which  the  above  name  (Boston  National)  right- 
fully belonged,  was  under  the  circumstances  obliged  to  take  its  present 
name,  The  Old  Boston  National  Bank.  The  presidents  of  the  bank, 
with  their  term  of  service,  have  been  as  follows:  Jonathan  Jackson, 
1803  to  1810;  John  I.  Apthorp,  1810  to  1829;  Phineas  Upham,  1829  to 
1830;  Robert  T.  Shaw,  18:50  to  1811;  Robert  Hooper,  18-tl  to  1800; 
James  C.  Wild,  1800  to  1870;  H.  W.  Pickering,  1870  to  1891;  Horatio 
(t.  Curtis,  1891  to  present  time.  The  cashiers  have  been  Peleg  Cofifin, 
1803,  who  during  the  same  }■  ear  was  succeeded  by  Joseph  Chapman, 
who  served  until  1831.  Succeeding  Chapman  have  been  the  following, 
with  term  of  service:  James  C.  Wild,  1831  to  1800;  Joseph  G.  Gunder- 
son,  18(;o  to  1809;  Frederick  L.  Church,  1809  to  1887;  Chester  L.  Stod- 
dard, 1887  to  present  time.  Robert  Lash  was  the  oldest  officer  of  the 
bank  at  the  time  of  his  death,  October  7,  1803,  at  the  age  of  eight}'- 
four.  He  had  served  the  bank  for  over  sixty  years,  commencing  as 
messenger  in  1803.  He  was  chosen  cashier  in  1831,  but  declined  the 
office.  Joseph  Chapman  was  officially  connected  with  the  bank  for 
twenty-eight  years,  and  James  C.  Wild  was  in  service  for  fifty-six  years, 
having  been  chosen  bookkeeper  in  1820,  cashier  1831,  and  president  in 
1800.     Among  the  directors  at   different   times,    besides  the    original 


L  r?  ^  CcZ>/^/'-^^-^^^^ 


HANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  235 

board,  were:  William  Pratt,  AVilliam  Pickerino-^  David  Tilden,  Tona- 
than  Amory,  jr.,  Ebenezer  Francis,  Benjamin  Austin, CHarrison  Gray 
cOtis, jNathan  Appleton,  Timothy  Williams,  Robert  G.  vShaw,  Josiah 
Bradlee,  David  Sears,  Thomas  Wigglesworth,  vSamuel  Cabot,  William 
J.  Loring;-,  Jonathan  Prince,  jr.,  David  Bradlee,  Joseph  Lee,  Epes  Sar- 
gent, Russell  Sturgis,  Thomas  Melville,  Israel  Thorndike,  Gardiner 
Greene,  Joseph  Coolidge,  Thomas  B.  Curtis,  George  W.  Lvman.  Rich- 
ard D.  Tucker,  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  Henry  Upham,  F.  H.  Bradlee,  J.  I. 
Bowditch,  J.  C.  Howe,  Charles  Horner,  Daniel  S.  Curtis,  William  T. 
Ballard,  George  R.  Minot,  J.  Thomas  Stevenson  and  G.  Howland  Shaw. 
The  board  of  directors  for  1802  is  composed  of  Arthur  Amory,  Fran- 
cis Cabot,  Edward  N.  Fenno,  H.  W.  Pickering,  M.  R.  Wendell,  Thomas 
T.  Bouve,  Louis  Curtis,  George  vS.  Hale,  John  O.  Poor  and  Horatio  G. 
Curtis. 

AYhen  the  Boston  Bank  went  into  operation  in  1803  it  was  located  in 
the  building  then  held  by  the  old  United  States  Branch  Bank  in  State 
street,  now  occupied  by  the  Exchange  Building.  In  July,  1803,  the 
Boston  Bank  purchased  the  estate  of  Christopher  Marshall,  in  State 
street,  now  numbered  o<)  vState  street,  and  there  erected  its  first  build- 
ing, and  moved  into  it  in  September,  1804.  Here  it  has,  with  short 
intervals  for  rebuilding,  been  located  ever  since. 

The  condition  of  the  Old  Boston  National  Bank,  as  made  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (i,  18'.t3,  was 
as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,766,451  10 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circ»ilation 310, 000  00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 76,162  08 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 302,887  18 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 103,897  18 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 17,502  61 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 47,522  39 

Cliecks  and  other  cash  items 2, 1 12  43 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 1 55. 324  30 

Bills  of  other  banks 5,329  00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 165  00 

Specie 117,527  00 

Legal  tender  notes 27, 395  00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  circulation)  12,825  00 

Total $2, 945, 100  27 


^30  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

I.IAllII.lTIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    900,000  00 

Surplus  fund .-..  250,000  00 

Undivided  profits 70,400  02 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 27G,.")yo  00 

Dividends  unpaid 542  00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,142,674  67 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 15,081  50 

Due  to  approved  reserve  agents 167,760  40 

Due  to  State  Bank  and  bankers 121,976  08 

Total $2,945, 100  27 

STATE  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  State  Bank  had  its  origin  in  partisan  predilections,  to  a  consid- 
able  degree.  We  have  already  seen  that  the  first  bank  of  the  United 
States  founded  in  1701  under  the  auspices  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  Fed- 
eralist, had  been  sustained  by  his  adherents  and  opposed  by  followers 
of  Jefferson,  whose  Democratic  influence  prevented  its  re-charter. 
During  the  three  years  of  1810,  1811  and  181'2,  after  the  winding  up  of 
the  United  States  Bank,  forty-one  new  State  banks  were  chartered,  and 
of  these  the  State  Bank  of  Boston  was  one.  Its  anti-Federalist  sup- 
porters claimed  its  existence  w-as  necessary  as  Democrats  could  not  get 
proper  accommodations  at  the  older  banks  of  Boston. 

The  charter  of  the  State  Bank  was  granted  by  the  Massachusetts 
General  Court  and  approved  by  the  governor  June  27,  1811.  The  first 
section  of  the  charter  provided  that  William  Gray,  Henry  Dearborn, 
David  Tilden,  Russell  Sturgis,  John  Brazer,  David  Townsend  and  their 
associates,  should  be  created  a  corporation  by  the  name  of  the  Presi- 
dent, Directors  and  Company  of  the  vState  Bank,  to  so  continue  for 
twenty  years  from  October  1,  1811.  The  provisions  of  its  charter  were 
very  rigid,  and  especially  so  in  regard  to  specie  payments.  It  was  on 
the  eve  of  that  trying  period  when  specie  payments  were  almost  univer- 
sally suspended  throughout  the  country  and  when  even  the  most 
tempting  offers  from  the  general  government  proved  no  match  for  the 
political  predjudices  of  many  eastern  capitalists.  ■  Party  animosity 
])roved  stronger  than  motives  of  pecuniary  interest,  a  fact  which  re- 
calls a  sauc}'  political  distich  in  vogue  in  those  days: 

"The  Democrats  are  wicked  rats,  that  run  about  the  town; 
The  Federalists  take  up  their  fists  and  knock  the  codgers  down  1  " 


BAXKixG  ixsrirrrroxs.  m 

The  original  capital  of  the  vState  Bank  was  $3,000,000  divided  into 
30,000  shares  of  $100  each.  Among  the  original  subscribers  to  this 
stock,  with  nnmber  of  shares  taken,  were: 

Nathaniel  Ames, 30       Amos  Binney 83 

Solomon  Allen, Sofi       Curtis  Barnes, 35 

Samuel  Adams, 8       William   Bridge, 40 

John  Adams, 15       Clementine  Beach, 40 

Ebenezer  T.  Andrews, 32      Jacob  W.  Brewster, 24 

Ebenezer  Appleton, 20       Daniel  Baxter, ...   69 

William  Adams, 34       William  Basson, 1 40 

Josiah  Bryant, 23       Samuel  Billings, 63 

Jotham  Barnes, 44      John  Brazer, 273 

James  Barker, 22      Joseph  Baxter, 33 

Benjamin  Bangs, 55       David  W.  Child, 155 

William   M.  Boyd, 50      John  S.  Craft, 100 

Samuel  H.  Babcock, 40       Daniel  Coney,...    100 

Ezra  A.  Bourne, 179       Charles  Cleveland, 97 

George   Bates, 72       Henry  Cabot, 51 

Richard  Briggs, 45      Allen  Crocker, 234 

Benjamin   Bussey, 50      Thomas  Cushing, 55 

John  &  Joseph  Ballard  &  Co 130       Charles  De  Wolfe, 204 

Dominicus  Cutts, 120      John  Pitman  Clarke, 341 

Richard  Cutts, 100       Samuel  Dana, 215 

Joshua   Coffin, 62       Elizabeth  Dorr, 61 

Samuel  Dexter, 65       Nathaniel  Frothingham, 45 

Thomas  Eaton, 27      James  G.   Dana, 50 

On  Thursday  August  29,  1811,  the  stockholders  of  the  vState  Bank 
met  in  the  United  States  Court  Rooms  (in  the  Old  Court  House),  when 
the  following  committee  was  chosen  to  establish  regulations,  by-laws, 
etc.,  for  the  bank:  William  .Gray,  Henry  Dearborn,  David  Tilden, 
Russell  Sturgis,  John  Brazer,  David  Townsend,  Perez  Morton,  Samuel 
Dana,  James  Prince,  Aaron  Hill,  Jesse  Putnian,  George  Blake,  Benja- 
min Austin,  Capt.  Amos  Binney,  ^lajor  Amasa  Stetson,  Nathan  Willis, 
Merrill  Rice,  Thomas  Shepherd  and  Moses  Carleton.  At  a  subsequent 
meeting,  held  September  23,  the  following  officers  were  elected:  Presi- 
dent, William  Gray;  cashier,  John  P.  Clarke;  directors:  William  Gray, 
Henry  Dearborn,  Jesse  Putman,  ]\lathew  Bridge,  James  Prince,  David 
Tilden,  William  Ward,  George  Blake,  David  Townsend,  wSamuel  Dana, 
Amasa  vStetson  and  Williani  Munroe. 

The  vState  Bank  began  operations  November  11,  ISll,  in  the  building 
owned  by  the  Branch  Bank  of  the  United  States.  In  September,  1812, 
the  bank    bought  this  property  for  $40,500.       The    original    building 


2:js  .S^  UFFOL  K  CO  UN  TV. 

erected,  for  the  vState  Bank  stood  on  this  estate.  It  is  the  site  now 
occupied  hf  the  present  Exchange  Building  between  Congress  and 
Kilby  streets,  on  the  south  side  of  State  street.  A  small  and  well 
executed  cut  of  the  old  structure  is  in  existence  and  shows  a  pretty  two 
story  edifice,  a  clapboarded  frame  building.  It  had  seven  front 
windows  and  three  central  entrances  from  vState  street.  It  had  two  one- 
story  wings,  each  of  which  had  a  broad  gateway  for  carriages,  and  lead- 
ing to  a  spacious  courtyard  in  the  rear.  The  building  was  surrounded 
by  a  balustrade  around  the  roof  and  had  a  mammoth  Atiieriean  eagle 
and  shield  at  the  center  of  the  front  roof.  The  vacant  land  after  the 
building  was  taken  down  about  fifty  years  ago  was  used  for  a  test  trial 
of  fire  proof  safes,  then  beginning  to  come  into  use. 

The  history  of  the  State  Bank  has  l)een  fraught  with  features  of 
peculiar  interest,  not  the  least  of  which  was  the  great  and  timely  sup- 
port it  gave,  with  its  unusually  large  capital  of  $3, 0( >(»,<)<)(>,  to  the  Fed- 
eral government  during  the  troubled  times  and  great  distress  through- 
out, and  for  some  years  after,  the  War  of  1S12.  The  following  inter- 
esting letter  bearing  upon  this  subject,  during  the  early  period  of  the 
war,  was  written  by  William  Gray,  president  of  the  State  Bank,  and 
then  the  prince  of  Boston  merchants  and  ship  owners,  to  Albert 
Gallatin,  secretary  of  the  treasury  at  Washington : 

Boston,  May  19,  1812. 
Sir,— I  had  the  honor  of  receiving  your  letter  of  the  4th  instant,  and  laid  the 
same  before  the  board  of  directors  of  this  institution  for  advisement.  They  instruct 
me  to  reply  that  they  are  willing  to  advance  the  amount  of  $500,000,  which  they  had 
assented  to  loan  to  the  United  States  directly,  and  pass  the  same  to  the  credit  of  the 
treasurer,  and  to  his  depositure  at  this  hank  ;  to  be  reimbursed  on  half  of  the  amount 
loaned  at  the  expiration  of  one,  and  the  residue  at  the  expiration  of  two  years,  from 
the  time  this  property  may  be  accepted  and  the  money  advanced.  The  interest  to  be 
paid  quarterly.  Although  tlic  ])eriod  of  reimbursements  are  fixed,  yet  the  board  of 
directors  wish  it  may  be  understood  that,  should  the  government  desire,  and  the 
funds  of  the  institution  permit,  an  extension  of  credit  shall  be  afforded  at  either  of 
the  periods  of  reimbursement. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

Yom-  verv  humble  servant, 

(Signed)         William  Gkav. 
To  lion.  Albert  Oallalin,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  Washington. 

vSubsec|uent  to  this  first  loan  mentioned  in  Mr.  Cxray's  letter,  frec|uent 
loans  were  made  to  the  government  within  the  next  two  or  three  years. 
ViV  the  12th  of  i\ugust,  1S14,  from  a  report  made  by  a  committee  to 
consider  the   affairs  of    the   bank  relative   to  its   connection   with  the 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  239 

United  States  treasurer,  it  appears  that  the  total  amount  the  bank  had 
loaned  the  government  reached  the  large  sum  of  $4,000,000.  These 
loans  were  made  when  the  government  was  in  much  distress  for  money. 
The  collection  of  these  liberal  grants  on  the  part  of  the  bank,  how^- 
ever,  was  a  source  of  much  trouble,  and  covered  a  period  of  several 
years,  during  which  the  bank  was  unjustly  made  to  suffer.  Its  liberal 
and  patriotic  purpose  at  a  critical  period  (jf  our  national  history  was 
treated  with  undeserved  ingratitude. 

The  first  president  of  the  vState  Bank,  the  eminent  merchant  and 
well  beloved  citizen,  William  Gray,  ^  served  from  wSeptember  2o,  1811, 
to  October  2,  1815.  His  successors  have  been  as  follows:  William 
Ward,  from  October  2,  1815,  to  October  (i,  182:);  George  Hallett,  pres- 
ident/n^  tci/i.,  October  8  to  October  :}(),  182;j;  Ezra  A.  Bourne,  October 
30,  1823,  to  June  25,  1841 ;  Thomas  P.  Cushmg,  president /n^  Av//.,  June 
25,  1841,  to  August  2,  1841;  vSamucl  Frothingham,  August  2,  1841,  to 
August  23,  1852;  George  Howe, /re;  tci/i.,  August  23,  1852,  to  July  7, 
1853;  Samuel  Frothingham,  July  7,  1853,  to  November  8,  1858;  George 
Howe,  November  8,  1858,  to  November  7,  1850;  James  McGregor, 
November  7,  1850,  to  January  '8,  1807 ;  Amos  W.  wStetson,  January  8, 
18(i7,  to  December  1,  1800;  Samuel  N.  Aldrich,  December  15,  1800,  to 
the  present  time.  Mr.  Aldrich  was  appointed  by  President  Cleveland, 
United  States  assistant  treasurer  early  in  1887,  wdiich  position  he  re- 
signed to  accept  the  presidency  of  the  bank.  He  is  a  lawyer  by  pro- 
fession, and  previous  to  his  appointment  by  President  Cleveland  was 
engaged  in  practice  in  Boston. 

The  cashiers  have  been:  John  Pitman  Clarke,  September  23,  1811,  to 
January  20,  1814;  Thomas  Harris,  January  20,  1814,  to  June  17,  1814; 
Samuel  Frothingham,  June  17,  1814,  to  December,  181(i;  George 
Haner,  December  !»,  1810,  to  March  13,  1837;  Jonathan  Call,  March 
21,  1837,   to  February  27,    1851;  George  Atkinson,    March  4,   1851,  to 

'  Mr.  Gray  was  born  at  Lynn,  June  27,  1750,  and  died  at  Boston,  November  25,  1825.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  he  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  largest  ship  owner  in  America.  He  was  the  owner 
at  one  time  of  sixty  square  rigged  vessels,  and  had  attained  the  highest  mercantile  eminence. 
After  serving  in  the  State  Legislature  he  was  elected  lieutenant-governor  on  the  ticket  with  El- 
bridge  Gerry  in  1810.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  sustaining  the  embargo,  notwithstanding  it 
inflicted  heavy  loss  upon  him.  He  lived  in  Summer  street  in  a  house  afterwards  occupied  by  Gover- 
nor Sullivan.  He  was  a  man  of  practical  benevolence.  He  aided  the  government  largely  in  1812,  and 
it  is  said  but  for  him  the  Constitution  would  not  have  got  to  sea  and  electrified  the  nation  by  her  ex- 
ploits. Mr.  Gray  was  also  the  first  president  of  the  State  Bank,  the  first  Democratic  institution 
that  obtained  a  charter  in  Mas.sachusetts.  After  the  Treaty  of  Ghent,  Mr.  Grav  presided  over  a 
public  dinner  given  to  John  Quincy  Adams,  at  which  the  venerable  patriarch,  John  Adams,  was 
president. —  Drake's  Landmarks,  of  hvston. 


240  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

September  17,  ISoo;  James  vSivret,  September  17,  1853,  to  July,  ISCl; 
C.  H.  Smith,  Aug-ust  1,  18G1,  to  Mareh  2,  1807;  C.  B.  Patten,  Mareh 
11,  18(17,  to  May  22,  188(1,  and  Georg-e  B.  Warren,  May  27,  188G,  to  the 
present  time. 

Amos  W.  Stetson,  previous  to  his  eleetion  as  president  of  the  bank, 
had  been  a  director  and  a  member  of  the  well-known  house  of  Ather- 
ton,  vStetson  &  Co.  He  is  a  son  of  Caleb  Stetson,  for  a  long  time  pres- 
ident of  the  Shoe  and  Leather  Bank.  He  is  an  able  writer  upon  finan- 
cial subjects,  and  in  18(U  published  a  volume  entitled  "  Our  National 
Debt  and  Currency,  or  the  Age  of  Greenbacks,"  a  treatise  which  at- 
tracted much  attention  at  the  time. 

C.  B.  Patten,  cashier  for  twenty-one  years,  had  been  for  eighteen 
years  before  connected  with  the  Suffolk  Bank,  and  was  with  it  when 
its  largest  scale  of  business  was  in  operation,  and  when  it  employed  one 
hundred  clerks  in  connection  with  the  arduous  duties  of  the  Suffolk 
Bank  system. 

The  original  capital  of  the  State  Bank  was  reduced  to  $1,800, 000  on 
March  1,  1817,  and  increased  to  $2,000,000  in  18(3,5,  in  which  year  the 
bank  was  reorganized  under  the  National  Bank  act,  under  its  present 
title  of  the  vState  National  Bank.  Its  board  of  directors  for  1892  is  as 
follows:  Amos  W.  vStetson,  Henry  C.  Weston,  Henry  R.  Reed,  John  L. 
Brewer,  William  H.  Allen,  Frederic  Amory,  Charles  U.  Cotting,  Henry 
A.  Gowing  and  Samuel  N.  Aldrich. 

This  bank  has  been  eminently  a  conservative  institution,  and  its  div- 
idends reflect  credit  upon  the  wisdom  of  its  management.  Its  history 
is  fraught  with  incidents  that  savor  of  the  romantic,  and  with  matters 
of  high  financial  importance. 

The  condition  of  the  vState  National  Bank,  as  made  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (>,  18'Jo,  was  as 
follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $8,9;U,87(). 37 

Overdrafts 802.  (iO 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  .secure  circulation no.OOO.OO 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 296,2()B.57 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 139,318.cSl 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 12,824.(30 

Checks  and  other  cash  items G20.()7 

E.x changes  for  clearing-house 126,125.91 

Bills  of  other  banks   _  / 11,718.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 48. 00 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  241 

Specie 176,;«0.00 

Legal  tender  notes 19,012.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Due  from  U.  S.  treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption  fund  18,700.00 

Total $4, 788, 405. 03 

LIAlULniES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $2,000,000. 00 

Surplus   fund 400, 000. 00 

Undivided  profits 194, 197. 77 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 5,294. 50 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,827,452.05 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 24,113.41 

Certified  checks 29,000.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 173,335.37 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 89,961.93 

Total $4, 788,405. 03 

NEW  ENGLAND  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  New  England  Bank  was  the  fifth  establi.shed  in  Boston  and  was 
chartered  June  IT,  1813.  The  bill  to  incorporate  it  passed  the  House 
(Timothy  Bigelow,  speaker)  and  the  Senate  (John  Phillips,  president) 
June  15,  1813;  was  approved  by  Governor  Caleb  vStrong,  June  10,  1813, 
and  four  days  later  was  attested  by  Alden  Bradford,  secretary  of 
state.  The  following  prominent  citizens  were  created  a  corporation 
by  the  name  of  the  President,  Directors  and  Company  of  the  New  Eng- 
land Bank:  John  Gore,  Samuel  May,  Robert  G.  Shaw,  Edward  Blake, 
jr.,  Samuel  Dorr,  Nathaniel  R.  Sturgis,  George  Lyman,  David 
Greenough,  Samuel  Cabot,  jr.,  Francis  Lee,  Allan  Melville,  Edward 
Motley,  Ebenezer  Appleton,  David  Hinckley,  John  Wood,  Samuel 
G.  Williams,  Daniel  P.  Parker,  James  S.  Colburn,  Israel  Munson, 
Thomas  K.  Thomas,  John  Bumstead,  William  Gill,  Henry  Bassett,  jr., 
Benjamin  Rich,  John  Bryant,  Henry  G.  Rice,  Enoch  Bartlett,  William 
S.  Shaw,  Thomas  Cushing,  Richard  D.  Tucker,  William  Sturgis,  Pat- 
rick T.  Jackson,  Francis  C.  Lowell,  William  Ropes,  Francis  Welch, 
Asaph  Stone,  Thomas  Cordis,  Phineas  Upham,  Charles  Barrett,  Ben- 
jamin Watson,  and  their  associates. 

This  bank  was  to  continue  from  the  first  Monday  in  October,  1813, 
to  the  first  Monday  in  October,  1831,  and  was  to  be  subject  to  the  same 
rules,  etc.,  as  those  of  the  vState  Bank  chartered  in  1811,  with  the  ex- 

31 


242  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ccption  of  certain  specified  modifications.  The  capital  stock  was  not 
to  exceed  $],()()(), 000,  in  shares  of  $100  each,  one-fourth  of  each  share 
to  be  paid  in  before  October  1,  one-fourth  before  January  1,  1814, 
and  the  residue  when  directed  by  the  stockholders.  Certain  other 
features  of  the  charter  are  worthy  of  mention.  The  bank  was  to  "  have, 
liold,  purchase,  receive,  possess,  enjoy  and  retain  "  lands,  rents,  tene- 
ments and  hereditaments  to  the  amount  of  $50,000,  and  no  more,  at 
any  one  time,  but  was  not  restrained  from  holding  real  estate  in  mort- 
gage or  on  execution,  as  security  for,  or  in  payment  of,  any  debts  due 
the  bank.  It  was  not  to  loan  moneys,  make  discounts,  nor  issue  any 
bills  or  promissory  notes,  till  the  capital  in  gold  or  silver  in  its  vaults 
amounted  to  $250,000 — one-fourth  of  its  whole  capital.  And  this  fact 
was  to  be  ascertained  by  three  commissioners  appointed  by  the  govern- 
or. Moreover,  the  bank  must  loan  to  the  State  any  required  sum,  not 
exceeding  ten  per  cent,  of  the  capital  stock,  reimbursable  by  five  annual 
installments,  or  any  shorter  period,  with  interest  not  exceeding  five 
per  cent.  The  State  also  had  the  right  to  subscribe  an  amount,  not 
more  than  $500,000,  in  addition  to  the  capital  stock,  and  subject  to  the 
usual  bank  rules  and  regulations. 

The  following  were  among  the  most  prominent  of  the  original  share- 
holders in  the  New  England  Bank  at  the  time  of  its  organization, 
with  the  number  of  shares  subscribed : 

Samuel  Appleton 100       French  &  Everett 70 

Nathan  Appleton 100       John  Gore 100 

Ebenezer  Appleton 100       David  Greenough 100 

Phineas  Adams 20       David  Hinckley 100 

Joseph  Allen 100       Isaac  Hull 50 

Edward  Blake,  jr 100       Benjamin    Humphrey 40 

John  Bumstead,  jr 100       George   Lyman 100 

Thomas  &  John  Bradlee 40      Samuel  May 100 

Joseph  P.  Bradlee 15       Edward  Motley 100 

David  W.  Bradlee 15      Allan  Melville 100 

Josiah  Bradlee 100       Israel  Munson 100 

Samuel  &  David  Bradlee 20      Josiah  Marshall 100 

Samuels.  Bradlee 15       George    Odiorne 50 

Enoch  Bartlett 100       Daniel  P.  Parker 100 

Charles  Barrett 100       William   Perkms 25 

vSamuel  Cabot,  jr 100      Thomas  Parsons 40 

James  S.  Colburn 100       Benjamin  Rich 100 

Cornelius  Coolidge 70       Henry  G.  Rice 100 

Samuel  Dorr 100       William  Ropes . 100 

Benjamin  Dune ,-   30      Jeffrey  Richardson ., . , 15 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  243 

Nathaniel  P.  Russell 100       Patrick  T.  Jackson 100 

Paul  Revere  &  Son 50       Francis  Lee 100 

Nathaniel  R.  Sturgis 100       Francis  C.  Lowell 100 

William  Sturgis 50       Giles  Lodge 50 

Russell  Sturgis 40       William  Lawrence 20 

William  S.  Shaw 100      Amos  Lawrence 20 

Robert   G.  Shaw 100      Samuel  Train ■ 20 

Lemuel  Shaw 100      John  D.  Williams  &  Co 100 

Asaph  Stone 100      Samuel  G.  Williams 100 

William  H.  Sumner 20       Phineas  Upham 100 

Richard  D.  Tucker 100       Benjamin   M.  Watson 100 

Israel  Thorndike,  jr 100      John  Wood 100 

Harvard  College. 200       Francis  Welch 100 

Joseph  Goddard 30      Josiah  Whitney 25 

Nathaniel  Goddard 50       Whitwell  &  Bond 60 

Wilham  Goddard 80       Isaac  Win  slow 30 

Benjamin   Goddard 30       John  Warren 75 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  seventy-four  of  the  original  stockholders  sub- 
scribed for  5, 480  shares,  amounting  to  $548,000,  on  an  average  of  seventy- 
three  shares  each.  Harvard  College  took  the  largest  number,  200  shares, 
while  the  families  of  the  Appletons,  Bradlees,  Lawrences,  Sturgises, 
Shaws  and  Goddards  were  well  represented.  All  of  the  names  in  the 
list  have  been  long  identified  with  the  history  of  Boston.  Many  of  the 
descendants,  but  none  of  the  original  stockholders,  are  now  living. 

The  first  directors  of  the  New  England  Bank  were  twelve  in  number, 
and  were  chosen  at  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  "  at  the  rooms  of  said 
bank,"  in  the  Old  Exchange  Coffee  House,  October  4,  1813.  They 
consisted  of  Edward  Blake,  jr.,  vSamuel  Dorr,  Nathaniel  Goddard,  John 
Gore,  David  Greenough,  Francis  C.  Lowell,  Daniel  P.  Parker,  Ben- 
jamin Rich,  William  Ropes,  Lemuel  Shaw,  William  Sturgis  and  John 
D.  Williams.  Nathaniel  Goddard  was  chosen  president,  and  Ebenezer 
Goddard  cashier.  As  the  powers  and  duties  of  the  directors  specified 
in  the  original  "By-Laws,  Ordinances  and  Regulations"  were  similar 
to  those  of  other  then  existing  banks,  we  give  the  following  as  a  speci- 
men of  all.  They  were  certainly  sufficiently  numerous,  varied  and 
comprehensive :  They  were  to  have  full  power  to  procure  a  suitable 
place  for  transacting  the  bank  business,  by  purchase  or  lease,  and  to 
sell,  dispose  of  and  exchange  the  same;  they  must  erect  or  prepare 
suitable  buildings,  with  safe  and  convenient  vaults  and  with  suitable 
furniture  and  apparatus;  they  were  to  appoint  and  fix  the  times  at 
which  the  first  and  second  installment  of  $25  on  each  share  must  be 
paid  in,  and  to  give  notice  thereof;  to  appoint  a  cashier,  tellers,  clerks 


244  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

and  other  suital)le  officers;  to  prescribe  and  define  their  respective 
duties ;  to  order  suitable  bonds  to  be  given  and  oaths  to  be  taken  by 
them  for  securing-  the  faithful  discharge  of  their  respective  duties;  to 
fix,  determine  and  pay  their  respective  salaries  and  compensations ;  to 
procure  all  necessary  plates,  stationery  and  other  articles  for  the  use  of 
the  bank;  to  fix  discount  days;  to  make  rules  and  regulations  concern- 
ing discoimts ;  to  prescribe  forms  for  bonds  and  mortgages;  to  make 
rules  and  regulations  concerning  loans  on  bonds  and  mortgages;  to 
appoint  a  suitable  person  "of  the  profession  of  the  law,"  as  solicitor; 
to  prescribe  his  duties  and  fix  his  compensation;  to  prescribe  all  neces- 
sary forms  for  powers  of  attorney  to  be  used  at  the  bank;  to  make  all 
necessary  rules  and  regulations  for  their  own  government  and  for  the 
management  of  the  interests  of  the  institution,  "not  repugnant  to  the 
rules  and  regulations  established  by  the  stockholders,  the  act  of  incor- 
poration, or  the  constitution  and  laws  of  this  Commonwealth ;"  and 
finally  they  were  to  ' '  generally  enjoy,  possess  and  exercise  all  the 
powers  granted  to  this  corporation  in  cases  not  otherwise  specially  pro- 
vided for."  The  thoroughness  of  these  manifold  directions  for  the 
directors  is  worthy  of  all  praise,  except  that  in  the  last  clause.  Those 
responsible  and  weary  gentlemen  might  possibly  possess  and  exercise 
all  these  powers,  but  to  be  able  to  "enjoy"  them  must  have  been  be- 
yond the  possibilities. 

One  of  the  original  ordinances  of  the  New  England  Bank  may  have 
suggested  the  present  "  Safe  Deposit  "  system  for  the  security  of  valu- 
ables. It  was  enjoined  that  the  bank  should  take  charge  of  the  cash  of 
all  those  who  might  choose  to  place  it  there,  free  of  expense;  and 
should  keep  it  subject  to  the  owner's  order,  payable  at  sight.  Deposits 
of  ingots  of  gold,  bars  of  silver,  plate,  or  other  valuable  articles 
of  small  bulk,  were  received  in  the  same  manner  and  returned 
on  demand  of  the  respective  depositors.  This  practice  was  long  ago 
abolished.  It  assumed  a  responsibility  heavy  and  troublesome.  The 
services  it  rendered  are  now  performed  by  safe  deposit  companies, 
which  make  it  a  highly  systematic  and  remunerative  business. 

The  New  England  Bank  was  for  a  period  of  seventy  years  located  at 
(i?  vState  street,  corner  of  Kilby,  a  location  of  historic  interest.  It  was 
at  this  spot  that  the  famous  B(xston  Massacre  took  place,  and  on  the 
site  of  the  old  building  at  that  time  stood  a  popular  tavern  known  as 
the  "  Bunch  of  (irapes. "  In  1880  it  sold  its  building  to  the  Washington 
Insurance  Company  and  removed  to  its  jiresent  location  in  the  Equit- 
able Buildino-    corner  of  Milk  and  Devonsliire  streets. 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  245 

The  New  England  Bank  was  once  largely  engaged  in  receiving  and 
paying  what  were  called  country  bank  bills,  and  also  in  negotiating  bills 
of  exchange  on  England,  and  this  business  it  continued  until  the  Suf- 
folk Bank  introduced  its  system  of  redeeming  bills  of  country  banks. 
In  January,  18G5,  its  charter  was  changed  to  the  New  England  National 
Bank,  at  which  time  it  paid  to  its  stockholders  an  extra  dividend  of 
twent)"-five  per  cent,  on  its  capital  of  $1,000,000.  Forgeries  upon  this 
bank  have  been  trifling,  and  its  record  with  regard  to  runs  and  suspen- 
sions is  the  same  as  that  of  other  leading  Boston  banks.  As  a  State 
and  National  bank,  since  its  incorporation  in  1813,  it  has  never  passed 
but  one  dividend — in  1820 — a  period  of  eighty  years,  covering  practi- 
cally the  financial  history  of  the  country. 

The  presidents  of  the  New  England  Bank  have  been  as  follows: 
Nathaniel  Goddard,  1813  to  1823;  Samuel  Dorr,  1823  to  1833;  Philip 
Marrett,  1833  to  1840;  Thomas  Lamb,  1840  to  1884;  Samuel  Atherton, 
1884  to  1890;  Charles  W.  Jones,  1800  to  the  present  time.  The  cashiers 
have  been  Ebenezer  Frothingham,  jr.,  1813  to  1824;  Philip  Marrett, 
1824  to  1833;  Seth  Pettee,  1833  to  1874;  Charles  F.  Swan,  1874  to  the 
present  time.  The  present  officers  and  directors  are:  Charles  W. 
Jones,  president;  Charles  F.  Swan,  cashier;  Arthur  C.  Kellock,  paying 
teller;  Jacob  C.  Hartshorne,  receiving  teller;  Amos  L.  vSwindlehurst, 
bookkeeper;  Henry  C.  Grant,  collection  clerk.  Directors:  Samuel 
Atherton,  John  T.  Bradlee,  Charles  W.  Jones,  John  D.  W.  Joy,  Will- 
iam G.  Means  and  J.  Herbet  Sawyer. 

The  condition  of  the  New  England  National  Bank,  as  made  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business  March  0,  1803,  was 
as  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,993,948.29 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

vStocks,  certificates,  claims,  etc 28,400. 00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 298,0(59.91 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 156,631. 58 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 24,155.18 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 676.30 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house. 59,209.95 

Bills  of  other  banks 881.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents  _ .   56. 66 

Specie 177,028. 00 

Legal  tender  notes 47,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $3,8:58,3(16.87 


24G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  Stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 600,000.00 

Undivided  profits 151 ,480.98 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 3,249.50 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,531,402.95 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 4, 707. 00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks KUi, 296.52 

Due  to  State  banks  and  bankers 366,089. 92 

Total $3,838,306. 87 

TREMONT  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Tremont  National  Rank  was  orio-inally  incorporated  nnder  the 
name  of  the  Manufacturers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank,  February  14,  1814, 
with  a  capital  of  $1,500,000,  of  which  the  Commonwealth  mig-ht  sub- 
scribe $500,000,  one-third  of  the  stock  to  be  reserved  for  manufacturers 
and  mechanics.  The  incorporators  named  in  the  act  were;  George 
vSuUivan,  John  Bebows,  William  Appleton,  Winslow  Lewis,  William 
Cochran,  Thomas  B.  Wales,  Seth  Knowles  and  Ezra  A.  Bourne. 
Among  the  original  stockholders  of  this  bank,  with  the  number  of 
shares  taken  by  each,  were: 

William  Appleton 130  Seth  Knowles 130 

Nathaniel  W.  Appleton 130  Charles  F.  Kupper 100 

Jonathan  Amory 120  Edmund  Monroe 120 

Ezra  A.    Bourne -  - 130  John  McLean 130 

Stephen  Brigham 130  John  Peters 120 

Charles  R.  Codman 120  Edward   D.  Peters 100 

William  Cochran 120  James   Richardson 130 

Pliny  Cutler 120  Ephraim  Robbins 100 

Jonathan  Dorr 130  Benjamin  Russell 150 

Samuel    Downer 130  David   Sears,  jr 120 

Jonathan  Davis 130  Jeremiah  Thayer 100 

SamuelDexter 100  Nathan  Tufts 100 

Aaron  &  Charles  Davis 100  Dr.  Aaron  Tufts 120 

Samuel  Pales 12<)  Oliver  C.  Wyman 130 

Samuel   Torrey 1 00  Edward  Whltwcll 100 

Andrew  Homer 100  Benjamin  Weld _ 130 

Jonathan  Hunnewell 130  Timothy  Wiggins 1 00 

John  Hancock 120 

The  above  familiar  names  summon  up  suggestive  memories.      They 
were  the  foremost  men  of  the  city  at  that  day,  merchant  iM-inces,  kings 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  247 

of  commerce  and  fathers  of  manufactures.  Many  of  them  were  also 
pioneers  in  that  banking  system  violently,  because  ignorantly,  opposed 
in  this  country  at  first,  but  soon  so  triumphantly  vindicated  by  their 
foresight,  honor  and  sagacious  management,  that  then  and  to  this  day 
the  banks  of  Boston  have  been  proverbial  for  soundness,  and  have  be- 
come features  in  her  character,  which  justify  no  small  degree  of  local 
pride. 

The  first  board  of  directors  was  chosen  at  a  meeting  of  the  stock- 
holders held  March  1,  1814,  and  w^as  composed  of  the  following  mem- 
bers: Benjamin  Russell,  John  Bellows,  George  Sullivan,  Thomas  B. 
Wales,  Isaac  vStevens,  E.  T.  Andrews,  Jonathan  Dorr,  Winslow  Lewis, 
Joseph  H.  Dorr,  wSamuel  Fales,  Seth  Knowlesand  Jonathan  Hunnewell. 
At  the  same  meeting  John  Bellows  was  chosen  president  and  Chester 
Adams  cashier.  With  these  officers,  and  Daniel  Woods,  first  teller; 
Andrew  Oliver,  second  teller ;  William  Coffin,  first  bookkeeper;  George 
Wheeler,  second  bookkeeper,  and  John  Wheelwright,  discount  clerk, 
the  bank  commenced  operations  in  a  room  under  the  Massachusetts 
Bank.  The  land  on  which  the  Tremont  National  Bank  building  stands 
was  purchased  in  April,  1814,  for  $17,000,  a  very  high  price  in  those 
days.     The  building  which  now  occupies  this  site  was  erected  in  1852. 

The  name  of  the  Manufacturers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank  was  changed 
to  Tremont  Bank  by  act  of  the  Legislature  passed  March  8,  1830,  at 
which  time  the  capital  was  reduced  to  $500,000,  having  previously  been 
reduced  from  original  amount,  $1,500,000  to  $750,000,  February  11, 
1810.  At  the  time  the  name  of  this  institution  was  changed  to  Tre- 
mont Bank,  Henr}^  Jacques  was  president  and  James  Dalton  cashier. 
The  directors  were:  Henry  Jacques,  S.  T.  Armstrong,  Joseph  Eveleth, 
David  R.  Grigg,  Levi  Merriam,  Isaac  Stevens,  E.  T.  Andrews,  Caleb 
Curtis,  Henry  H.  Fuller,  John  F.  Loring,  Benjamin  T.  Reed,  and 
George  Wheelock.  In  1850  the  capital  was  increased  to  $1,000,000,  in 
1800  to  $1,500,000,  and  in  18G5  a  stock  dividend  of  3o>^  per  cent,  was 
made,  making  the  capital  $2,000,000.  December  14,  1804,  the  bank 
was  reorganized  as  a  national  bank,  under  its  present  title  of  The 
Tremont  National  Bank;  its  officers  and  directors  at  this  time  were 
Andrew  T.  Hall,  president;  Amos  T.  Frothingham,  cashier;  Andrew  T. 
Hall,  Nathan  B.  Gibbs,  Charles  B.  Sha\v,  W.  Endicott,  jr.,  I.saac 
Thacher,  William  Perkins,  Ezra  H.  Baker,  Thomas  M.  Devens,  direc- 
tors. The  presidents  of  the  bank  from  its  organization  to  the  present 
in  order  of  service  have  been  as  follows:    1814  to  1818,  John   Bellows; 


248 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


1810  to  1S23,  John  Phillips;  1824  to  18->!),  Isaac  Stevens;  1830  to  1832, 
Henry  Jacques;   1832  to   1843,  Samuel  T.   Armstrong;  1843   to   1875, 
Andrew  T.  Hall;   187G  to  1887,  William  Perkins;  1887  to  the  present 
time,  Aaron  Hobart.      The  cashiers  have  been:   1814  to  1811),  Chester 
Adams;  1819  to  1847,  James  Dalton ;  1847  to  18<)1,  Amos  T.  Frothing- 
ham;  1801    to  the  present  time,  D.  E.  Snow.      In  1857   Enoch  Train 
retired  after   a  service  of  twenty-seven  years  as  a  director.      In   18G4 
Caleb  Smith  died  after  serving  thirty-five  years  as  a  director.      In  1809 
Charles  B.  Shaw  died,  having  served  as  a  director  for  twenty-six  years. 
In  1875  Andrew  T.  Hall  died,  having  served  as  president  and  director 
for  forty-four  years.      In  1870   Ezra  H.  Baker  died   after  a  service  of 
thirty  years.      In   1880  Nathan   B.  Gibbs  died  after  a  service   of  forty 
years  as  a  director.      In  1883  Isaac  Thacher  died  after  servmg  for  forty- 
three  years  as  a  director.      In  1887  William  Perkins  died  after  a  service 
of  forty-four  years  as  president  and  director.     James   Dalton   retired 
after  serving  for  twenty-eight   years  as  cashier,  while  Amos  T.  Froth- 
ingham,  at  the  time  of  his^leath  in  1801,  had  been  continuously  con- 
nected with   the  bank  as  teller  or  cashier  for  fifty-six  years.      Aaron 
Hobart,  the  present  president  of  the  bank,  has  been  a  director  for  thirty- 
two  years;  William   Endicott,   jr.,   for   thirty  years,    and  Thomas  H. 
Devens  for  twenty-eight  years.      D.    E.    Snow,  cashier,  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  bank^or  forty-two  years;  John  K.  Hinckley,  receiving 
teller,  for  forty-one  years;  J.   J.  Underbill,  paying  teller,  and  Charles 
O.  Tufts,  book-keeper,  each  for  thirty-nine  years.     The  board  of  direc- 
tors for  1802  is  composed  of  the  following  members:    Aaron  Hobart, 
Thomas  M.  Devens,  William  Endicott,  jr.,  Francis  A.  Osborn,  George 
Thacher,  Henry  Endicott  and  Francis  H.  Manning. 

The  condition  of  the  Tremont  National  Bank  at  the  close  of  busi- 
ness, March  0,  1803,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency, 
was  as  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2.981.1!H.21^ 

Overdrafts,  unsecured "^•^'''^ 

U   S   bonds  to  secure  circulation 50, ()()(). 00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 436, ()()(). 00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents l;j*,160.45 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 165,410.15 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 1,168.66 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 11,405.32 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds. , 5,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 11,544.31 


// 


///:( i\n(  ix 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  240 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 225,213.49 

BiUs  of  other  banks 4,974.00 

Fractional  pajaer  currency,  nickels  and  cents  203.28 

Specie ' 142,300.00 

Legal  tender  notes 76,889.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $4,270,712.49 

LI.-VBILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in ,.  .$2,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 375,000.00 

Undivided  profits 99,981.64 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 2,399.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,318,017.16 

Certified  checks 100,206.77 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding.  _   2,957.54 

Due  to  other  National  Banks ..  155,177.58 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 61,972.80 

Bills  payable 110,000.00 

Total $4,270,712.49 

SUFFOLK  NATIONAL  BANK. 

On  the  lOth  of  February,  1818,  a  charter  was  granted  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  Massachusetts  to  a  banking  institution  known  as  the  Suffolk 
Bank,  which  was  destined  to  exert  upon  the  currency  of  New  England 
an  infltience  little  dreamed  of  by  its  projectors,  but  so  wholesome  that 
it  gave  uniformity  and  stability  to  its  currency,  reduced  the  discount 
on  it  to  a  minimum  and  by  holding  it  in  check  tended  to  keep  it  in  a 
sound  and  healthy  condition.  Among  the  subscribers  to  the  stock  of 
this  bank  were  many  of  the  most  infltiential  men  of  the  day,  such  as 
William  and  Nathan  Lawrence,  John  W.  Boott,  Eben  and  John  Breed, 
Otis  Everett,  Ebenezer  Francis,  William,  Abbott  and  Amos  Lawrence, 
William  Payne,  Patrick  T.  Jackson,  Charles  Lowell,  Daniel  P.  Parker, 
George  Bond,  Samuel  R.  Miller,  William  Prescott,  Caleb  Loring,  Na- 
thaniel P.  Russell,  S.  G.  Williams,  Alfred  Willis,  John  Wood,  Edmund 
Munroe  and  Garditier  Greene.  The  first  directors  were :  Ebenezer 
Breed,  Andrew  Ritchie,  Thomas  Motley,  Samuel  Hubbard,  John  W. 
Boott,  George  Bond,  Daniel  P.  Parker,  William  Lawrence,  Eliphalet 
Williams,  Edmund  ]\Iunroe,  Patrick  T.  Jackson  and  Ebenezer  Francis. 

32 


250  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  bank  was  opened  for  business  on  the  first  day  of  April,  1818,  on 
the  seeond  floor  of  the  building-  on  State  street  owned  by  Barney 
Smith,  Ebenezer  Francis  having-  been  previously  elected  president,  and 
Matthew  Parker  cashier.  In  April,  1810,  the  bank  was  moved  to  the 
second  floor  of  the  building  on  the  corner  of  State  and  Kilby  streets, 
then  and  f(;r  many  years  occiipied  in  part  by  the  New  England  Bank. 
The  directors  at  once,  in  addition  to  the  regular  business  of  the  bank, 
turned  their  attention  to  foreign  exchange.  To  the  business  of  buying 
and  selling  exchange  was  added  that  of  buying  in  London  United 
States  stocks  and  dollars.  The  foreign  exchange  business  was  con- 
tinued until  April,  182(»,  when  a  final  settlement  was  made  with  its 
London  agents,  and  the  bank  turned  its  attention  almost  exclusively  to 
receiving  and  redeeming  the  bills  issued  by  the  New  England  banks. 

The  redemption  of  country  bank  notes  by  the  Suffolk  Bank  began  in 
February,  181!),  at  which  time  a  committee  composed  of  the  president, 
Ebenezer  Breed,  and  Nathan  Appleton  reported  as  follows:  "  That  it 
is  expedient  to  receive  at  the  vSuffolk  Bank  the  several  kinds  of  foreign 
moneys  which  .are  now  received  at  the  New  England  Bank,  and  at  the 
same  rates.  That  if  any  bank  will  deposit  with  the  vSuffolk  Bank 
$5,000  as  a  permanent  fund,  with  such  further  sums  as  shall  be  suffi- 
cient from  time  to  time  to  redeem  its  bills  taken  by  this  bank,  such 
bank  will  have  the  privilege  of  receiving  its  own  bills  at  the  same  dis- 
count at  which  they  were  purchased." 

With  the  New  England  Bank,  which  for  some  time  had  been  re- 
deeming foreign  bills,  the  vSuffolk  at  once  entered  into  a  lively  com- 
petition, and  as  a  natural  result  the  discount  on  country  notes  was 
materially  lessened.  Previous  to  this  time  the  discount  on  Massachu- 
setts bills  had  been  one  per  cent.,  and  on  bills  of  other  States  much 
greater.  Competition  at  once  reduced  the  rate  on  the  former  to  one- 
half  of  one  per  cent.,  and  even  lower. 

At  this  time  the  city  was  flooded  with  country  monc}*.  The  circula- 
tion consisted  almost  entirely  of  the  notes  of  banks  outside  of  Boston. 
With  more  than  one-half  of  the  banking  capital  of  New  England,  the 
Boston  banks  supplied  only  one  twenty-fifth  of  the  bills  in  use.  Two 
of  the  directors  of  the  vSuffolk  Bank,  John  A.  Lowell  and  William 
Lawrence,  had  become  deeply  impressed  with  the  evils  attending  this 

1  By  the  term  "  foreign  money  "  was  meant,  not  the  nionty  of  foreign  coimtries,  but  the  notes 
issued  by  banks  outside  of  Boston.  This  distinction  it  will  be  necessary  to  bear  in  mind  for  a  clear 
understanding  of  what  follows. 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  251 

undue  issue  of  country  money.  In  view  of  this  fact,  they  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  confer  with  the  other  banking  institutions  of 
Boston  concerning  measures  which  might  check  the  enormous  issue  of 
country,  and  especially  Eastern,  mone}',  and  of  securing  to  the  bills  of 
the  Boston  banks  a  just  proportion  of  the  circulation.  They  addressed 
a  letter  to  each  of  the  Boston  banks  clearly  stating  the  evils  existing, 

and  proposing  ' '  that  a  fund  of  hundred  thousand  dollars,  to  be 

assessed  in  proportion  to  their  respective  capitals,  be  raised  by  the 
several  banking  institutions  who  may  agree  to  the  arrangement,  to  be 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  one  or  more  banks  for  the  purpose  of  sending 
home  the  bills  of  the  New  England  banks  in  such  way  as  may  be  ex- 
pedient. That  this  capital  shall  be  paid  in  the  bills  of  the  several 
banks,  which  shall  be  indiscriminately  paid  out  for  the  purchase  of 
Eastern  money.  That  the  profit  or  loss  shall  be  in  common,  after 
charging  a  reasonable  compensation  for  any  extra  service  rendered  by 
the  officers  of  the  bank  receiving  them.  That  this  fund  shall  be  with- 
drawn at  an}'  time  by  a  vote  of  a  majority  of  the  banks  concerned,  and 
that  the  president  and  directors  of  the  receiving  bank  shall  be  at  liberty 
to  decline  continuing  the  agency  when  they  see  fit,  expecting  no  re- 
muneration for  the  services  which  they  may  render  in  this  business  for 
the  common  good." 

This  letter  led  to  a  meeting  of  representatives  of  the  Massachusetts 
Bank,  Union  Bank,  State  Bank,  Manufacturers'  and  Merchants'  Bank, 
Eagle  Bank  and  Suffolk  Bank,  which  was  held  April  24,  lS-24,  when  it 
was  voted  that  the  sum  of  $300,000  was  necessary  to  carry  the  scheme 
into  effect,  divided  in  the  following  proportion  among  the  respective 
banks:  State,  $50,000;  Massachusetts,  $50,000;  Union,  $40,000;  Man- 
ufacturers' and  Merchants',  $40,000;  Columbian,  $30,000;  Eagle,  $30,- 
000;  Suffolk,  $(;o,000.  These  sums  were  subsequently  ratified  by  the 
banks  interested,  and  the  Suffolk  Bank  was  chosen  as  the  agent  of  the 
associated  banks.  It  was  agreed  that  the  Suffolk  Bank  should  receive 
from  the  associated  banks  all  this  foreign  money  at  the  same  or  less 
discount  than  the  New  England  Bank  or  other  banks  in  Boston  received 
it,  and  should  send  it  home  for  redemption ;  that  any  bank  might  with- 
draw by  giving  thirty  days'  notice,  and  that  the  Suffolk  Bank  might 
give  up  the  business  at  an}-  time  b}"  giving  the  same  notice. 

Under  this  arrangement  the  Suffolk  Bank  began  the  receiving  of 
foreign  money  on  the  24th  of  May,  1824.  The  country  banks  were 
naturally  very  much  excited  and  loud  in  their  opposition.      They  felt 


252  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

that  the  result  would  be  the  ci;rtailment  of  their  circulation  and  the 
necessity  of  keeping'  a  larg'er  specie  reserve.  In  derision  they  called 
the  associated  banks  the  "  Holy  Alliance,"  and  some  dio^nified  the  Suf- 
folk Bank  with  the  title  of  the  "Six  Tailed  Bashaw."  But  they  soon 
found  that  a  promise  to  pay,  printed  on  the  face  of  a  bank  note,  meant 
a  promise  to  pay  in  specie  on  demand,  and  that  the  Suffolk  Bank  was 
not  to  be  frightened  or  turned  out  of  its  course  by  sarcastic  words. 
The  charge  of  the  foreign  money  affairs  was  placed  by  the  directors  in 
the  hands  of  a  committee  composed  of  Ebenezer  Breed,  William  Law- 
rence, John  A.  Lowell  and  Jeffrey  Richardson.  Two  of  this  original 
committee,  John  A.  Lowell  and  Jeffrc}^  Richardson,  served  during  the 
whole  continuance  of  the  system,  forty-two  years,  and  William  Law- 
rence until  his  death  in  1848,  a  period  of  twenty-three  years. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  1825,  Ebenezer  Francis  resigned  the  presidency 
of  the  bank  and  Samuel  Hubbard  was  elected  in  his  place.  Mr.  Hub- 
bard resigned  in  the  following  November,  and  Henry  B.  Stone  was 
chosen  as  his  successor.  Mr.  Stone  was  the  first  teller  of  the  vSuffolk 
Bank  when  it  opened  for  Inisiness  in  1818.  vSubsequently,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  election  as  president,  he  was  cashier  of  the  Eagle  Bank. 

Although  hostility  to  the  vSuffolk  Bank  system  gradually  abated  as  it 
became  inore  widely  extended,  still  many  of  the  country  banks  felt  that 
it  was  arbitary  and  oppressive.  In  1834  the  redemption  business  had 
increased  from  $80,000  to  $400,000  daily.  In  1838  the  Suffolk  Bank 
had  practically  a  monopoly  of  the  foreign  money  business.  During  the 
preceding  five  years  it  had  paid  to  its  stockholders  an  average  annual 
dividend  of  eight  and  eighth-tenths  per  cent.,  and  in  September,  1830, 
it  was  voted  to  increase  the  capital  to  one  million  dollars.  At  the  same 
time  an  extra  dividend  was  paid  out  of  its  surplus  profits.  In  1847  re- 
demption had  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  it  became  almost  impos- 
sible to  count  the  foreign  money  received  daily.  The  average  daily 
redemption  in  1850  was  about  $750, 000,  and  the  business  was  very 
remunerative.  Since  the  extra  dividend  of  thirty-three  and  one-third 
per  cent,  in  1830  the  bank  had  paid  dividends  to  its  stockholders  of 
eight  per  cent,  annually  to  1847,  and  from  1847  to  1852  ten  per  cent, 
annually,  besides  which  a  surplus  of  $330,000  was  accumulated.  Dur- 
ing the  year  1857,  $400,000,000  were  redeemed.  This  amount  for  New 
England  alone  was  nearly  double  the  sum  redeemed  for  the  whole 
United  vStates  for  the  fiscal  year  1876-77  by  the  Redemption  Bureau  at 
Washington  under  the  United  States  Bank  act.     For  the  years  following 


BANKING   INSrirUTIONS.  253 

1857,  up  to  the  time  of  the  discontinuance  of  the  system,  was  a  period 
of  bitter  competition  and  hostility,  which  finally  led  the  directors  to 
abandon  this  feature  of  their  banking  business.  This  occurred  in 
April,  1866,  at  which  time  the  directors,  in  giving  up  the  business, 
placed  the  following  upon  the  records  of  the  bank: 

"The  Suffolk  Bank  has  had  for  many  years  no  motive  beyond  that 
of  securing  to  the  community  a  continuance  of  the  acknowledged  bene- 
fits of  the  system.  The  labor,  expense  and  risks  of  the  business  have 
been  equal  to  any  remuneration  received  from  the  use  of  the  deposits. 
We  can  not  consent  any  longer  to  have  the  bank  placed  in  the  position, 
as  is  charged  against  us,  of  carrying  on  the  business  merely  for  its  profits, 
nor  can  we  be  expected  to  stand  out  against  public  opinion,  prejudiced 
and  excited,  in  sustaining  a  system,  however  beneficial  to  the  public, 
after  it  has  become  unremunerative  and  hazardous  to  the  stockholders 
of  the  bank.  If  public  sentiment  is  now  against  it,  and  if  it  is  less  ap- 
preciated by  the  trading  community  and  the  city  banks  than  hereto- 
fore, the  cause  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  mode  of  pursuing  it.  The  time 
has  arrived  for  surrendering  our  agency  in  the  system  as  heretofore 
conducted.  Our  responsibility  in  it  must  cease,  because  its  main  feat- 
ure, the  right  to  send  home  bills  for  specie,  can  not  be  given  up  with- 
out destroying  its  efficiency,  because  our  exercise  of  this  right  is 
effectually  made  use  of  by  those  hostile  to  the  Suffolk  Bank  system  to 
place  the  bank  in  a  false  position  before  the  public,  and  because  under 
existing  circumstances  the  bank  does  not  wish  to  stand  in  the  way  of  a 
trial  of  the  attempted  experiment  of  a  foreign  money  system  to  be 
conducted  on  less  stringent  principles." 

For  more  than  forty  years  the  Suffolk  system  had  exerted  a  most 
wholesome  influence  on  banking  in  New  England,  keeping  a  salutar)^ 
check  upon  the  issues  of  the  banks  and  giving  this  section  a  nearly  uni- 
form bank  note  currency.  "  It  was  the  underlying  principle  of  the 
vSuffolk  Bank  system,"  says  Mr.  Whitney  in  his  history  of  this  bank, 
already  so  largely  drawn  upon  for  facts  and  figures,  "  that  any  bank 
issuing  circulation  should  keep  itself  at  all  times  in  a  condition  to  be 
able  to  redeem  it ;  that  it  should  measure  the  amount  by  its  ability  to 
do  so ;  and  that  the  exercise  at  any  time  of  the  right  to  demand  specie 
of  a  bank  for  its  bills  was  something  of  which  the  issuing  bank  had  no 
right  to  complain.  The  directors  enunciated  this  principle  when  they 
first  entered  into  the  foreign  mone}-  business  in  their  controversv  with 
the  agent  of  the  Springfield  Bank  in  1824,  and  they  acted  upon  it  dur- 


254  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ing  the  whole  existence  of  the  S3\stem,  and  they  gave  up  the  business 
because  the  exercise  of  the  right  was  made  use  of  effectually,  by  banks 
hostile  to  the  system,  to  place  the  bank  in  a  false  position  before  the 
public.  Yet  the  bank  had  not  labored  in  vain ;  it  found  the  currency 
of  New  England  in  a  chaotic  condition ;  but  by  piitting  this  principle  in 
practice  it  had  brought  order  out  of  confusion,  and  had  compelled  the 
banks  to  keep  themselves  stronger  than  they  otherwise  would,  and  to 
live  up  to  a  principle,  the  justice  of  which  they  could  not  deny,  although 
the  practice  of  it  might  cause  them  to  forego  some  seeming  immediate 
profits,  and  to  this  latter  class  must  be  attributed  much  of  the  hostility 
it  provoked." 

On  the  loth  of  June,  IH-tl),  Mr.  Henry  B.  Stone  died,  having  served 
as  president  of  the  Suffolk  Bank  for  twenty-three  years,  and  to  him, 
under  the  careful  guidance  and  wise  counsel  of  the  foreign  money  com- 
mittee, was  due  the  great  measui"e  of  success  which  the  bank  attained. 
He  was  succeeded  as  president  by  Jeffrey  Richardson,  who  had  been  a 
director  since  1823.  In  1837  Matthew  S.  Parker,  after  having  served 
for  nineteen  years  as  cashier,  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  Isaac  C. 
Brewer.  Mr.  Brewer  continued  in  the  service  of  the  bank  for  sixteen 
years,  when  he   resigned,  and  Edward   T3der  was  elected  in  his  stead. 

Mr.  Richardson  continued  as  president  until  April,  1854,  when  fail- 
ing health  compelled  him  to  resign.  Mr.  J.  Amory  Davis  was  elected 
as  his  successor.  In  May,  18(;'->,  Mr.  William  Grubb  died,  after  having 
served  in  the  bank  as  principal  officer  of  the  foreign  money  depart- 
ment for  nearly  forty  years.  He  was  a  most  faithful,  able  and  judi- 
cious officer.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Eli  E.  Russell,  who  had  been 
in  the  employ  oi  the  bank  for  twenty-nine  years.  Mr.  Russell  remained 
in  charge  of  this  department  of  the  business  until  it  was  discontinued. 

After  the  passage  of  the  present  National  Bank  act  in  18(:i4,  the  Suf- 
folk Bank  reorganized  under  tliat  act  as  the  vSuffolk  National  Bank. 
At  this  time  its  capital  was  increased  from  $1, ()()(», (»()0  to  $l,5nO,0(){). 
The  redemption  of  foreign  mone}^  now  being  at  an  end,  the  bank 
turned  its  attention  to  the  regular  1:)usiness  of  discounting  commercial 
pajicr.  Its  success  was  marked  till  the  panic  of  1ST3,  having  paid  an 
average  dividend  of  nine  and  three-eighths  per  cent,  per  annuin,  and 
accumulated  a  surplus  of  $200, (H)().  It  was  in  a  strong  condition  when 
the  panic  came,  and  was  able  to  meet  all  of  its  oliligations  without 
being  obliged  to  resort  to  clearing  house  certificates  by  the  pledge  of 
its  securities. 


BANKING   INSTirUTIONS.  255 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1805,  Mr.  Davis,  the  president,  died.  For  a 
short  time  thereafter  Mr.  Nathaniel  Davis  temporarily  served  as  presi- 
dent. He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Samuel  W.  vSwett,  who  resigned  in 
in  1ST4:,  and  Mr.  Henry  Austin  Whitney  was  ehosen  as  his  successor. 
Two  years  later  Mr.  Whitney  resigned  to  take  the  presidency  of  the 
Boston  and  Providence  Railroad  Company.  Mr.  Swett  temporarily 
held  the  position  until  April  1,  1870,  when  Mr.  Whitney  was  again 
elected  president,  in  which  position  he  still  continues  to  serve. 

The  condition  of  the  Suffolk  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (i,  ISOo,  was  as 
follows ; 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,581 ,508.07 

Overdrafts,  secured 2.47 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

vStocks,  certificates,  etc 12,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 246,636. 71 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 258,162.02 

Banking  house,  furniture  and  fixtures 850,000. 00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 12,878.51 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 846.00 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 79,895.00 

Bills  of  other  banks 18,600.00 

Specie 167,756.81 

Legal  tender  notes 26,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  \J.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $8, 7i)5, 585. 59 

Li.\i!n,rriES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1 ,500,000.00 

Surplus  fund ,      800,000.00 

Undivided  profits 152,179.45 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding -. 44,250.00 

Dividends  unpaid 814. 50 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 671,960.27 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 4,798.08 

Certified  checks 28,717.47 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 15,000.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 722,788.57 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 860,082.25 

Total $8,795,585. 59 


256  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

NATIONAL  CITY  BANK. 

In  1822,  one  year  before  the  Bank  of  Enoland  resumed  speeie  pay- 
ment, and  three  years  after  the  finaneial  erash  of  181t)  in  this  eountry, 
the  City  Bank  of  Boston  was  chartered.  The  charter,  which  was 
granted  February  21,  1822,  was  to  continue  from  April,  1822,  to  Oc- 
tober, 1832.  The  capital  was  to  be  $500, ()()()  in  gold  and  silver  in  addi- 
tion to  such  part  as  the  Commonwealth  should  subscribe,  divided  into 
shares  of  $100  each.  Among-  the  original  stockholders,  with  number 
of  shares  purchased,  were : 

William  Appleton 25  Jacob  W.  Knapp 30 

William  Appleton,  trustee ___.!()()  Edmund  Mun roe 27 

Benjamin  B.  Appleton...    10  John  McLean 100 

George  Brinley 70  Josiah  Stedman 80 

Abraham  Babcock 60  Barney  Smith .... 50 

Amos  Binney 180  Samuel  Train 30 

Thomas  Brewer 50  Winslow  Wright 30 

Thomas  Cordis 122  Theodore  Wright 138 

Pliny  Cutler 355  Seth  Wright 100 

Richard  Cobb 100  Samuel  K.  Williams 221 

John  Hopkins 200  Eliphalet  Williams 50 

The  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders  was  held  on  Friday,  March  8, 
1822,  at  the  Old  Exchange  Coffee  House,  at  which  meeting  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  votes  were  cast  and  the  following  directors  were  chosen : 
Barney  vSmith,  Thomas  Cordis,  George  Brinley,  Eliphalet  Williams, 
Samuel  K.  Williams,  Luther  Faulkner,  Pliny  Cutler,  Jesse  Putnam  and 
Joseph  H.  Adams.  On  February  10,  1827,  the  capital  was  increased  to 
$1,000,000,  and  has  since  remained  at  this  amount. 

The  City  Bank  was  reorganized  under  the  National  Bank  act,  No- 
vember 10,  1804,  when  its  present  name,  the  National  City  Bank,  was 
received.  Its  directors  at  the  time  the  change  was  effected  were: 
William  T.  Andrews,  Charles  W.  Cartwright,  Christopher  C.  Chadwick, 
Arthur  L.  Devens,  Joseph  B.  Glove,  Patrick  Grant,  vSamuel  R.  Payson, 
S.  Endicott  Peabody  and  Charles  L.  Thayer. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  all  the  presidents  of  the  City  Bank,  with 
term  of  service,  from  1822  to  the  present  time: 

Barney  vSmith,  from  Mar 

George  Brinley,  "      Oct. 

Francis  J.  Oliver,  "         " 

Daniel  P.  Parker, 
Charles  W.  Cartwright,      "         " 


11, 

1822, 

to  Oct. 

'^, 

1827, 

2 

1827, 

( (   ( ( 

'i, 

1830. 

0, 

1830, 

(1   ( i 

«, 

1831), 

s, 

183!l, 

a         a 

20, 

1840, 

20, 

1840, 

"  Mar. 

30, 

1852, 

BA  NKING  INS  TITUTIONS. 


257 


William  T.  xVndrews,       from  Mar.  30,  1852,  to  Mar.  25,  185(i. 


25,  185G, 


Aug".  20,  1856, 
Oct.  13,  1857, 
Aug".  13,  1858, 
Jan.  11,  1870, 
Aug.  28,  1883, 
"  19,  188G, 
Oct.  22,  1880, 
Jan.  8,  1889, 
Mar.  28,  1890, 


Aug-.  20,  1850. 
Oct.  13,  1857. 
Aug-.  13,  1858. 
Jan.  11,  1870. 
Aug.  28,  1883. 
"  19,  1880. 
Oct.  22,  1880. 
Jan.  8,  1889. 
Mar.  28,  1890. 
present    ti-me. 


ice-president  April  22,  18S!),  and  served 


Charles  W.  Cartwrig-ht, 
William  T.  Andrews, 
Charles  W.  Cartwrig-ht, 
William  T.  Andrews, 
Charles  L.  Thayer, 
Samuel  R.  Payson, 
Wm.  R.  Dupee,  pro  tan. 
Arthur  Burnham, 
Wm.  R.   Dupee, 
Leverett  S.  Tuckerman, 
]\Ir.  Tuckerman  was  elected  v 
until  his  election  as  president. 

The  singular  alternations  in  terms  of  service  between  ^^lessrs.  Cart- 
wright  and  Andrews  were  occasioned  by  their  mutual  absences  in 
Europe  and  elsewhere. 

The  cashiers  of  the  City  Bank  have  been  as  follows: 
Samuel  K.  Williams,  1822    to 

John  Pickens,  1823     " 

Eliphalet  Williams,  1826     "* 

J.  E.  Williams,  1842     " 

Charles  C.  Barry,  1851     " 

George  W.  Grant.     May  23,  1887,    " 
Charles  C.  Barry's  connection  with  the  bank  began  in  June,  1837,  as 
bookkeeper,  and  continued  as  such   until   1851,  when  he  was  elected  as 
cashier.      He  resigned  the  latter  office  on   May  23,  1887,  after  a  contin- 
uous service  in  the  bank  for  fifty  years. 

The  present  oflficers  of  the  bank  are:  President,  Leverett  S.  Tuck- 
erman; cashier,  George  W.  Grant;  directors,  Royal  P.  Barry,  Richard 
Briggs,  Edmund  W.  Converse,  William  R.  Dupee,  George  Mixture, 
Edward  L.  Pickard,  Samuel  P.  Colt,  Henry  B.  Sprague,  Alfred  Winsor 
and  Leverett  S.  Tuckerman. 

The  condition  of  the  National  City  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  0,  .1893,  was  as 
follows : 


1823. 

1820. 

18-t2. 

185L 
May  23,  1887. 
present   time. 


RESOURCES. 


Loans  and  discounts 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation. 

vStocks,  certificates,  etc 

33 


_  $2,085, 897. 94 
50,()(J0.0() 
96,58:3.75 


2o8  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents _      185,673.01 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 113,525.39 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 19,966.39 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 1,350.40 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 303,039.99 

Bills  of  other  banks 11,825.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 734.35 

Specie 95,120.00 

Legal  tender  notes 50,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 


Total $2, 865, 966. 22 

iJ.\i!iLrriES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 108,000.00 

Undivided  profits 50,858.30 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 40.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check *. 1,188,258.41 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 12,798.27 

Certified  checks 24,594.05 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 30,124.33 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  J^ankers 374,292.86 

Bills  payable 32,000.00 


Total $2,865,966.22 

NATIONAL  EAGLE  BANK. 

The  banking-  in.stitution,  now  known  as  the  National  Eagle  Bank, 
was  ehartered  the  same  day  as  the  City  Bank,  under  the  name  of  the 
Merchants'  Bank,  with  a  capital  of  $500, ( )()().  The  name  was  after- 
wards chang-ed  by  the  committee  on  banks  to  Eagie  Bank.  The  petition 
for  its  incorporation  was  sig-ned  by  the  following-  merchants  and 
capitalists:  Henry  Gray,  Joseph  Balch,  William  Goddard,  Abbot  Law- 
rence, William  B.  Swett,  John  A.  Lowell,  Jositdi  Marshall,  Samuel 
Dorr,  Elisha  Bing-ham,  Nathaniel  Curtis,  PIcnr_v  Hall,  Enoch  Silsby, 
Titus  Welles,  Samuel  May,  Benjamin  Thompson,  Joshua  Blake,  Will- 
iam Lawrence  and  Robert  Waterston. 

The  Merchants'  Instirance  Company  was  largely  interested  in  the 
establishment  of  this  bank,  and  at  its  outset  in  1822  took  2,400  of  the 
,"),()()()  shares  of  the  corporation.  Many  of  the  original  stockholders 
afterwards  became  of  great  business  eminence,  and  some  attained 
national  and  world-wide  celebrity.  The  following  are  some  of  the  most 
prominent  of  the  original  list ; 


BA  XKIXG   IXS  TirUTIONS. 


259 


John  Brooks.  Geo.  Hallett.  Enoch  Silsby. 

Enoch  Bartlett.  A.  &  A.  Lawrence.  Xath.  Silsbee. 

Wm.  Boardman.  John  A.  Lowell.  Joshua  Sears. 

Xath.  Curtis.  Elijah  Loring.  Benj.  Thompson. 

John  Col  ton.  John  Lowell,  jr.  Thomas  Tarbell. 

Samuel  Dorr.  Josiah  Marshall.  John  Tyler. 

Benj.  V.  French.  Samuel  May.  Wm.  Tucker. 

William  Goddard.  James  Means.  Francis  Watts. 

Nath.  Goddard.  Jeremiah  Nelson.  Titus  Welles. 

Henry  Gray.  Oliver  Putnam.  Thomas  West. 

Henry  Hall.  Augfustus  Peabody.  Ezra  Weston,  jr. 

John  Hooper.  Wm.  B.  Reynolds.  Aaron  D.  Wild. 

Benj.  P.  Haner.  Robert  Roberts.  Benj.  AVillis. 
Wm.  B.  Swett. 

The  original  officers  chosen  by  the  stockholders  were  as  follows : 
President,  Titus  Welles;  cashier,  H.  B.  Stone;  directors,  Titus  Welles, 
Elsha  Bingham,  Henry  Hall,  Enoch  Silsby,  William  Goddard,  Thomas 
West,  Augustus  Peabody,  John  Williams,  Robert  Waterston,  Benjamin 
Thompson,  George  Hallett  and  William  B.  Swett. 

In  1853  the  capital  of  the  Eagle  Bank  was  increased  to  $700,000,  and 
in  1860  to  $1,000,000.  In  April,  1865,  it  was  reorganized  under  the 
National  Bank  act,  under  its  present  name  of  the  National  Eagle 
Bank. 

This  institution  has  had  but  three  presidents:  Titus  Welles,  who 
served  from  1822  to  1851;  Waldo  Flint,  from  1851  to  186T;  and  Robert 
S.  Covell,  who  was  elected  in  186T  and  still  continues  as  president. 
He  has  been  connected  with  the  bank  for  forty-three  years. 

The  cashiers  have  been  as  follows:  Henry  B.  Stone,  from  1822  to 
1825;  John  J.  Fiske,  1825  to  1839;  Waldo  Flint,  1839  to  1851;  Robert 
S.  Covell,  1851  to  1867;  Charles  W.  Melcher,  18(;r  to  1868;  and  Will- 
iam G.  Brook,  from  1868  to  the  present  time. 

The  condition  of  the  National  Eagle  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  6,  1893,  was  as 
follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts §2,089,644.09 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured , 142. 80 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,   etc 24, 905. 88 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 156,053.06 


2(^0  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 187,036.74 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 20,274.50 

Premiums  on  U.  S.  bonds 7,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items -  917.04 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 41,495.89 

Bills  of  other  banks 8,668.00 

Specie 1 41 ,091. 47 

Legal  tender  notes 61,575.00 

Due  from  U.  S.  Treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption  fund        2,250.00 

Total $2, 791,053. 97 

LL-XKILITIES. 

Capital  Stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 112,200.00 

Undivided   profits 112,904.76 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 43,500.00 

Dividends   unpaid 20.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,254,278.00 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 1,092.02 

Certified  checks 4,401.68 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 212,584.93 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 50,122.63 


Total $2, 79 1 ,  053. 97 

COLUMBIAN  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Columbian  Bank  was  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature 
passed  February  20,  1822.  By  that  act  Phineas  Upham,  Edmund 
Dwight,  vSamucl  Appleton,  William  Appleton,  Thomas  Motley  and 
Daniel  Parker,  their  associates,  successors  and  assigns,  were  incorpo- 
rated to  continue  from  the  third  Wednesday  in  April,  1822,  to  the  first 
Monday  in  October,  1831,  the  bank  always  to  be  subject  to  the  same 
rights,  privileges  and  immunities  contained  in  the  charter  which  incor- 
porated the  vState  Bank,  excepting  certain  specified  modifications  and 
additions.  The  amount  of  bills  to  be  issued  by  the  bank  was  not  to 
exceed  fifty  per  cent,  of  its  actual  capital  in  specie.  Its  capital  was  to 
consist  of  $500,000  in  gold  and  silver,  to  be  besides  such  part  as  the 
State  might  subscribe,  and  divided  into  shares  of  $100  each.  The  first 
stockholders'  meeting  was  held  at  the  Exchange  Coffee  House  on 
Tuesda}',  April  li,  1<S22.  at  which  tiine  the  following  citizens  were 
chosen  as  the  first  board  of  directors:  William  Appleton,  Warren 
Button,  Edmund  Dwight,  William  H.  Eliot,  Henry  Lincoln,  Amos 
Lawrence,    Dudley    L.    Pickman,    Thomas    Motley,    William    Sturgis, 


BA  XKL\  'G   L\S  TIT  I  'TIOXS. 


^fil 


Augustus  Thorndike,  Samuel  Whitmire,  jr.,  and  Ebenezer  Appleton. 
At  the  same  time  William  Sturgis  was  chosen  president,  and  William 
Coffin,  jr.,  cashier. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  original  shareholders  of  the 
Columbian  Bank  and  the  number  of  shares  for  which  they  subscribed : 


William  Appleton 100 

William  Appleton,  trustee 300 

Samuel  Appleton 100 

Nathan  Appleton 210 

Eliza  Appleton 20 

Boston  Athenaeum 40 

Eliza  Buckminster 15 

Kirk  Boott 150 

John  Bromfield 40 

John  Lowell,  jr 50 

Giles  Lodge 100 

Amos  Lawrence,  trustee 6 

A.  &  A.  Lawrence 180 

W.  &  P.  Lawrence 222 

Thos.  &  Edward  Motley 255 

Munson  &  Barnard 100 

Robt.  Means 20 

Robt.  Means,  jr 10 

Bryant  &  Sturgis 190 

Andrew  Bigelow 50 

Joseph  Chapman 5 

John  Davis 10 

Edmund  Dwight 50 

Jonathan  Dwight,  jr 250 

W.  &  L  Dwight 70 

Warren  Dutton 100 

William  Davis 50 

Franklin  Dexter 20 

Peter  R.  Dalton 20 

S.  A.  Eliot  and  S.  Henshaw,  trustees.  .200 


William  H.  Eliot 50 

John  French 60 

Samuel  Henshaw 50 

Samuel  F.  Jarvis . .  25 

James  Jackson 50 

WiUiam  Prescott 30 

William  U.  Prescott 40 

Ebenezer  Rollins 50 

Jeffrey  Richardson 20 

Springfield  Bank . 100 

Ignatius  Sargent 30 

Francis  Stanton 100 

Joseph  Story 10 

Mary  Woodbury 10 

Patrick  T.  Jackson 150 

Benj.  Seaver 10 

Edward  Sharp 10 

Estate  of  Isaac  Storj- 30 

Tappan  &  Mansfield 50 

C.  &  A.  Thorndike 50 

Phineas  L^pham 270 

George  B.  L'pham 100 

Charles  Jackson 50 

Jackson  &  Lincoln 50 

Charles  Lowell 20 

William  H.  Ward  &  Co 100 

Henry  Upham 35 

Lucy  Upham 32 

John  C.  Warren 20 

Whitwell  &  Bond... 120 


The  following  is  a  list  of  all  the  presidents  of  the  Columbian  Bank 
and  the  dates  of  their  terms  of  service : 


William  Sturgis, 

Joseph  Tilden, 

John  G.  Torrey, 

John  T.  Coolicige, 

Frank  E.  Sweetser, />;'<?.  tcm.,  Dec. 

Horatio  Xewhall,  Feb. 


Apr.     9,  1S2-2,  to  Apr.  -^8,  18-24. 

"     -28,  1824,    "  Aug.    1,  183T. 

Aug.    1,  1837,    "  "       1,  1853. 

1,  1853,    "  decease  Dec,  1889. 

1889,    "  Feb.      G,  1890. 

(!,  1890,    "'  the  present  time. 


202  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Subjoined  arc  the  names  of  all  who  have  served  as  cashier,  with 
periods  of  service: 

William  Coffin,  jr.,  April  10,  182->,  to  Nov.  12,  1850. 

James  M.  Gordon,  Nov.    12,  1850,    "  June,         1854. 

Albert  Drake,  Ji:ne,         1854,    "vSept.,        1804. 

James  M.  Gordon,  Dec.      1,  1804,    "  Oct.      1,  1887. 

Lorenzo  W.  Burlen,  Oct.      1,  1887,    "  present  time. 

Long'  terms  of  service  seem  to  have  characterized  the  officers  of  the 
Columbian  Bank,  a  fact  which  speaks  equally  well  for  the  institution 
and  themselves.  The  lon^-cst  term  of  service  was  that  of  Georg-e 
Cushman,  who  died  at  an  advanced  a^^e  at  his  home  in  Hingham  sev- 
eral years  ag^o.  He  came  to  the  bank  at  its  commencement  in  1822,  as 
its  bookkeeper,  and  after  forty-three  years  he  retired  on  the  15th  of 
May,  1805,  the  bank  making  him  a  present  of  $2,000  as  a  parting 
souvenir.  Among  the  deceased  directors  who  served  for  conspicuously 
long  periods  were  John  Gardner,  formerly  treasurer  of  the  Hamilton 
Woollen  Company;  George  M.  Barnard,  George  W.  Lyman,  William 
R.  Robeson  and  Lsaac  Sweetser,  formerly  president  of  the  Washington 
Insurance  Company. 

The  original  locality  of  the  Columbian  Bank  was  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  State  and  Devonshire  streets  (formerly  Wilson's  Lane). 
From  1871  until  its  removal  to  its  present  elegant  quarters  in  the  Ames 
Building,  it  was  for  about  sixteen  years  located  at  05  vState  street  and 
for  about  five  years  at  00  Devonshire  street. 

In  October,  1854,  the  capital  of  the  bank  was  increased  to  $750,000, 
and  on  April  10,  1801,  to  its  present  amount,  $1,000,000.  It  became  a 
national  bank  in  April,  180*5.  The  board  of  directors  for  1802  is  as 
follows:  Charles  Henry  Parker,  Joseph  S.  Lovering,  George  B.  Chase, 
Gamaliel  Bradford,  C.  A.  Coleman,  Charles  W.  Chamberlin,  Frank  E. 
Sweetser,  Horatio  Newhall,  J.  T.  Coolidge,  Herbert  Lyman  and  Nel- 
son S.  Bartlett. 

The  condition  of  the  Columbian  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (!,  1803,  was  as 
follows: 

RESOURCKS. 

Loans  and  discounts $1 ,439,282.71 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 72. 69 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 250,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 320,927.26 


xo 


(^yT~>^'2.^^ 


BANKING   INSTirUTlONS.  263 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 128,311.98 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 29,177.88 

Premiums  on  U.  S.  bonds 31,500.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 9.55. 22 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house '. 86,349.87 

Bills  of  other  banks 4,522.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 209.20 

Specie 185,745.00 

Legal  tender  notes 1 30,820.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 20,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  11,250.00 

Due  from  U.  S.  treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption  fund  0,000.00 

Total $3,545,123.81 

LI.ABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 155,000.00 

Undivided  profits 90,308.99 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 82,250.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check, 1,349,346.51 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 12, 603. 58 

Certified  checks 4,314.68 

Due  to  approved  reserve  agents, . 58,847.53 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 342,275.46 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 275,177.06 

Bills  payable 175,000.00 

Total $3,545, 123. 81 

GLOBE  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  eleventh  bank  which  was  chartered  by  the  Legislature  of  Massa- 
chusetts was  the  Globe  Bank,  now  known  as  the  Globe  National  Bank. 
It  was  incorporated  in  June,  1S24,  with  a  capital  of  $750,000,  which 
was  increased  to  $1,000,000  in  1827.  The  first  board  of  directors  was 
composed  of  Abel  Adams,  Levi  Bartlett,  Stephen  Fairbanks,  vSamitel 
Henshaw,  David  Low,  James  Read,  Benjamin  Seaver,  Enoch  vSilsby, 
Lewis  Tappen,  Isaac  C.  Pray,  Francis  Watts  and  Daniel  Weld.  Isaac 
C'  Pray  was  elected  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  and  served  until 
December,  1829,  and  on  January  11,  1830,  James  Read  was  elected  as 
his  successor.  Mr.  Read  continued  in  office  till  March  17,  1842,  when 
he  resigned,  and  was  followed  as  president  by  Ignatius  Sargent,  who 
served  till  December  21,  18G4,  when  he  resigned. 

In  March  the  Globe  Bank  was  reorganized  tinder  the  National  Bank 
act  and  became   the  Globe   National   Bank.      From   the   time  the  bank 


264  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

was  organized  until  the  ehange  was  effected  under  the  National  Bank 
system,  Charles  vSprague,  the  "banker  poet,"  had  served  as  cashier,  and 
his  connection  with  the  bank  served  not  a  little  to  give  the  institution 
popularity  and  fame.  After  th&  reorganization  as  a  national  bank,  the 
following  were  elected  as  directors:  William  B.  Stevens,  Ignatius  Sar- 
gent, Stephen  Fairbanks,  F.  H.  Story,  S.  H.  Pearce,  N.  Thayer,  F.  A. 
Gray,  P.  C.  Brooks,  E.  R.  Mudge.  WiUiam  B.  Stevens  was  elected 
president  and  Charles  James  Sprague  cashier.  These  two  officers  con- 
tinued to  serve  in  their  respective  positions  until  I88I;  when  C.  O. 
Billings  was  chosen  president  and  Charles  Cole  cashier,  and  have  since 
served  as  such  officers.  Mr.  Billings  has  had  a  varied  experience  in 
banking  and  for  some  time  very  acce])tably  filled  the  responsible  posi- 
tion of  bank  examiner. 

For  many  years  the  Globe  Bank  was  located  in  the  rather  quaint 
looking  granite  structure,  with  portico  and  pillared  front  in  the  Doric 
style  of  architecture,  which  stood  at  the  corner  of  State  street  and 
Wilson's  Lane.  The  latter  thoroughfare  has  of  late  years  been  widened 
and  is  now  known  as  the  extension  of  Devonshire  street.  From  its 
original  location  the  Globe  Bank  removed  to  40  vState  street,  where  it 
remained  until  the  latter  part  of  1802,  when  it  removed  to  its  present 
charters  in  the  building  erected  by  the  bank,  corner  of  State  street  and 
Merchants'  Row.  The  directors  of  the  bank  for  1892  are:  Charles  E. 
Stevens,  C.  O.  Billings,  Charles  G.  White,  James  L.  Wesson,  George  H. 
Ball,  Charles  H.  Cole,  Horace  H.  Stevens,  Henry  Brooks  and  A.  S. 
Bigelow. 

Charles  Sprague,  the  well-remembered  poet,  was  so  long  connected 
with  the  Globe  Bank  that  mention  of  either  calls  up  memories  of  both. 
That  gifted  and  exemplary  citizen  was  born  in  Boston,  October  2(j,  1701, 
and  died  here  Jan.  22,  1875.  At  an  early  age  he  left  the  schools  of  this 
city  to  accjuire  a  knowledge  of  trade,  and  in  1812,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one,  he  commenced  the  business  of  merchant  on  his  own  account,  and 
continued  in  it  till  the  year  1824,  when  he  was  elected  cashier  of  the 
Globe  Bank.  He  now  divided  his  attention  between  the  notes  of  Par- 
nassus and  those  of  the  financier.  While  fingering  the  notes  of  the 
bank  he  found  leisure  to  twang  the  lyre,  and  proved  himself,  like  Fitz 
(jreene  Halleck,  an  expert  at  both.  His  banking  duties  did  not  pre- 
vent him  from  studying  the  works  of  masters  of  English  poetry,  nor 
from  writing  the  admirable  poems  on  which  was  based  the  reputation 
by  which  mainly  he  will  be  made  known  to  posterity.      His  first  pro- 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  265 

ductions  that  attracted  attention  were  a  series  of  brilliant  prologues, 
the  first  of  which  was  written  for  the  Park  Theatre  in  New  York  in 
IS-n.  His  "Shakespeare  Ode"  was  delivered  in  the  Old  Boston 
Theatre,  in  Federal  street,  in  18-23,  at  an  exhibition  in  honor  of  wShake- 
speare.  It  is  one  of  the  most  vigorous  and  exquisite  lyrics  in  the  Eng- 
lish language.  "  Curiosity  "  is  the  longest  and  best  of  his  poems.  It  was 
delivered  before  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  vSociety  at  Cambridge,  in  August, 
1829.  Several  of  his  shorter  poems  evince  great  skill  in  the  use  of  lan- 
guage, and  show  him  to  have  been  a  master  of  the  poetic  art.  When 
he  wrote  poetic  addresses,  he  so  invariably  won  from  all  competitors 
the  offered  prize,  that  finally  he  refused  to  write  for  a  prize,  declaring 
with  great  magnanimity  that  henceforth  he  would  leave  the  field  open 
to  younger  artists.  He  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  painting,  and  his 
residence  at  the  South  End,  where  he  dwelt  for  so  many  years,  was  a 
museum  of  pictures.  Everywhere  he  was  respected  for  his  integrity 
and  beloved  for  his  kindness  of  heart.  He  was  a  man  of  ready  wit,  of 
which  the  following  gives  a  good  example :  A  stranger,  it  is  said,  once 
applied  to  him  at  the  counter  of  the  Globe  Bank  for  his  autograph,  and 
asked  him  how  much  he  would  charge.  "One  dollar,"  replied  the 
cashier.  The  man  tendered  the  dollar,  and  vSprague,  who  was  fond  of 
a  quiet  joke,  handed  him  a  one  dollar  note  of  the  Globe  Bank  with  his 
name  on  it  as  cashier!  Mr.  Sprague's  son,  Charles  James  Sprague,  who 
succeeded  his  father  as  ca.shier  of  the  bank,  also  paid  court  to  the 
muses,  but  only  to  a  limited  extent. 

The  condition  of  the  Globe  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller at  the  close  of  business,  March  6,  1893,  was  as  follows: 

rp:sol"rces. 

Loans  and  discounts 83,113,522.23 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 3,899. 19 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 238,9(30.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 306,225. 18 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 283,654.15 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 45,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 26,518.81 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 5,500.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items .  _ .    2,538. 18 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 300,941.59 

Bills  of  other  banks 23,550.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 205.05 

Specie 246,000.00 

31 


2G0  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Legal  tender  notes 134,00(1. 00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $4,772,764.38 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000;00 

Surplus  fund (>5,500.()0 

Undivided  profits 1)2,714.47 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 180.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 2,147,072.69 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 64,490.48 

Certified  checks 122,402.37 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 27,068.42 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 969,758.38 

Due  to  vState  Banks  and  bankers 34, 627. 57 

Bills  payable 204,000.00 

Total $4, 772, 764. 38 

WASHINGTON  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Washino'ton  Bank  was  the  twelfth  Boston  bank  ehartered  by  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature,  and  obtained  its  charter  February  25,  1825. 
The  original  incorporators  were :  Daniel  Baxter,  William  Doll,  Thomas 
Hunting,  Joseph  P.  Cooke,  Jonathan  P.  Stearns,  John  Thompson, 
Thomas  Brewer,  Josiah  Knapp,  French  &  Weld,  Aaron  Baldwin,  Benj. 
V.  French,  Charles  Thacher  and  Windsor  Fay.  The  bank  was  to  con- 
tinue, according  to  its  original  charter,  from  the  third  Monday  in 
March,  1825,  to  the  first  Monday  in  October,  1831.  The  capital  was 
to  be  $500,000  in  gold  and  silver,  in  addition  to  such  amount  as  the 
State  might  elect  to  subscribe.  The  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders 
of  the  bank  was  held  at  the  Lafayette  Hotel  March  23,  1825,  when  the 
following  officers  and  directors  were  chosen :  Aaron  Baldwin,  presi- 
dent; Henry  Jacques,  cashier;  Aaron  Baldwin,  Thomas  Brewer,  Samuel 
Bradlcc,  Joseph  P.  Cooke,  Charles  Davis,  Windsor  Fay,  Oliver  Fisher, 
Josiah  Stedman,  John  Thompson,  Daniel  Weld,  Closes  Williams  and 
Barnabas  T.  Loring,  directors. 

The  Washington  Bank  was  eminently  a  South  End  institution  at  the 
beginning,  subscribers  to  its  stock  including  such  well  known  residents 
of  that  cjuarter  of  the  city  as  were  then  represented  by  the  names  of 
John  Parker,  Justin  Aiulrews,  I->enj.  Atkins,  Lemuel  Brackett,  Edward 
Bugbee,  John  I.  Brown,  Lewis  Jvallard,  Hosea  Ballou,  Thomas  Brewer, 


BANKIXG  IXSTITrTIONS.  20t 

Thomas  Carter,  Stephen  Child,  O.  W.  Champney,  David  Dudley,  Elias 
H.  Derby,  Luther  Felton,  Windsor  Fay,  Benjamin  V.  French,  Jonathan 
Goddard,  Benjamin  J.  Gilbert,  George  Hayward,  William  Hayden, 
James  Hendlev,  Thomas  Huntings,  Barnabas  T.  Loring  and  John 
Lowell.  The  bank  was  first  located  in  a  building  nearly  opposite 
Beach  street  and  near  the  spot  where  previously  grew  the  famous 
"  Liberty  Tree."  A  short  time  thereafter  it  was  removed  to  the  com- 
paratively small  but  substantial  structure  built  expressly  for  the  bank 
at  the  corner  of  Beach  and  Washington  streets.  Many  of  our  readers 
will  remember  that  its  granite  front,  with  long  steps,  vestibule  and 
cvlindrical  pillars,  was  fashioned  in  the  simple  "manly  Doric  "  style  of 
architecture.  Here  the  bank  was  located  for  some  twenty  years,  when 
experience  proved  it  far  better  for  the  expanded  interest  of  the  bank 
that  it  should  be  located  in  vState  street,  then  and  always  the  centre  of 
Boston's  banking  aiTairs.  It  now  has  handsome  quarters  in  the  Ex- 
change Building. 

The  Washington  h^is  had  only  three  presidents  since  its  origin.  Mr. 
Baldwin  served  till  1850,  a  period  of  twenty-five  years,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  November  of  that  year  by  Almon  D.  Hodges,  who  was  fol- 
lowed by  Eben  Bacon,  the  present  head  of  the  bank. 

There  have  been  four  cashiers,  in  the  order  named :  Henry  Jacques, 
Daniel  A.  Sigourney,  Charles  A.  Putnam  and  W.  Henry  Brackett. 

Some  of  the  directors  served  for  unusually  long  periods.  Among 
them,  Moses  Williams,  who  was  one  of  the  original  directors  and  re- 
mained so  until  18G(J,  a  period  of  forty-one  years.  Josiah  Stedman, 
also  an  original  director,  served  until  18G8.  a  period  of  forty-three 
vears.  Josiah  P.  Cooke,  still  another  member  of  the  first  board,  retired 
in  18<)(),  after  a  term  of  forty-one  years.  Alanson  Tucker  was  a  direc- 
tor for  thirty-two  years.  James  H.  Champney  was  an  officer  in  the 
bank  for  many  years,  having  entered  its  service  in  L8o4. 

The  Washington  became  a  national  bank  on  January  1,  18()5.  Its 
capital  is  $750,000. 

The  board  of  directors  for  18i)-2  is  as  follows:  Eben  Bacon,  Edward 
I.  Brown,  Caleb  A.  Curtis,  John  C.  Inches,  J.  M.  Pendergast,  C. 
Minot  Weld,  James  R.  Hooper,  William  B.  Lambert  and  Henry  B. 
Chapin. 

The  financial  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business  March  (J,  18'.»o,  was  as 
follows : 


208  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts  . 81,436,498.46 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 44. 13 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation .iO,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 121,496.67 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 111,428.69 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 24,454.21 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 22,538.50 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 2,718.08 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 15,815.68 

Bills  of  other  banks 5,373.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 17.83 

Specie 57,015.00 

Legal  tender  notes 26,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  L".  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total 31,875,650.25 

LI.A.BILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in S  750,000.00 

Surplus  fund 300,000.00 

Undivided  profits 54,679.55 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding  _ .   45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 162.50 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 622,225.84 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 12,114.26 

Certified  checks 6,196.75 

Due  to  other  National  Bank 2,105.89 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 83, 1 65. 96 

Total SI  ,875,650.25 

NORTH  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Xorth,  now  the  North  National,  wa.s  the  thirteenth  Boston 
bank,  and  was  chartered  June  18,  1825,  with  a  capital  of  $500,000. 
William  Little,  William  B.  Bradford,  Ebenezer  Cloiigh,  Henry  J. 
Oliver,  Ezra  Eaton,  Theodore  Dexter,  Henry  D.  Gray,  P.  P.  F.  De- 
grand,  *' their  associates  and  assigns,"  were  the  original  cor]3orators ; 
the  bank  to  continue  till  Monday,  October  1,  1831.  At  a  ineeting  of 
the  stockholders,  embracing  such  inen  as  Atnos  and  John  Binney, 
Andrew  Blanchard.  jr.,  Joseph  Ballister,  Edward  H.  Adams,  Frederick 
Gould,  David  Henshaw,  John  D.  Howard,  William  Little,  Robert 
Lyon,  Henry  Orne,  Thomas  Power,  William  S.  Rogers,  David 
Thacher,  and  many  others  of  the  leading  merchants  and  financiers  of 
Boston  of  that  day,  held  at  the  Hancock  school-house  on   July  1,  1825, 


BAXKING   INSTITCTIONS.  269 

the  following-  board  of  directors  was  elected :  George  Hallett,  Henry 
Orne,  Amos  Farnsworth,  J.  B.  Brown,  John  Gray,  jr. ,  Isaac  Danforth, 
Robert  Lyon,  George  Darracutt,  E.  H.  Adams,  and  Thomas  Thacher. 
At  the  same  time  John  Binney  was  elected  president  and  Gordon  Steele 
cashier. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  judicious  management  of  the  North  Bank  dur- 
ing the  earlier  years  of  its  existence,  its  history  during  the  memorable 
panic  of  1837  furnishes  a  striking  incident.  In  common  with  other 
Boston  banks  it  was  compelled  to  suspend  specie  payment  on  the  12th 
of  May  of  that  year,  but  the  bank  stood  stronger  at  that  moment  than 
at  any  previous  period.  During  the  whole  of  that  crisis  in  financial 
affairs  the  North  Bank  did  not  lose  a  single  dollar  by  any  loan,  nor  did 
it  have  a  single  piece  of  paper  which  had  been  dishonored  during  that 
period;  in  fact,  though  its  business  was  moderate,  the  profits  even 
enabled  it  to  pay  a  dividend  in  October,  183T.  A  report  of  the  direc- 
tors at  this  time  declared  that  the  bank  was  in  a  condition  to  join  with 
any  other  banks  to  bring  about  a  return  to  specie  payment,  and  that  it 
was  in  great  degree  owing  to  the  skill  and  judgment  of  the  cashier, 
Gordon  Steele,  and  his  associates,  that  "amid  the  wrecks  around 
them  "  they  were  able  to  make  so  favorable  a  statement  of  the  bank's 
affairs.  The  honorable  exhibit  then  made  was  in  pleasing  contrast 
with  that  of  the  banks  which  went  under  never  to  rise  again,  and 
whose  alleged  mismanagements  were  subjected  to  the  caustic  reviews 
and  censure  of  the  Boston  journals  of  that  day. 

The  original  location  of  the  North  Bank  was  at  20  North  Market 
street.  In  1843  it  was  moved  to  the  Merchants'  Exchange  Building  in 
State  street;  in  1864  to  18  Kilby  street;  subsequently  to  53  Devonshire 
street,  and  since  June,  1874,  its  location  has  been,  as  at  present,  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Franklin  and  Devonshire  streets.  Its  capital  was 
increased  to  $750,000  in  April,  1850,  and  has  since  been  increased  to 
$1,000,000.  It  became  the  North  National  Bank  on  October  6,  1864, 
and  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders  held  thereafter,  on  January 
10,  1865,  the  following  men  were  chosen  directors,  each  receiving-  the 
whole  number  of  votes  cast,  1504:  Charles  G.  Nazro,  Elijah  Williams, 
Henry  T.  Duhmd,  James  O.  Safford,  George  Whitney,  Leonard  S. 
Jones,  John  Worcester,  and  Rufus   S.  Frost. 

Annexed  is  a  list  of  the  presidents  of  the  North  Bank  and  dates  of 
their  terms  of  service : 


2tO  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

John  Binney,  from  Auo".  1^>,  1825,  to  Apr.  20,  IS:}:}. 

Isaac  Danforth,  "  Apr.  2'),  is;}:i,  "  Jan.    13,  18:34:. 

John  W.  Totill,  "  Jan.  i:5,  18:U,  "  Oct.    11,  1844. 

James  Harris,  "  Oct.  IS,  1841,  "   Mar.  11),  1850. 

Oliver  Eldridge,  "  Mar.  l!i,  1850,  "  Oct.    :K),  1855. 

Charles  G.  Nazro,  "  Oct.  ;50,  1855,  "     "      20,  1871. 

Elijah  Williams,  "  "  20,  1871,  "   Nov.     7,   1871. 

Chandler  R.  Ran.soin,  "  Nov.  7,  1871,  "  Jan.    12,1875. 

George  Whitney,  "  Jan.  12,1875,"     "      10,1882. 

John  B.  Witherbee,  "  "  10,  1882,  "  Oct.     4,  1801. 

Rufns  vS.   Frost,  "  Oct.  8,  18'.»1,  "  present   time. 

Mr.  Frost  has  been  connected  with  the  bank  as  a  director  ever  since 
180;i. 

The  cashiers  in  order  of  service  have  been  as  follows: 

Gordon  vSteele,  from  Aug.  15,  1825,  to  Nov.     2,  1843. 

John  J.  Loring,  "     Nov.  2,  1843,   "  July      1,  1850. 

John  B.  Witherbee,  "     July  1,  1850,   "  Jan.    10,  1882. 

Edward  A.  Burbank,  "     Jan.  12,  18S2,   "  present    time. 

Mr.  Burbank  entered  the  employ  of  the  bank  in  18(54,  and  enjoys  a 
well-earned  reputation  as  a  careful  and  conscientious  oi^ficer.  The 
administration  of  President  Ransom  was  characterized  by  an  increase 
of  business  unprecedented  in  the  history  of  the  bank.  President 
Witherbee  died  October  4,  18(il,  and  "  in  the  harness,"  as  it  were,  after 
having  faithfully  served  the  bank  for  a  period  of  fifty-four  years.  Will- 
iam H.  Learned,  the  present  vice-president  of  the  bank,  a  well-known 
and  active  business  men,  has  served  in  the  board  of  directors  since 
1874. 

The  board  of  directors  for  181»2  is  as  follows:  Rufus  S.  Frost,  Will- 
H.  Learned,  Jeremiah  Williams,  Samuel  N.  Brown,  Leander  Beal, 
George  Hutchinson,  John  Hopewell,  jr. ,  Edgar  Harding,  Horace  W. 
Wadleigh,  Joseph  A.  Brown. 

The  condition  of  the  North  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency,  at  the  close  business,  March  0,  1803,  was  as 
follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,869, 1 12.29 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 100,0(10.00 

Other  stocks,  bonds,  etc   13l,;^18.3() 

Due  from  ai)pn)ved  reserve  agents 417,082.09 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  271 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 241,269.33 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 19,207.98 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 14,002. oO 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 403.  s? 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 124,005.70 

Bills  of  other  National  Banks 757.00 

Fractional  currency  (including  nickels) 23.88 

Specie  (including  gold  treasury  notes) 245. 438. 25 

Legal  tender  notes 29,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasury,  5  per  cent,  of  circulation.  4,.")00.00 

Total $4,196,901.25 

LI.A.BIL1T1ES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 350,000. 00 

Other  undivided  profits 95,372.27 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 90,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 045. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check $1,417,954.45 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 44,900.00 

Certified  checks 9,408.80 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 47,124.72 

1,519,447.97 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 505,024. 15 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 395,871.86 

Bills  payable 240,000.00 


Total $4, 190, 961. 25 

BUNKER  HILL  NATIONAL  BANK. 

Previous  to  1S:>5  the  merchants  of  Charlestown  made  use  of  the  Boston 
banks,  which  up  to  that  time  afforded  quite  sufficient  facilities  for  the 
local  business  interest  of  the  place.  In  the  year  named,  however, 
many  of  the  leadin,^-  inerchants  of  the  town  thought  the  trade  and 
commercial  interest  of  the  town  had  grown  to  such  pr(jportions  as  to 
require  a  purely  local  institution.  This  led  to  the  incorporation  of  the 
Bimker  Hill  Bank,  which  was  chartered  by  the  Legislature  of  Massa- 
chusetts in  lS-2o,  with  a  capital  of  $150,000.  The  first  board  of  directors 
was  elected  July  27,  1825,  and  was  composed  of  Timothy  Walker,  Na- 
than Tufts,  Isaac  Mead,  David  Devens,  Isaac  Warren,  Seth  Knowles, 
Thomas  J.  Goodwin,  Jotham  Johnson  arid  Elias  Phinney.  Jtdy  30, 
three  days  later,  the  board  organized  with  choice  of  Timothy  Walker 
as  president,    and  August    29  of    the  same  year   Henry  Jacques  was 


272  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

chosen  cashier.  The  bankins^  room  at  this  time  was  in  the  old  Wash- 
ington Hall  building  on  Main  street,  now  occupied  by  Kidd's  drug- 
store, and  here  it  remained  about  five  years,  or  until  1830,  when  it 
took  possession  of  its  banking  rooms  in  a  building  on  the  present  site 
occupied  by  the  bank  in  City  Scpiare,  at  the  corner  of  what  is  now 
called  Park  street.  In  the  great  fire  of  I800  this  building  was  dam- 
aged, and  while  it  was  being  rebuilt  the  bank  occupied  a  portion  of  the 
brick  building  numbered  18  on  Main  street.  A  granite  building  was 
erected  on  the  old  site,  which  is  remembered  by  many  old  residents. 
In  1855  the  present  brick  building  occupied  by  the  bank  was 
erected. 

There  have  been  but  five  presidents  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Bank.  Tim- 
othy Walker  served  from  1825  to  1835;  Daniel  Devens  from  1835  until 
his  death  in  August,  1855;  Edward  Lawrence  from  1855  until  his  death 
in  1885;  Timothy  T.  vSawyer  from  1885  to  1890;  and  Charles  R.  Law- 
rence from  the  latter  date  until  the  present  time.  Edward  Lawrence 
was  elected  a  director  of  the  bank  in  October,  1842,  and  served  in  this 
capacity  for  forty-three  years,  and  as  president  for  thirty  years,  a  term 
of  service  exceeded  by  few  in  the  banking  histor}'  c^f  Boston. 

Henry  Jacques,  after  serving  as  cashier  for  three  years,  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Thomas  Marshall,  who  filled  this  important  position  for 
thirty-one  years,  from  1828  to  1850,  during  which  time  he  was  associ- 
ated with  three  presidents  of  the  l)ank,  Timothy  Walker,  Daniel 
Devens  and  Edward  Lawrence.  On  the  death  of  Cashier  Marshall,  in 
1859,  George  Lincoln  was  chosen  casliier,  and  held  the  position  until 
1804,  and  was  succeeded  by  James  Adams,  jr.,  who  served  from  May 
27,  1804,  to  February  2,  1875.  Mr.  Adams  was  succeeded  by  Charles 
R.  Lawrence,  son  (jf  Edward  Lawrence,  who  held  the  office  until  1890, 
when  he  was  elected  president  of  the  bank.  Mr.  Lawrence  was  suc- 
ceeded as  cashier  by  Fred.  K.  Brown,  who  has  held  the  position  until 
the  present  time. 

The  capital  of  the  Ijank  was  first  increased  vSeptember  7,  1847,  when 
it  was  made  $200,000.  In  January,  1854,  it  was  increased  to  $300,000, 
and  in  18(;5,  when  it  became  a  national  bank,  it  was  increased  to  $500,- 
000,  of  which  increase  the  sum  of  $100,000  was  an  extra  dividend  from 
the  surplus  of  the  bank.  The  bank  has  never  had  but  one  vice-presi- 
dent, (leorge  A.  Kettell  being  elected  to  that  ofifiice  April  14,  1805, 
when  the  president,  Mr.  Lawrence,  was  about  to  start  for  Europe,  and 
held  the  position  until  his  death  in  April,  1809. 


BA  NKIXG   INS  TITUTIONS. 


273 


Fcjllowing'  will  be  found  a  complete  list  of  the  past  and  present  direc- 
tors of  the  Bunker  Hill  Bank : 

ELECTED.  RETIRED 

Timothy  Walker July  27,  1825.  Oct. ,  1835. 

NathanTufts "     27,1825.  "     1830. 

Isaac  Mead "     27,1825.  "     1834. 

David  Devens "     27,1825.  "     1855. 

Isaac  Warren ,,     27,1825.  "     1834. 

Seth  Knowles "     27,1825.  "     1826. 

Thomas  J.  Goodwin "     27,  1825.  ' '     1884. 

Jotham  Johnson "     27,1825.  "     1845. 

EliasPhinney "     27,1825.  "     1831. 

Jonathan  Brooks Oct.     2.  1826.  ' '     1829. 

Thatcher  Magoun "       6,1829.  "     1830. 

James  Bird,  jr "       4,1830.  "     1838. 

Oilman  Stanley "       4,1830.  "     1842. 

GilbertTufts "       3,1831.  "     1848. 

ReubenHunt "       6,1834.  "     1848. 

LarkinTiirner "       6,1834.  "     1845. 

Andrew  Blanchard,  jr "       6,  1834.  ' '     1853. 

Eben  F.  Cutter "       7,1835.  "     1851. 

Richard  Devens "       1.1838.  "     1842. 

Edward  Lawrence "       3,1842.  "     1885. 

William  Arnold "       2,1843.  "     1860. 

JamesAdams "       6,1845.  Nov.,  1880. 

Daniel  White "       6,1845.  Oct.,  1859. 

Geo.  A.  Kettell -       "       2,1848.  Apr., 1869. 

Joseph  Souther "      2,1848.  Oct.,  1858. 

Timothy  T.  Saw^-er "       6,  1851. 

Thos.  M.  Cutter "       3,1855.  Apr., 1871. 

Geo.  S.  Adams "       1,1855.  Jan.,  ISTO. 

Jos.  Souther,  jr. "       4,1858.  "     1870. 

Edwin  F.  Adams "       3,1859.  Aug.,  1871. 

C.C.Sampson "       1,1860.  Oct.,  1862. 

Nathan  Tufts,  jr "       6,1862.  "     1887. 

Geo.  D.  Edwards Nov.  12,  1869.  Apr. ,  1870. 

F.  M.  Holmes Apr.  22,  1870.  Sep. ,  1884. 

Charles  O.  Gage May  19,  1871.  Feb. ,  1892. 

Nelson  Bartlett Jan.     7,  1875. 

I.  P.  T.  Edmonds Jan.  1878. 

Rhodes  Lockwood Jan.  1878. 

M.  Beebe Mar.        1881. 

C.  R.  Lawrence Dec.         1884. 

Nahum  Chapin Jan.  1886. 

E.  B.  Hosmer Jan.  1888. 

John  Turner 1892. 

35 


274  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  ccjndition  of  the  Bunker  Hill  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business  March  G,  1803,  was 
as  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,047,144.11 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 28. 76 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 374, 623. 08 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 17,338.87 

Banking  house,  furniture  and  fixtures 25,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 14,421 .  13 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 21 ,  129. 77 

Bills  of  other  banks 8,950.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 285.02 

Specie 138,901.09 

Legal  tender  notes 31,548.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $2, 331 ,  618. 83 

I.IABIUTIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 350,000. 00 

Undivided  profits 110,023.77 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 935. 50 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,318,074.82 

Due  to  other  National  Banks_ 924.74 

Total $2,331,618.83 

The  personal  efforts  of  no  one  was  more  thorouo-hly  identified  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Bank  than  those  of  Hon. 
Edward  Lawrence,  for  so  many  years  its  president.  He  was  a  son  of 
Stephen  Lawrence  and  a  descendant  of  the  Lawrence  family  so  closely 
identified  with  the  history  of  Groton  and  Littleton.  He  was  born  in 
Harvard,  June  21,  1810,  and  from  April,  1825,  until  his  death  in  1885,  a 
])eriod  oi  sixty  years,  was  a  resident  of  Charlestown.  He  was  for  many 
years  largely  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  as  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Forster,  Lawrence  &  Co.  In  185rt  the  firm  was  dissolved,  and 
from  that  time  Mr.  Lawrence  carried  on  the  business  alone  until  18G3, 
when  he  retired,  and  from  that  time  until  his  death  principally  devoted 
his  time  to  the  manifold  duties  incumbent  upon  him  as  president  of  the 
Bunker  Hill  Bank. 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  275 

He  earl}"  took  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs  and  under  the  old 
town  g-overnment  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  selectmen  of  the  town. 
After  Charlestown  became  a  city,  he  served  six  years  as  a  member  of 
the  board  of  aldermen.  He  was  also  a  inember  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives from  Charlestown  in  1858  and  1850,  and  a  member  of  the 
Senate  in  1873.  He  was  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  securing'  the  in- 
troduction of  the  Mystic  water  into  Charlestown,  and  was  for  twelve 
years  chairman  of  the  Mystic  Water  Commissioners  and  the  Mystic 
Water  Board.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent  business  judoment,  a  care- 
ful financier,  and  a  well  recogiiized  power  in  the  community. 

ATLANTIC  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  fourteenth  bank,  chartered  by  the  Massachusetts  Legislature, 
was  the  Atlantic  Bank,  now  the  Atlantic  National  Bank.  The  act  was 
passed  February  11,  1828,  the  persons  named  in  the  act  being  James 
Reed,  Thomas  Searle,  and  John  Pickens.  •  Organization  was  perfected 
and  operations  begam  in  j\Iarch,  1828,  with  a  capital  of  $500,000,  and 
what  was  unusual,  if  not  unprecedented  among  the  banks  then  existing 
here,  it  paid  a  dividend  of  two  per  cent,  within  six  months  of  the  day 
it  began   business. 

Following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  original 
stockholders  with  number  of  shares   taken : 

Benjamin   Atkins 10      James  Longley 10 

John  R.  Adams 30       John  Lemist 30 

Abel  Adams 30       Edward  D.    Peters 100 

Amos  Binnej' .100       John  Pickens 20 

Jonathan  Batchelder 40       James  Savage 20 

Pliny  Cutler 60       Samuel  D.  Torrey 20 

Lorenzo  Draper 50       Wm.  J.  Walker 30 

Oliver  Eldridge 10       Aaron  D.  Weld 20 

Wm.   H.   Eliot 50       Thomas  Cordis 25 

Samuel  Fales 50       John  Dodd 10 

Wm.  Freeman 10       George   Hallett 25 

Benjamin  French 100       Mercantile  Insurance  Company 250 

Jonathan  French 20  Manufacturers'  Insurance  Company.  .320 

Thomas  Gaffield 20       Franklin  Insurance  Company 580 

George  G.  Jones 40       Provident  Institution  for  Savings 420 

Josiah  Loring 20 

The  original  officers  of  the  bank  were:  President,  John  Pickens; 
cashier,  Benjamin  Dodd;  directors,  John  Pickens,  Edward  D.  Peters, 
George  G.  Jones,  Hercules  M.  Hayes,  Thomas  Searle,  James  Pickens, 


^7G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Jeremiah  Hill,  Henry  F.    Baker,    Isaac   Livermore,   Lorenzo   Draper, 
James  K.  Mills  and  William  Rollins. 

The  presidents  of  the  bank  with  period  of  service  have  been  as  fol- 
lows:   John   Pickens,  March  o,    1S2S,  to   May  25,  1830;  Pliny   Cutler, 
May  25,  is:50,  to  October  2,  1854;  Nathaniel  Harris,  October  2,  1854, 
to  January  12,  18G!),  and  Isaac  Pratt,  jr.,  January  12,  1809,  to  the  pres- 
ent time.      Benjamin  Dodd  served  as  cashier  from  date  of  organization 
of  the  bank  until  April,  1875— a  period  of  forty-seven  years— when  he 
was  succeeded  by  the  present  cashier,  James  T.  Drown.     On  the  board 
of  directors  of  this  bank,  at  different  periods  from  its  incorporation, 
the  following  have  served:  Edward  D.  Peters,  George  G.  Jones,  James 
Pickens,   Jeremiah   Hill,  Henry   F.    Baker,   Isaac  Livermore,   Lorenzo 
Draper,'  William  Rollins,  William  G.  Lambert,  Samuel  Philbrick,  Will- 
iam  F.' Otis,  Benjamin   Loring,    WiUiam   W.    Stone,    James   Johnson, 
Charles    Stoddard,    Oilman    Prichard,    Francis    Fisher,    Benjamin    D. 
Whitney,  Montgomery  Newell,  Amasa  Walker,  George  Hallett,  James 
Allison,  George  W.  Crockett,  Abraham  T.  Lowe,  S.  S.  Littlebrook,  S. 
S.  Arnold,  Ezra  C.    Hutchins,  W.  R.  P.   Washburn,  John  S.   Jenness, 
Abel  G.  Peck,    James  H.  Kelsey,   Henry  Claflin,   Cyrus  Dupee,   vShad- 
rach  Robinson,  John  A.  Dodd,  Edwin  A.  Robinson,  Edward  G.  Nicker- 
son,  John   E.  Lyon,  Edward  E.    Rice,   George  W.    A.   Williams,   John 
Pea'rce  and  J.  Thomas  Vose.     The  present  directors  are  Isaac  Pratt, 
jr.,  T.  Quincy   Browne,  S.  T.  vSnow,  Edward  A.  Abbott,    Edmund  T. 
Pratt,  jlimes  T.  Drown,  William  Read,  N.  Willis  Bumstead  and  Oscar 

F.  Howe. 

The  Atlantic  Bank  was  reorganized  under  the  National  Bank  act  in 
December,  18(54,  at  which  time  its  present  name  was  adopted  and  the 
capital  increased  to  $750,000.  For  the  first  three  years  of  its  existence 
this  bank  was  located  on  State  street,  above  Kilby,  but  since  1831  it 
has  been  located  on  its  present  site,  corner  of  Kilby  and  Doane  streets. 

The  condition  of  the  Atlantic  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency,  at  the  close  of  business,  March  <;,  181)3, 
was  as  follows: 

RESOUKCKS. 

Loans  and  discotmts $1,211,644.88 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 561,800.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 17;), 764. 18 

TXie  from  other  National  Banks 5^707.57 

Banking  house,  furniture  and  fixtures.  _ --       26<,311.50 


?^^l^^^2^^ 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  277 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 12,041.53 

Premiums  on  U,  S.  bonds 7,()()0.()0 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 125.83 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 8,203.97 

Bills  of  other  banks 1,420.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 45. 60 

Specie 150,081.00 

Legal  tender  notes 15,500.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $2, 514,896. 06 

LIAIUI.ITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in S     750,000.00 

Surplus  fund .  300,000,00 

Undivided  profits 72,092,51 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 44,500.00 

Dividends  unpaid 320.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,094,099.19 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 9,166.91 

Certified  checks .  400.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 74, 559. 39 

Di:e  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 109,665.68 

LiabiHties  other  than  those  above  stated 86. 38 

Total $2,516,896.06 

MERCHANTS'  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Merchants'  National  Bank  beg"an  business  in  July,  iSol,  with  a 
capital  of  $500,000.  Edward  Eldredge  was  its  first  president.  After 
two  or  three  years  he  resig"ned,  and  Mark  Healy  was  elected.  Mr. 
Healy  resigned  in  1830,  and  Franklin  Haven  became  president  of  the 
bank  and  continued  to  January,  18<S4,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Franklin  Haven,  jr.,  who  now  holds  the  office.  Mr.  Haven,  from  1808 
to  1870,  was  assistant  treasurer  of  the  United  vStates  at  Boston. 

Among  the  earl)'  friends  and  stockholders  of  the  bank  were  James 
Savage,  vSamixel  May,  John  C.  Proctor,  William  Tuckerman,  Henry  G. 
Chapman,  William  vSturgis,  William  Appleton,  John  Bryant,  Nathan 
Appleton,  Francis  G.  Gray,  Peter  C.  Brooks.  The  first  board  of 
directors  was  coinposed  of  William  Eager,  N.  F.  Cunningham,  John 
B.  Jones,  dishing  ]\Iitchell,  John  C.  Proctor,  Luke  Fay,  William 
Tuckerman,  Mark  Healy  and  Horace  Gray.  Edward  Brooks  was 
a  director  seventeen  years.  vSamuel  Hooper,  who  died  in  1875, 
was   a  director   thirty-six  3'ears.      Israel   Whitney,   who   died  in    1871, 


278  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

was  a  director  thirty-four  years.  James  K.  Mills  entered  the  board 
in  1S;37,  and  left  it  in  1857.  Colonel  William  P.  Winchester  was 
elected  a  director  in  1837,  and  continued  thirteen  years  till  his  death. 
David  Henshaw  (who  was  collector  of  the  port  and  secretary  of  war) 
was  a  director  sixteen  years.  Francis  C.  Gray,  "learned  in  the 
science  of  bankings  as  he  was  in  the  science  of  «-overnment  and  of 
international  law,"  was  a  director  fifteen  years.  John  P.  Bayley, 
who  died  in  1880,  was  a  director  for  twenty  years.  J.  Huntingtpn 
Wolcott  was  a  director  twenty-nine  years.  William  Amory  held  the 
office  of  director  twenty-six  years,  his  first  election  being-  in  1855. 

The  present  board  consists  of  T.  Jefferson  Coolidge,  John  F.  Ander- 
son, Franklin  Haven,  jr.,  George  A.  Gardner,  Howard  Stockton,  Na- 
thaniel Thayer  and  Abbott  Lawrence. 

In  183G  the  bank  purchased  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  its 
biiilding  on  State  street  and  reconstructed  the  interior,  leaving  un- 
changed its  classic  fagade  and  colossal  stone  columns.  vSubsequently 
the  bank  purchased  the  adjoining  estates  and  greatly  changed  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  building;  but  the  directors'  room  remains  essentially 
the  same  as  when  used  by  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

The  bank  was  selected  as  a  fiscal  agent  of  the  government  and  de- 
pository of  public  moneys  in  October,  18;)o,  and  in  that  capacity  it  has 
always  acted  whenever  a  bank  was  so  employed.  It  early  established 
collection  and  exchange  accounts  in  all  the  principal  cities  of  the 
Union.  At  the  instance  of  the  government  an  arrangement  was  made 
in  1833  by  which  the  notes  of  this  bank  were  redeemed  in  coin  at  cer- 
tain designated  banks  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore  and  Wash- 
ington. This  arrangement  was  carried  through  by  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  Franklin  Haven,  David  Henshaw,  and  vSamuel  D.  Bradford. 

The  capital  of  the  bank  was  rapidly  increased,  until  about  1852  it 
became  four  millions  with  right  under  its  charter  to  increase  to  five 
millions.  But  it  was  not  considered  expedient  to  exercise  that  right, 
one  of  the  reasons  being  the  inauspicious  condition  of  the  country  dur- 
ing the  years  which  preceded  the  civil  war. 

In  18r)3  the  national  banking  and  currenc}'  law  was  passed,  audit 
was  deemed  expedient  to  place  the  bank  under  its  jurisdiction.  But  a 
considerable  portion  of  its  stock  was  held  in  Europe  and  the  measure 
was  opposed  by  the  foreign  stockholders  who  had  no  confidence  in  the 
perpetuity  of  the  I'^ederal   government.      An  act  of   the  vState   Legisla- 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  279 

tiire  was  passed  authorizing-  the  bank  to  reduce  its  capital  to  three  mill- 
ions by  purchase  and  cancellation  of  one  thousand  of  its  shares,  and 
shares  abroad  and  at  home  were  purchased  at  a  moderate  premium,  and 
the  bank  in  1S(J4  was  duly  placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States  as  a  national  bank. 

The  bank  took  a  leading  part  in  furnishing  funds  to  the  government 
during  the  war,  and  in  its  rooms  the  committee  was  wont  to  meet  for 
the  purpose  of  aiding  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  in  placing  the 
national  loans. 

It  has  been  a  principle  of  this  bank,  never  departed  from,  to  afford 
to  the  business  community  all  the  facilities  within  its  power  for  carry- 
ing on  industrial  pursuits  and  the  internal  trade  and  commerce  of  the 
country.  The  bank  has  never  passed  a  dividend.  It  paid  dividends  as 
a  State  Bank,  $0,206,250;  as  a  National  Bank,  $6,553,44(i.lo ;  total, 
$12,759,600.15. 

The  condition  of  the  Merchants'  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency,  at  the  close  of  business,  March  6,  1893, 
w^as  as  follows : 

RESOTRCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $7,274,494.59 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured .01 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 135, 000. 00 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  deposits 65,000.00 

Stocks  and  bonds 306,799.95 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 775,286. 67 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 831,193.66 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 3,369.44 

Banking-house 600,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 62,034.04 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 17,455.06 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 818,403. 98 

Bills  of  other  banks 20,826.00 

Nickels  and  pennies 613.31 

Specie 461,044.85 

Legal  tender  notes 93,050.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 70,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  L^.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  6,075.00 

Total $11,540,646.56 

LI.A.Bn.ITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $3,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 1,500,000.00 

Undivided   profits 244,343.12 


280  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 121,r)0().0() 

Dividends  unpaid 3,952.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 5,839,990.88 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 945.58 

Certified  checks 148,062.25 

Deposits  of  U.  S.  disbursing  officers 45,258.96 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 385,798.61 

1  )uc  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 851,800.21 

Total $11,540,646.56 

Franklin  Haven  is  the  only  one  of  the  orig'inal  officers  of  the  Mer- 
chants' Bank  still  surviving".  He  was  born  in  Cambridge  in  1804.  At 
the  age  of  twenty  he  was  appointed  receiving  and  paying  teller  of  the 
(xlobe  Bank,  at  the  same  time  Charles  vSpragne,  the  "poet  banker," 
became  cashier.  At  the  organization  of  the  Merchants'  Bank  he  was 
appointed  cashier,  and  in  1830  was  chosen  president,  the  Merchant's 
Bank  at  that  time  being  the  bank  of  largest  capital  in  New  England. 
In  1837  he  was  appointed  pension  agent  for  Massachusetts,  and  retained 
the  office  until  1854.  After  the  suspension  of  specie  payment  in  May, 
1837,  Mr.  Haven  was  among  the  earliest  advocates  of  its  resumption. 
Dtiring  the  early  part  of  President  Tyler's  administration  the  exigencies 
of  the  government  were  so  urgent  that  to  meet  the  want  of  the 
treasury  Congress  authorized  a  loan  of  twelve  millions.  Mr.  Haven 
was  called  to  Washington  and  invited  by  Secretary  Forward  to  accept 
the  agency  of  disposing  of  the  loan  in  Europe,  President  Tyler  and 
several  members  of  his  cabinet  joining  in  the  solicitation.  Mr.  Haven, 
however,  doubting  the  expediency  of  endeavoring  to  negotiate  a  loan 
abroad  until  a  portion  of  it  had  been  obtained  at  home,  declined  the 
mission,  but  was  afterwards  instrumental  in  placing  it  among  our 
capitalists.  In  1849,  during  the  administration  of  General  Taylor,  Mr. 
Haven  was  appointed  assistant  United  States  treasurer.  He  resigned 
the  office  in  1853,  but  at  the  request  of  President  Pierce  continued  in 
the  discharge  of  its  duties  for  nearly  a  year  after  tendering  his  resigna- 
tion. In  1850  Mr.  Haven  was  appointed  one  of  the  original  board  of 
directors  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  by  the  Legislature  of  that 
State.  He  held  this  post  for  thirteen  years,  and  upon  retiring  from  it, 
the  stockholders  recognized  his  services  by  the  presentation  to  him  of 
a  service  of  silver  plate.  In  1858  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Banks 
chairman  of  the  State  Board  of  Commissioners  for  the  Public  Lands,  and 
rendered  valuable   serviees  in  bringing  this  enterprise  to  a  sviccessful 


BANKIXG   INSTirC'TIONS.  281 

result,  ihc  State  realizin^^,  exclusive  of  expenses,  something  over  three 
millions  of  dollars  from  the  sales  of  these  Back  Bay  lands.  For  many- 
years  he  was  a  director  of  the  Eastern  Railroad,  and  was  an  early  advo- 
cate of  the  Boston  Clearing--house  and  its  first  president.  During  the 
Civil  War  Mr.  Haven  rendered  valuable  services  to  the  government. 
In  18G1-1862  he  was  chairman  of  the  committee  of  Boston  banks  for 
collecting  assessments  and  subscriptions  on  account  of  the  government 
loans,  and  for  distributing  the  bonds  and  treasury  notes  received  in 
exchange.  He  attended  in  the  capacity  of  delegate  various  bank 
conventions  held  in  New  York,  called  at  the  request  of  Secretary 
Chase,  for  consultation  in  regard  to  the  means  of  replenishing  the 
treasury.  He  was  summoned  several  times  to  Washington  to  confer 
with  the  secretary  and  committee  of  ways  and  means  upon  cjuestions 
of  public  finance,  and  his  judgment  and  suggestions  were  not  infre- 
quently the  basis  of  official  and  legislative  actions. 

TRADERS'  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Traders'  Bank  was  chartered  May  31,  1831,  with  a  capital  of 
$500,000.  The  applicants  for  a  charter  were:  Samuel  May,  John 
Brazer  Davis,  Thomas  Thatcher,  Francis  Watts,  Levi  Bartlett,  John 
Stearns,  Joshua  Sears,  Robert  Farley  and  Charles  Brown.  The  con- 
ditions of  the  charter  were  in  the  main  identical  with  those  of  the 
charters  granted  b}'  the  vState  Legislature  during  the  preceding  twenty 
years. 

Annexed  is  a  list  of  the  most  widely  known  stockholders  of  the 
Traders'  Bank  in  1831,  and  the  number  of  shares,  at  $100  each,  for 
which  they  subscribed: 

Crockett,  Seaver  &  Co 50       Edward  D.  Peters 20 

Daniel  Hammond 25       Robert  C.  Hooper 32 

George  W.  Thayer 10       Daniel  Denny .  25 

Samuel  Goddard 10      Jonathan  Phillips 25 

Thomas  Gray 20      George  P.  Jones 25 

William  Little 10      Jonas  Read 25 

Samuel  D.  Bradford 50      Pliny  Cutler 20 

Samuel  C.  Gray 32      Henry  Lee 30 

Otis  Everett 20      Provident  Institution  for  Savings 225 

S.  G.  Williams 24      Atlantic  Insurance  Co 639 

Simon  Stearns 25 

The  first  board  of  directors  chosen  consisted  of  the  following  citizens, 
long  prominent  and  esteemed  in  the  mercantile  and  financial  history  of 

36 


282  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

Boston:  Jeffrey  Richardson,  George  Howe,  George  Seaver,  David 
Dudley,  Henry  Lee,  Prince  Howes,  William  B.  Reynolds,  Deniing 
Jarvis,  B.  F.  Copeland,  Jabez  Fisher,  Josiah  Stickney  and  Thomas 
Lord.  Of  this  board  there  are  now  no  survivors ;  the  last  two,  Jeffrey 
Richardson  and  Jabez  Fisher,  died  a  few  3^ears  ago,  both  having  lived 
to  an  advanced  age.  After  election,  as  Messrs.  Richardson  and  Howe 
declined  to  serve,  Messrs.  Jonas  Craiie  and  Jabez  C.  Howe  were  chosen 
in  their  stead. 

The  original  officers  of  the  Traders'  Bank  were  as  follows:  President, 
David  Dudley;  cashier,  E.  L.  Frothingham;  first  teller,  Charles  P. 
Blaney;  first  bookkeeper,  Jeremiah  Gore. 

There  have  been  eight  presidents  of  the  Traders'  Bank,  and  the  fol- 
lowing shows  when  they  were  elected  and  the  length  of  their  terms  of 
service : 

David  Dudley,  from  1831  to  1841,  10  years. 

Lsaac  Parker,  "     1841   "  1858,  17      " 

Adam  W.  Thaxter,       "     1858  "   1801,  3      " 

Benj.  B.  Williams,        "     ]8(;i    "1871,  10      " 

Edward  Sands,  "     1S71    "   lS8(i,  nearly  Ki      " 

F.  vS.  Davis,  "     1880   "   188'),  3      " 

A.  L.  Fennesy,  "     1889,  served  for  only  a  brief  period. 

W.  L.  Faulkner,  July  17,  1890,  to  present  time. 

The  first  cashier,  E.  L.  Frothingham,  served  from  1831  to  1837; 
Jeremiah  Gore  from  1837  to  1800;  Frederick  S.  Davis  from  1800  to  1881, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  A.  N.  Cooke,  who  filled  the  position  for  more 
than  three  years.  Following  Mr.  Cooke,  J.  E.  Toulmier,  C.  T.  Linley 
and  T.  W.  Andrew  served  as  cashiers  for  brief  periods  in  the  order 
named.  C.  C.  Domett,  the  present  cashier,  was  chosen  in  February, 
1892. 

The  original  location  of  the  bank  was  on  India  street,  bat  in  1840  the 
location  was  changed  to  91  State  street,  where  it  remained  for  many 
years  and  until  its  removal  to  its  present  quarters,  corner  of  Congress 
and  Water  streets. 

The  Traders'  Bank  was  reorganized  under  the  National  Banking  act 
July  15,  18(i5,  as  the  Traders'  National  Bank,  with  a  capital  of  $000,- 
000,  which  was  reduced  to  its  present  limit,  $500,000,  in  February, 
1884.  The  first  board  of  directors  elected,  after  organization  was  per- 
fected as  a  national  bank,  consisted  of  B.  B.  Williams,  Deming  Jarvis, 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  283 

Franklin  Snow,  Jabez  Fisher,  Francis  J.  Parker  and  Edward  Sands. 
The  directors  of  the  bank  for  189->  are:  B.  F.  Diitton,  A.  D.  McClellan, 
W.  A.  Faulkner,  Andrew  W.  Preston,  Denman  Blanchard,  Frank  R. 
Hadley,  George  W.  Armstrong,  Joseph  W.  Work,  H.  J.  Jaquith,  D. 
N.  Skillings  and  S.  P.  Colt. 

The  condition  of  the  Traders'  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currenc}-,  at  the  close  of  business  Alarch  G,  1803,  was 
as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,416,853.09 

Overdrafts,  secured 7,603.88 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 7. 60 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 350,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 64,872.50 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 159,320.50 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 106,849.53 

Banking-house,  furniture  and  fixtures 3,571.28 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 22,607. 13 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 47,500.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 12,205.00 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 40, 605.  G7 

Bills  of  other  banks 4,715.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 82. 04 

Specie 28, 088. 90 

Legal  tender  notes 76,650.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  11,250.90 

Total $2,353,782.92 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in ..$  500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 50,000.00 

Undivided  profits 44,240. 15 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 315,000.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check $878,107.44 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 39,574.82 

Certified  checks 17,748.33 

935,430.59 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 466,610.30 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 42,501.88 

Total $2,353,782. 92 

SECOND   NATIONAL   BANK. 

The  Second  National  Bank  of  Boston  was  originally  the  Mercantile 
and   subsequently  the  Granite  Bank.      The  act  of  incorporation  was 


284 


S C TFOL A'  CO UNTY. 


passed  March  5,  \9^'-\'l,  and  approved  March  (J,  1S82.  The  orit^inal  in- 
corporators named  in  the  act  were:  Isaac  McLelhm,  Robert  Ci.  Shaw, 
vSamuel  S.  Lewis,  John  Kettell  and  Charles  Henshaw;  the  charter  to 
continue  till  October  1,  1851.  The  capital  was  fixed  at  $oO(),000,  in 
shares  of  |;100  each.  It  was  prescribed  by  the  charter  that  the  Mer- 
cantile Bank  must  be  located  on  Commercial  street,  as  near  as  possible 
to  the  head  of  what  was  then  known  as  Exchange  Wharf,  afterward 
called  Commercial  or  Granite  Wharf,  on  which  a  number  of  the  orig- 
inal directors  and  stockholders  transacted  their  business. 

Among  the  first  stockholders  of  the  Mercantile  Bank,  and  the  number 
of  shares  for  which  thev  subscribed,  were: 


Charles  Cazenove  &  Co 50 

Robinson,  Tyson  &  Co. _   50 

E.  Weston 50 

Marshall  P.  Wilder 100 

E.  Hathaway  &  Co 100 

McLellan,  Palliston  &  Co 150 

Joseph  V.  Bacon 50 

L.  Jellison 60 

B.  C.  Clark 50 

Thaddeus  Nichols,  jr 50 

Samuel  May 60 

Samuel  May  &  Co 50 

Humphrey  &  Pierce 100 

Joseph  Lord,  jr. . 50 

Robert  Farly 100 

George  W.  Heard 100 

F.  Watts 100 

Daniel  Denny  &  Co. 100 

John  H.  Bradford  &  Co 60 

E.  &  W.  B.  Reynolds 50 

John  H.  Pearson  &  Co 50 

William  B.  Reynolds 50 


Bixby,  Valentine  &  Co. 100 

Charles  Hood 100 

Daniel  C.  Bacon 100 

Nathaniel  Faxon 100 

Daniel  D.  Brodhead . 350 

John  Kettell 350 

P.  &  C.  Flint  &  Co. 100 

S.  Train  &  Co _.   50 

John  Henshaw 100 

P.  &  S.  Sprague 100 

William  Savage 50 

C.  Bradbury 100 

John  D.  Bates 20 

Benjamin  T.  Reed 20 

John  Brown 1 00 

David  Henshaw 100 

John  K.  Simpson 100 

Robt.  G.  Shaw 100 

Francis  G.  -Shaw - 1 00 

John  R.  Adam 100 

Henry  Oxnard 100 

Charles  Henshaw 350 


The  name  of  the  Mercantile  Bank  was  changed  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  to  the  Granite  Bank  on  the  11th  of  March,  Is:}:),  and  on 
April  8th  of  same  year  the  following  directors  were  elected:  John  Bin- 
ney,  John  Brown,  Charles  Henshaw,  A.  C.  Lombard,  Samuel  S.  Lewis, 
Francis  G.  Shaw,  James  McGregor,  Sherman  G.  Hill,  Enoch  Train, 
John  Kettell,   B.  Lincoln,  jr.,  and  Joseph  V.  Bacon. 

In  1S.-)1  the  capital  of  the  Granite  Bank  was  increased  from  $500,000 
to  $(;0(), ()()();  in  1852  to  $750,000 ;  in  1S5:5  to  $!)00,()00;  in  18(J4  to  $1,000,- 
000,  and  in  ISC',)  to  $1,(;00,0()(). 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  285 

The  Granite  Bank  became  the  Second  National  Bank  on  the  od  of 
February,  18G-4.  From  the  date  of  its  incorporation  under  the  National 
Bank  act  this  bank  has  enjoyed  deserved  success,  despite  the  serious 
drawbacks  of  war,  panics,  and  exceptionally  severe  financial  crises. 

The  following"  is  a  list  of  the  presidents  of  the  Granite  or  Second 
National  Bank,  with  dates  of  their  terms  of  service : 

John  Binney,  Apr.  VI,  1833,  to  Apr.  K).  1838, 

John  Kettell,/;'^? /rw.,       "     10,'  1838,    "  Oct.   'I'l,  1838. 

Joseph  V.  Bacon,  Oct.   •>2,  1838,    "  Dec.  1'.),  184:2. 

George  Denny,  Dec.  10,  1842,    "  Jan.    U,  1852. 

Henry  M.  Holbrook,       Jan.   20,  1852,    "  July  17,  1854. 

Alpheus  Hardy,  July  IT,  1854,    "  Oct.   23,  1857. 

James  H.  Beal,  Oct.  23,  1857,    "  Jan.      1,  1888. 

Thomas  P.  Beal,  Jan.     1,  1888,    "  present  time. 

The  cashiers  have  been  as  follows : 

Archibald  Foster,  July  10,  1833,  to  Feb.,  1848. 
Andrew  J.  Loud,  Mar.  8,  1848,  "  Apr.  1,  1878. 
Edward  C.  Brooks,  Apr.    1,  1878,    "  present  time. 

wSince  its  first  organization,  February  3,  1832,  the  bank  has  occupied 
four  locations,  viz. :  first  on  Commercial  street,  at  the  head  of  Exchange 
Wharf;  then  from  October  10,  1840,  to  December,  1843,  at  Gl  vState 
street;  from  1800  to  1800  in  the  building  built  for  the  bank  at  the  cor- 
ner of  State  and  Merchants'  Row,  and  since  1800  in  the  Sears  building. 
The  directors  of  this  bank  for  1802  are:  James  H.  Beal,  Jacob  W. 
Seaver,  Alexander  vS.  Wheeler,  0.sborn  Howes,  George  C.  Lord,  John 
W.  Wheelwright,  William  G.  Weld,  Charles  F.  Fairbanks,  Edward  W. 
Hutchins,  Wallace  L.  Pierce  and  Thomas  P.  Beal. 

This  institution  took  a  prominent  part  in  connection  with  govern- 
ment loans  during  the  late  civil  war,  its  directors  liberally  and  patri- 
otically doing  their  full  share  to  sustain  the  financial  credit  of  both  the 
State  and  nation. 

The  condition  of  the  Second  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business  ]\Iarch  0,  1803,  was  as 
follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $4,612,057.36 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 811,880. 68 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 981,415.40 


286  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 40,830.02 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 7,880.72 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house _  186, 700. 68 

Bills  of  other  banks 12,290.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 45.25 

Specie 338,889.00 

Legal  tender  notes 38,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $7,082,249.11 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,600,000.00 

Surplus  fund 900,000. 00 

Undivided  profits 270,918.08 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding  _ . . 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 1 ,188.00 

Individual  dejDosits  subject  to  check 2,080,271.54 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 9G,  1 87. 39 

Certified  checks 21,500.00 

Due  to  other  National  Bank 1,771,193.48 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 295,990.62 

Total $7,082,249. 11 

HAMILTON    NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  Hamilton  Bank,  the  predecessor  of  the  present  Hamilton  National 
Bank,  was  one  of  three  Boston  1)anks  chartered  in  1832,  viz.  :  The  Ham- 
ilton, Market,  and  Granite.  The  Hamilton  Bank  charter  was  accepted 
by  the  stockholders  of  the  bank  February  14,  18o2.  It  was  to  continue 
till  October  1,  1851,  with  a  capital  fixed  at  $500,000.  Among-  the  most 
prominent  of  the  incorporators  named  in  the  act  were  William  Thorn- 
dike,  William  Appleton,  Abbott  Lawrence,  Henry  Cabot,  Ebenezer 
Francis  and  John  Bryant.  The  first  board  of  directors  was  elected 
February  14,  1832,  and  consisted  of  William  Thorndike,  J.  Wiley  Ed- 
mands,  Thomas  G.  Gary,  Thomas  Wigglesworth,  Edward  Francis, 
George  H.  Kuhn,  Daniel  Denny,  Willard  vSayles,  William  Phipps, 
Marshall  P.  Wilder,  James  Gushing  and  Henr}''  Gabot.  On  February 
15,  18;)2,  Hon.  William  Thorndike  was  elected  president,  and  a  few 
days  later  the  following  additional  officers  were  selected:  Joseph  Hall, 
jr.,  cashier;  John  W.  Rand,  teller;  Otis  Turner,  bookkeeper,  and 
Joseph  L.  Hammand,  assistant  clerk. 

President  Thorndike  died  July  12,  is;)5,  and  was  succeeded  by  Daniel 
Denn}",  who  served  from  July,   1835,  till   his  death  in   February,  1872. 


BANKING   INSTITirriONS.  287 

S.  S.  Blanchard  was  elected  as  Mr.  Denny's  successor  and  continued  as 
president  until  February  18,  1883,  when  A.  H.  Bean  was  chosen  presi- 
dent, and  has  continued  as  such  to  the  present  time. 

Joseph  Hall,  jr.,  the  first  cashier,  served  in  that  capacity  until  Janu- 
ary 13,  1844;  from  that  time  until  his  decease,  July  13,  1855,  Otis  Tur- 
ner was  cashier.  The  latter  was  succeeded  by  S.  S.  Blanchard,  who 
continued  from  that  time  until  he  was  chosen  president  in  February, 
1872,  when  George  W.  Newhall  was  made  cashier,  and  has  since  held 
the  position. 

The  Hamilton  Bank  was  originally  located  in  a  two-story  stone  build- 
ing once  occupied  by  the  State  Bank  on  the  site  of  the  present  Exchange 
building.  It  afterwards  occupied  the  premises  60  State  street.  In  18G9 
it  removed  to  40  State  street,  where  it  remained  until  the  completion 
of  its  present  premises,  60  Devonshire  street,  in  1870. 

The  condition  of  the  Hamilton  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currenc}"  at  the  close  of  business,  March  0,  1893, 
was  as  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,840,878.17 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 235. 79 

U.S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50, 000. 00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 1,265.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 143,825. 99 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 320,809.55 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 15,170.78 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 334. 25 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 196,750.83 

Bills  of  other  banks 6,340.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 99.46 

Specie 32,054.00 

Legal  tender  notes 91,618.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 2,250.00 

Due  from  L^.  S.  Treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption  fund  10, 000. 00 

Total $2,711,631.82 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $     750,000.00 

Surplus  fund 200,000.00 

Undivided  profits 129,313.45 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 15.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,251,141.04 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 1,100.00 


288  SUFFOLK  CO  FN 7' V. 

Certiiicd  checks _         74,774.07 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 10,071. 18 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 250,217.08 

Total $2, 71 1 ,  631. 83 

MARKET    NATIONAL   BANK. 

The  act  to  incorporate  the  President,  Directors  and  Company  of  the 
Market  Bank  in  Boston  was  dated  February  2'.),  1832.  Levi  Lincoln 
was  then  governor;  Edward  D.  Bangs,  secretary  of  state;  William 
Thorndike,  president  of  the  wSenate ;  and  William  B.  Calhoun,  speaker 
of  the  House.  The  act  was  approved  by  the  governor,  March  1,  1832. 
The  capital  was  fixed  at  $500,000—5,000  shares  of  $100  each,  and  the 
whole  to  be  paid  in  within  one  year  from  the  passage  of  the  act ;  the 
charter  to  be  in  force  till  October  1,  1851.  The  incorporators  named 
in  the  act  were:  Josiah  Marshall,  David  R.  Griggs,  John  Kendrick, 
William  F.  Otis,  Amos  Binney,  James  FuUerton,  and  John  A.  McGaw. 
The  charter  of  the  Market  Bank  contained  a  special  provision  that  the 
stock  should  be  only  transferable  at  the  banking-house  and  on  its  books ; 
and  that  no  part  of  it  should  be  transferred  by  way  of  security  for  the 
performance  of  any  obligations  until  two  years  from  the  payment  of 
the  first  installment. 

The  following  list  has  been  selected  from  the  records  of  the  original 
stockholders  of  the  Market  Bank.  Most  of  those  mentioned  were 
prominent  citizens  of  Boston  sixty  years  ago,  and  all  are  dead.  The 
number  of  shares  is  mentioned  for  which  each  subscribed: 

Jacob  Adams 10  Jacob  Bacon 10 

Isaac   Adams 20  Bridge  &  Stevens 10 

Matthias  Amesbury 5  Seth  Baker 5 

James  T.  Austin 30  Bigelow  &  Bangs 49 

Benjamin  Abrams 10  R.  W.   Bailey 20 

Emery  Alexander 5  Barnard  &  Trull 20 

Adams  &  Bullard 5  Martin   Bates _  _ .  20 

Joseph  P.  Blanchard 5  Joseph  Bassett,  jr 10 

Thomas  G.  Bradlee 25  Abner   H.  Bowman 50 

J.  Vincent  Brown ...  5  John  A.  Bates 20 

Newell  Brown 10  Amos  Binney,  jr 5 

Jonathan  Brooks 5  John  Bmney 200 

Benjamin  D.  Baldwin . 10  Amos  Binney 220 

Robert   Bacon 10  Scotto  Clark 5 

Francis  Baker 7  vSeth  Chadbourn 10 

George  Bass 10  Chandler  &  Howard 5 


BANKING   INSTirUTlONS. 


•280 


Blanchard  Clark 20 

R.  B.  Callender 10 

William  H.  Crane 10 

Matthew  Cobb 10 

Larra  Crane —   20 

Aaron  Corey 20 

Jonas  Coolidge 20 

Samuel  B.  Dyer 5 

Samuel  B.  Doane 10 

Dexter  &  Smith 20 

Delano  &  Whitney 50 

Moses  Everett 10 

Ellis  &  Mayo . 20 

J.  W.  Edmands 20 

Charles  S.   Evans 10 

Luke  Fay 20 

Benjamin  French  &  Co 50 

Freeman  Cobb  &  Co 51 

John   Fenno 30 

Jonathan  French,  jr 20 

John  J.  Fiske 50 

William  Graves 49 

John   Goodenough 10 

Griggs  &  Wild 50 

John  Hancock  (trustee) 100 

B.C.  Harris 10 

William  Hayden,  jr 10 

Benjamin  P.  Haner 25 

George  Hancock 10 

Whiting  Hewins 20 

Eleazer  James 20 

Ezekiel  Kendall 20 


Samuel  Kendall 20 

George  H.  Kuhn 20 

Jesse  Kingsbury 30 

Aaron  Kingsbury 10 

Sewell  Kendall 20 

Nathaniel   Storrs 20 

Amasa  Stetson .  20 

Benjamin  Sewall 55 

Aaron  D.  Wild 50 

Solomon  Wild 10 

Benjamin  Levy 20 

Thomas  Livermore 15 

H.  &  W.  Lincoln 25 

Evans  &  Danforth 100 

George  Loring 25 

William  Lawrence 25 

John  Miller 20 

John  A.   McGaw 1 

Samuel  Paine 10 

A.  H.  Pierce 10 

Leonard  M.    Parker 15 

Edward  Reynolds,  jr 20 

William  S.  Rogers 20 

Isaac  Rich 5 

Josiah  Stickney 15 

Nathaniel  Smith 20 

Sears  &  Davis 20 

Jacob   Sleeper 10 

Abijah  White 50 

Alfred  A.  Wellington 5 

Eliphalet  Williams 62 


A  host  of  pleasant  memories  is  summoned  up  at  sight  of  these 
names  in  this  record  of  transaction  of  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  as 
for  instance,  that  of  James  T.  Austin,  the  distinguished  attorney-gen- 
eral ;  Barnard  &  Trull,  the  leading  distillers  of  the  West  End — ]\Ir. 
Barnard  being  afterwards  for  a  time  proprietor  of  the  Boston  Herald, 
and  of  its  temporary  rival,  the  Boston  Ledger;  John  Binney,  first  presi- 
dent of  the  North  Bank  in  1825;  Chandler  c^  Howard,  long  eminent 
merchants  on  Central  Wharf;  Delano  8c  Whitney,  wholesale  druggists 
for  many  years  in  Chatham  street ;  Charles  vS.  Evans,  for  a  time  mes- 
senger of  the  Market  Bank;  Benjamin  Loring  &  Company,  the  lead- 
ing  stationers;  William  Hayden,   jr.,   editor  of  the  old   Boston  At  las, 

37 


•200  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

Whij^-  daily,  on  vState  street — ''the  lying  AtlasU  as  Daniel  Webster 
once  affeetionately  termed  it ;  William  Lawrence,  formerly  of  the  old 
house  of  A.  &  A.  Lawrence,  on  Federal  street ;  Isaac  Rich,  largely 
engaged  in  the  fishing  interest;  Amasa  vStetson,  the  father  of  Amos  W. 
Stetson,  the  president  of  State  Bank;  and  Jacob  Sleeper,  senior  partner 
in  the  clothing  house  of  Carney  &  vSleeper. 

Following  a  notice  pubHshed  in  the  Boston  Daily  Courier,  the  first 
meeting  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Market  Bank  was  held  in  the  Frank- 
lin Hotel,  March  10,  1832,  when  a  committee  of  eleven  was  chosen  to 
distribute  the  stock.  At  a  second  meeting.  May  7,  1832,  a  board  of 
directors  was  chosen,  but  they  never  served,  as  the  bank  did  not  really 
go  into  full  operation  until  October  1,  1832,  when  the  following  officers 
and  directors  were  chosen:  President,  Amos  Binney;  cashier,  Samuel 
O.  Mead;  directors,  Amos  Binney,  William  B.  Reynolds,  D.  R.  Griggs, 
D.  P.  Brodhead,  Abijah  White,  Josiah  vStickney,  William  H.  Delano, 
Matthias  Amesbury,  C.  O.  Whitmore,  Benjamin  vSewall,  Abner  H.  Bow- 
man and  John  A.  McGaw. 

The  presidents  of  the  Market  Bank,  five  in  number,  have  been  as 
follows:  Amos  Binney,  from  October  1,  1832,  till  his  death  in  January, 
1833;  William  B.  Reynolds,  who  served  from  that  time  till  October  10, 
1830;  Josiah  vStickney,  who  served  till  October  27,  1800,  a  period  of 
more  than  twenty-one  years;  Charles  O.  Whitmore,  who  continued  as 
president  from  October  27,  1800,  until  November  15,  1885,  when  he 
was  followed  by  his  son,  Charles  J.  Whitmore,  who  has  since  served 
in  this  capacity  with  conspicuous  ability  and  fidelity. 

There  have  been  three  cashiers :  Samuel  O.  Mead,  the  first  cashier, 
chosen  October  1,  1832,  served  till  September  20,  1840.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Jonathan  Brown,  who  was  appointed  bookkeeper  of  the  bank 
October  ;}(»,  1833,  and  served  as  such  until  September  24,  1840,  when 
he  was  appointed  ca.shier  pro  tciii. ,  and  was  chosen  cashier  April  24, 
1841.  Then  and  for  several  years  Mr.  Brown  was  the  youngest  bank 
cashier  in  Boston,  and  after  the  death  of  Benjamin  Dodd  he  became  the 
oldest  cashier  of  any  Boston  bank.  He  resigned  the  office  on  July  1, 
1870.  In  recognition  of  his  long  service  the  directors  caused  to  be  re- 
corded upon  the  records  of  the  bank,  among  other  tributes  to  his  per- 
sonal and  official  character  and  worth,  the  following  testimony: 

I'or  more  than  fort}'  years  Mr.  Brown  has  been  cashier  of  the  Market  Bank,  and 
in  all  tile  changes  and  vicissitudes  of  the  institution  during  this  period  he  has  proved 
himself  a  valuable  and  failliful  officer,  and  bv  his  al)ilitv,  integritv  and  devotion  to 


cyi  c^^  < 


BA  XKING   INS  TITUTIONS.  29 1 

the  dirties  of  his  office  he  has  secured  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  directors  of 
the  bank,  and  has  richly  earned  the  gratitude  of  the  stockholders  whose  interests 
have  so  largely  been  committed  to  his  keeping. 

As  a  further  expression  of  their  kind  feelings,  the  directors,  on  the 
part  of  the  stockholders,  presented  Mr.  Brown  with  an  elegant  service 
of  silver,  costing  $500,  which  is  treasured  by  the  recipient  with  justifi- 
able pride  and  satisfaction.  Mr.  Brown  was  succeeded  as  cashier  by 
Josiah  Q.  Bennett,  who  has  since  served  in  this  capacity. 

All  of  the  original  directors  of  the  Market  Bank  are  now  dead. 
Charles  O.  Whitmore  and  Benjamin  Sewall  were  the  last  of  the  original 
board;  the  former  died  in  1885,  after  a  continuous  service  as  director 
for  fifty-three  years,  and  the  latter  in  October,  18T0,  having  been  con- 
nected with  the  bank  as  director  for  forty-seven  years.  Charles  S. 
Evans,  an  original  stockholder  in  1832,  and  afterward  messenger,  was 
connected  with  the  institution  for  many  years.  Samuel  H.  Walley  be- 
came a  director  in  18o5  and  continued  as  such  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  Market  Bank  became  the  ^Market  National  Bank  July  19,  1864. 
The  original  capital  was  increased  from  $500,000  to  $800,000  Octo- 
ber 7,  1839,  at  which  sum  it  has  ever  since  remained.  Its  original 
location  was  at  No.  1  City  Wharf,  opposite  the  east  end  of  Quincy 
Market,  and  received  its  name  on  that  account.  In  July,  18-12,  it  was 
removed  to  the  ]\[erchants'  Exchange  in  State  street,  and  in  1870  to  86 
State  street,  corner  of  Merchants'  Row.  Here  it  remained  until  1889, 
when  it  was  removed  to  its  present  location  in  the  Fiske  Building,  89 
State  street.  It  has  never  had  a  suspension  of  specie  payment,  nor  any 
run  upon  it,  save  when  they  were  common  to  all  other  well  regulated 
banking  institutions.  The  onl}-  forgery  which  it  has  suffered  to  any 
considerable  extent  occurred  in  the  third  year  of  its  existence,  in  1835. 
An  individual  at  that  time  forged  the  names  of  different  parties  on 
paper  to  the  amount  of  $8,000;  and  the  Market,  Massachusetts,  and 
other  banks,  were  the  losers  by  the  operations.  The  forger  was  found, 
arrested,  and  released  on  $16,000  bail,  which  he  forfeited  by  flight. 
The  $16,000  was  paid  into  the  State  treasury,  and  there  it  has  remained 
ever  since,  the  State  refusing  to  refitnd  the  $8,000  which  were  stolen. 

The  officers  of  the  Market  National  Bank  for  1892  are  as  follows : 
President,  Charles  J.  Whitmore;  vice-president,  Richard  H.  Weld; 
cashier,  Josiah  O.  Bennett;  assistant  cashier,  H.  F.  vSmith;  directors, 
Herbert  Nash,  F.  H.  Raymond,  George  Hyde,  Charles  W.  Hubbard, 
B.  P.  Cheney,  B.  P.  Cheney,  jr.,  C.  J.  Whitmore,  Richard  H.  Weld 
and  H.  L.  Millis. 


'202  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  condition  of  the  Market  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business  March  (),  lSi):i,  was  as 
follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,476,547.93 

Overdrafts,  unsecured _ . 372. 85 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 112,105.25 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 222,169.65 

Due  from  other  National  Banks .S9,888. 13 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned 1,500.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 19,161.94 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 8,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 3,025.98 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 131,977.47 

Bills  of  other  banks 4,926.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents. . 463.61 

Specie 214,808. 25 

Legal  tender  notes 58,000.00 

Redemption  fund  witli  U.  vS.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $3, 395, 197. 06 

LiAiin.rruis. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $  800,000.00 

Surplus  fund i 105,000.00 

Undivided  profits 80,958.92 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 320.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1 ,675,063.85 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 46,077.79 

Certified  checks 102,506.31 

Due  to  other  National  Banks,  subject  to  check 316,530.59 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers,  subject  to  check 223,739.60 

Total $3,395, 197.06 

ATLAS    NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  Atlas  Bank,  the  predecessor  of  the  Atlas  National  Bank,  was 
incorporated  March  28,  1833,  with  a  capital  of  $500,  ()()(),  and  to  continue 
ty  October  1,  1851.  The  incorporators  named  in  the  act  were:  Robert 
Edes,  James  Harris,  Benjamin  A.  Ciould,  Richard  Fletcher  and  Brad- 
ford Lincoln. 

The  following-  is  a  complete  list  of  the  orii^nnal  stockholders  of  the 
Alhis  P)ank,  with  numl)cr  of  shares  purchased  by  each: 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS. 


293 


vS.  A.  AVells,  pres.  Atlas  Ins.  Co 500 

Wm.  Hales,  pres.  Globe  Ins.  Co. 500 

F.  Watts,  pres.  Atlantic  Ins.  Co. 500 

Francis  Welch 300 

Geo.  C.  Shattuck 60 

Nehemiah  Parsons,  pres.  Hope  Ins  Co. 500 

Edward  Crafts 100 

Samuel  Hubbard 180 

John  Borland 100 

S.  A.  Wells 70 

James  Harris 50 

Edward  Eldredge 100 

Phineas  Sprague 300 

Thos.  Denny  &  Son 500 

Wm.  Hales 500 

H.  C.  Mackay 10 

Geo.  W.  Pratt 100 

Thaddeus  Nichols,  jr 50 

Wm.  Davis,  jr. 50 

N.  Parsons 50 

Richard  Devens 50 

Phineas  Foster 5 

B.  A.  Gould 50 

James  A.  Dickson 50 


Robert  Edes 50 

Thos.  D.  Bradlee 50 

S.  C.  Gray 50 

P.  R.  Dalton 5 

Caroline  Thacher  _ . 50 

Samuel  Train 50 

John  W.  Trull 50 

Luther  Faulkner 50 

Tucker  Williams 100 

Ozias  Goodwin 100 

Andrew  T.  Hall 100 

B.  Lincoln  &  Co. 100 

Wm.  Goddard 130 

Wm.  Eager 20 

Aaron  Perkins 20 

Lucy  Goddard  : 13 

Chas.  H.  Brown 25 

Mary  Harris '. 80 

H.  G.  Hutchings 35 

Joseph  W.  Bradlee 60 

Henry  Lunt 10 

Sylvanus  Thayer 10 

Lucy  C.  Shattuck 10 

James  Savage 250 


The  foregoing-  list  contain.s  fifty  siib.scribers  in  all,  or  an  average  of 
$10,000  to  each  subscriber,  an  amount  never  before,  and  it  is  doubtless 
if  ever  since,  averaged  by  the  stibscribers  to  any  bank  stock  in  Boston. 

The  first  board  of  directors,  chosen  October  28,  1833,  was  composed 
of  the  following  members :  Edward  Eldredge,  Edward  Crafts,  Samuel 
Hubbard,  John  Borland,  William  Hales,  vSamtiel  C.  Gray  and  Henry 
Lee.  The  first  president  of  the  bank  was  Edward  Eldredge,  who 
served  till  June  13,  1837,  when  Samuel  C.  Gray  was  elected  and  con- 
tintied  in  the  office  imtil  his  death  in  December,  1840.  The  latter  was 
followed  by  Charles  H.  Brown,  who  held  the  position  from  December 
21,  1840,  to  his  death  in  1871.  John  H.  Foster  served  from  that  time 
till  his  death  in  1872,  when  M.  D.  Spaulding  was  elected  as  his  suc- 
cessor, and  served  till  he  resigned  in  October,  1877.  From  the  latter 
date  to  1882  William  P.  Hunt  filled  the  office  of  president.  Mr.  Hunt 
was  succeeded  b)^  John  G.  Wetherell,  who  has  since  served  as  president 
of  the  bank. 

The  first  cashier  of  the  Atlas  Bank  was  Joseph  White,  who  continued 
in  this  capacity  from  the  organization  of  the  bank  tmtil  his  death  in 
1807.     He  was  succeeded  by  Charles  L.  Lane,  who  had  been  connected 


294  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

witli  the  bank  from  1850,  first  as  messenger,  in  1851  as  bookkeeper, 
and  subsequently  as  discount  clerk  and  assistant  clerk.  Charles  L. 
Lane  was  succeeded  by  the  present  cashier,  Benjamin  P.  Lane,  who 
has  been  an  attache  of  the  bank  since  1851. 

Henry  W.  Richard  has  been  bookkeeper  of  the  Atlas  Bank  since 
1804,  and  Joseph  L.  Foster,  the  present  assistant  cashier,  has  been 
connected  with  the  bank  in  an  official  capacity  since  1872.  John  G. 
Wetherell  has  been  a  director  of  the  bank  since  1858;  Frederick  L. 
Richardson  since  18(;(i,  and  William  P.  Hunt  since  1872. 

The  orio-inal  location  of  the  Atlas  Bank  was  in  Congress  street.  It 
was  afterwards  reinoved  to  the  Suffolk  Bank  building  on  State  street, 
and  subsequently  occupied  the  old  Atlantic  building,  corner  of  Kilby 
and  Doane  streets,  for  twenty-three  years,  but  since  1875  has  been 
located  in  the  Sears  building,  corner  of  Washington  and  Court  streets. 

The  Atlas  Bank  was  operated  as  a  vState  bank  imtil  1864,  when  a  re- 
organization was  perfected  under  the  National  Banking  act,  when  the 
present  style.  Atlas  National  Bank,  was  received.  Its  original  capital 
of  $500,000  has  since  been  increased  to  $1,500,000.  The  present  direc- 
tors are  John  G.  Wetherell,  Frederick  L.  Richardson,  Charles  M. 
Clapp,  Henry  Woods,  David  Nevins,  Jeremiah  Abbott,  John  W.  Far- 
rell,  John  P.  Spaulding  and  Matthew  Luce. 

In  the  opening  years  of  its  career  the  Atlas  Bank  had  more  than  a 
common  share  of  losses  and  arduous  struggles  for  existence,  but  it  has 
been  happily  free  from  forgeries  and  defalcations,  and  has  now  long 
maintained  rank  among  the  most  successful  of  Boston  banks. 

The  condition  of  the  Atlas  National  Bank,  at  the  close  of  business 
March  0,  1803,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency,  was  as 
follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $3,658,838.10 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 3. 70 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 50,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 308,295.03 

Due'from  other  National  Banks 278,776.77 

Due  from  vState  Banks  and  bankers 16,257.05 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 15,268.72 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 1,392.91 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 186,317.06 

l^ills  of  other  banks 13,213.00 

I'-ractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 291.00 


BANKING   INSTITUrfONS.  205 

Specie - 2^50, 634. 00 

Legal  tender  notes 68,469.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $4,939,996.34 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,500,000.00 

Surplus   fund 300, 000. 00 

Undivided  profits 278,526.99 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 44,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 95.00 

Individual  deposits  svibject  to  check 2,569,267.68 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 293.75 

Certified  checks 15,000.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 26,304.21 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 206,508.71 

Total $4,939,996.34 

PEOPLE'S  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  People's  Bank,  now  the  People's  National  Bank,  was  incorpo- 
rated April  15,  183:5,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000,  subsequently  reduced 
to  $100,000.  Its  original  directors  were :  Samuel  J.  Gardner,  Samuel 
Guild,  Aaron  Kingsbury,  Elijah  Lewis,  Richard  L.  Munroe,  Charles 
Davis,  jr.,  Elisha  Wheeler,  Eben  Crafts,  Gardner  Brewer,  Chester 
Guild,  James  Cheever  and  John  Webber.  It  was  changed  to  a  national 
bank  November  19,  18(i4,  at  which  time  Henry  Guild  was  president, 
who  with  B.  F.  Campbell,  George  Lewis,  William  S.  Leland,  A.  P. 
Richardson,  George  G.  Kennedy  and  F.  O.  White  composed  the  board 
of  directors.  At  this  time  its  capital  was  increased  to  its  present 
amount,  $300,000.  The  officers  of  the  bank  for  1S92  are:  Samuel  B. 
Hopkins,  president ;  A.  P.  Richardson,  cashier,  and  Frederick  Guild, 
Ivory  Harmon,  Timothy  Smith,  vSamuel  B.  Hopkins,  Wm.  S.  Leland, 
A.  P.  Richardson,  Geo.  G.  Kennedy,  F.  O.  White,  directors. 

The  condition  of  the  People's  National  Bank  at  the  close  of  business 
i\Iarch  1),  1893,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  citrrency,  was  as 
follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $  931,823.85 

Overdrafts 280.83 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc. 4,400.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 42, 274. 28 


396  .S7  'FFOL  K   CO  i  'N  T  Y. 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 7,383.37 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 10, 802. 1 3 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 5, 554. 99 

Bills  of  other  banks 10,010.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 400. 12 

Specie 3G,  782. 00 

Legal  tender  notes 9,100.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $1,111,061.57 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $  300,000. 00 

Surplus  fund 175,000.00 

Undivided  profits 31,649.70 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 496.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 541,261.16 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 12,258.40 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 5,396.31 

Total . $1,111,061.57 

SHOE  AND  LEATHER  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Shoe  and  Leather  Dealers'  Bank,  now  known  as  the  Shoe 
and  Leather  National  Bank  of  Boston,  was  incorporated  by  an 
act  of  the  Leoislatnre  on  April  !»,  18:K).  By  this  act  Cheever  Newhall, 
James  Cheever  and  Josiah  M.  Jones,  their  associates  and  assigns,  were 
made  a  corporation  entitled;  "The  President,  Directors  and  Company 
of  the  Shoe  and  Leather  Dealers'  Bank  of  Boston,"  to  contintie  until 
October  1,  1851 ;  the  capital  to  consist  of  $500,000.  The  first  meeting 
of  the  stockholders  was  held  at  the  old  Exchange  Coffee  House  on  the 
25th  of  April,  183(3,  and  in  choice  of  directors  1)20  votes  were  cast,  the 
following  being  elected  as  members  of  the  first  board :  Cheever  New- 
hall,  Joseph  Whitney,  Jonathan  Forbush,  James  Cheever,  Josiah  M. 
Jones,  George  W.  Thayer,  Joseph  Southwick,  Samuel  Guild,  John  Al- 
bree,  Elijah  C.  .Emerson  and  Luke  Brooks.  Enoch  Plummer  was  at 
this  meeting  elected  cashier.  On  the  2d  of  May  following-,  Enoch 
Ijaldwin  was  chosen  president,  and  as  John  Albree  and  Samuel  (niild 
had  declined  to  serve  as  directors,  Enoch  Baldwin,  Isaac  Williams  and 
B.  C.  Harris  were  elected  in  their  stead,  so  that  the  first  board  con- 
sisted of  twelve  directors. 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  Sn? 

Subjoined  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  original 
stockholders  of  the  Shoe  and  Leather  Dealers'  Bank  in  1830  and  1837, 
Avith  the  number  of  shares  they  held  at  $100  each : 

Araasa   Stetson ..•_ 50  James  Cheever 100 

Aaron  Baldwin 20  William  B.  Spoon er 25 

Enoch  Baldwin 20  Joseph  Whitney  &  Co 100 

W.  R.  P.  Washburn 20  James  Tirrell  &  Co 50 

Luke  Brooks 50  Benjamin  C.  Harris 50 

Gihnan  S.  Low 20  Amasa  Walker  &  Co 100 

Geoi-ge  W.  Thayer 25  James  K.  Frothingham 10 

Luther  Thayer,  jr 25  New  England  Marine  Insurance  Co,  _  50 

Elisha  N.  Holbrook 20  John  H.  Rogers 13 

Cheever  Newhall  &  Co 100  Mitchell  &  Brj-ant 50 

Stanley  Nay 100  James  P.  Thorndike 20 

Abijah  White 40  Neptune  Insurance  Co 100 

Boston  Savings  Bank 250  Manufacturers'  Insurance  Co 100 

Pacific  Insurance  Co 600  Benjamin  Loring  &  Co 30 

Joseph  Southwick . .  100  Josiah  M.  Jones 100 

Enoch  Baldwin  continued  as  president  of  the  bank  until  Novem- 
ber 2,  1857,  when  he  resigned  "in  consequence  of  advancing  years." 
Caleb  Stetson,  one  of  the  earliest  directors,  was  elected  in  his  stead. 
Mr.  Stetson  was  succeeded  in  1868  by  John  C.  Potter,  who  served 
as  president  until  his  death,  April  25,  1870.  In  May  following 
vSeth  Turner  was  elected  as  Mr.  Potter's  successor.  Prior  to  his  elec- 
tion Mr.  Turner  was  president  of  the  Randolph  Bank  of  Randolph, 
Mass.  Mr.  Turner  was  succeeded  by  Benjamin  E.  Cole  in  1883,  who 
resigned  in  January,  1887,  and  Avas  followed  by  John  I.  Henry.  The 
latter  served  until  December  20,  1888.  On  January  8,  1889,  James  C. 
Elms  was  elected  Mr.  Henry's  successor,  and  has  served  until  the  pres- 
ent time. 

There  have  been  four  cashiers  of  the  Shoe  and  Leather  Bank:  Enoch 
Plummer,  from  its  origin  to  November  6,  1843 ;  George  W.  Thayer, 
from  that  time  till  May  11,  1847;  Samuel  Carr,  from  that  date  until  his 
death,  August  21,  1880;  and  James  E.  Patch,  from  August  23,  1889, 
to  present  time.  Mr.  Carr  was  connected  with  this  bank  from  its  com- 
mencement in  183ij.  His  two  sons  inherited  his  exemplary  qualifica- 
tions as  a  bank  officer  :  George  E.  Carr,  formerly  of  the  Bunker  Hill 
and  Tremont  Banks,  and  later  cashier  of  the  Everett  National ;  wSamuel 
Carr,  jr. ,  after  several  years'  experience  in  the  bank  his  father  had  been 

38 


298  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

so  lon^4'  and  honorably  connected  with,  became,  on  ]\larch  1,  IST8, 
cashier  of  the  National  Hide  and  Leather  Bank. 

The  capital  of  the  bank  was  increased  to  $750,000  in  May,  1S4-0,  and 
has  since  been  increased  to  $1,000,000.  On  November  30,  1804,  the 
bank  was  converted  into  a  National  Bank  imder  its  present  title  of  the 
Shoe  and  Leather  National  Bank.  The  locations  of  this  institution 
have  been  as  follows:  First,  in  the  old  State  Bank  Building-^  whose  site 
is  now  occupied  by  the  P^xchange  Building-  on  vState  street;  second,  in 
vState  street,  opposite  Merchants'  Row;  third,  at  the  corner  of  State 
and  Kilby  streets,  over  the  New  England  Bank;  fourth,  at  lo  and  15 
Kilby  street,  where  the  bank  bought  the  estate  and  erected  a  building 
in  1852;  and  fifth,  ever  since  November,  1875,  in  the  Equitable  Build- 
ing, corner  of  Milk  and  Devonshire  streets. 

Among  the  most  prominent  directors  of  the  Shoe  and  Leather  Bank 
was  Wm.  B.  vSpooner,  who  served  in  that  capacity  for  thirty-eight  years. 
For  fully  half  a  century  he  was  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  hide  and 
leather  business  of  Boston.  He  was  born  in  Petersham,  Mass.,  April 
20,  1800.  He  came  to  Boston  when  quite  a  young  man  and  obtained 
employment  in  the  store  of  Josiah  M.  Jones.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  he  commenced  business  on  his  own  account,  and  from  that  time 
until  his  retirement  from  business,  January  1,  1874,  he  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  was  prominent  in  the  hide  and 
leather  trade  of  Boston,  was  highly  successful  and  a  much  respected 
member  of  the  community.  With  the  exception  of  two  years'  service  in 
the  Legislature,  he  never  held  political  office,  but  was  always  one  of  the 
most  active  and  zealous  workers  in  behalf  of  philanthropic  and  benev- 
olent institutions.  He  was  United  States  commissioner  for  vState  of 
Massachusetts  to  the  Centennial  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia,  in  which 
he  took  deep  interest  and  to  which  he  devoted  much  time  and  service. 

The  directors  of  the  vShoe  and  Leather  National  Bank  for  18!)2  are  as 
follows;  E.  H.  Dunn,  James  C.  Elms,  lidward  \l.  Floyd,  Charles  C. 
Poor,  Frank  C.  Potter,  George  I).  Collmrn,  William  H.  Moody,  Grifhn 
Place  and  j.  E.  Toulmin. 

The  condition  of  the  Shoe  and  Leather  National  l^ank  at  the  close  of 
business,  March  0,  IS'.i:),  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency, was  as  follows : 

KESt)UKCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $:iMO,S,7(lJ5.(18 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured ij7.19 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 200,000.00 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  200 

U.  S.  bondsonhand . 800.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 8, 877. 75 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 298,087. 18 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 227,002.(16 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 755. 78 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned .  1,500.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 19,826.55 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 23,844.25 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 201. 30 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 92,627.99 

Bills  of  other  banks 1 ,377. 00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 21. 68 

Specie 132,459. 55 

Legal  tender  notes 24,591.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 30,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  9,000.00 

Due  from  U.  S.  treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption  fund  3,000.00 

Total $3,243, 332. 27 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 85,000.00 

Undivided  profits 103,335.21 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 180,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 116.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,224,228.23 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 11,613.90 

Certified  checks : 13,873.68 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 470,138.75 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers >. 40,026.50 

Liabilities  other  than  those  above  stated 115,000.00 

Total $3,243,332.27 

THE    FREEMANS    NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  Fi-eemans  Bank  of  Boston  wa.s  chartered  in  183n,  the  same  year 
in  which  the  Shawmut  Bank  and  the  Shoe  and  Leather  Bank  were 
org-anized. 

Its  charter  was  substantially  the  same  as  theirs,  but  its  original  cap- 
ital was  only  $150,000.  This  capital  was  increased  in  1845  to  $200,000; 
in  1840  to  $250,000;  in  1851  to  $:)00,0()0;  in  1853  to  $350,000;  in  1854 
to  $400,000;  in  1800  to  $000,000;  and  in  1871  to  $800,000,  the  present 
amount. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  the  history  of  this  bank  in  its  earlier  days,  as 
we  should  like  to  do.  from  its  records,  owine  to  the  fact  that  in  the 


300  .S  UFFOL K  CO  UN  T  V. 

i^Tcat  fire  of  November  !),  1872,  all  the  books  and  papers  of  the  bank 
were  destroyed.  It  is,  however,  within  the  memory  of  some  that  the 
Freemans  Bank  was  originally  located  at  the  corner  of  vSuminer  street 
and  Sea  street,  and  afterwards  on  Piper's  Wharf,  on  vSea  street,  and 
still  later  on  the  opposite  side  of  Sea  street  (afterwards  Federal  street), 
and  from  there  it  removed  to  the  Church  Green  Building,  at  the  junc- 
tion of  Bedford  street  and  Summer  street,  where  it  occupied  a  floor  in 
the  second  story  of  the  building  facing  Church  Green. 

Many  will  recall  the  spire  and  porch  of  the  church  that  stood  on  that 
spot  for  many  years  before  and  after  the  encroachment  of  trade  had 
begun  on  Summer  street  and  the  adjoining  neighborhood,  and  not  a 
few  will  remember  the  Rev.  Alexander  Young  and  the  Rev.  Orville 
Dewey,  and  other  great  divines  of  the  Unitarian  faith  who  held  forth 
in  the  high  pulpit  of  the  sacred  edifice. 

The  Freemans  Bank  came  into  the  National  Bank  system  in  ISOo, 
and  in  October  of  that  year  it  paid  a  dividend  regular  and  extra  of 
twenty-five  per  cent. 

xVs  we  have  indicated,  all  the  records  of  the  bank  prior  to  the 
great  fire  of  1872  are  matters  largely  of  metnory  and  tradition.  On 
the  night  of  Saturday,  the  !)th  of  November  of  that  year  the  whole  of 
vSummer  street,  as  well  as  all  the  adjoining  business  sections  of  the  city, 
were  enveloped  in  the  great  conflagration  that  has  passed  into  history. 
Among  the  buildings  destroyed  was  the  one  in  which  the  Freeman's  Bank 
was  located.  The  vault  which  contained  the  books  and  records  of  this 
bank,  embracing  its  wdiole  history,  together  with  the  bills,  notes  and 
evidences  of  debt,  fell  from  the  second  stcry  and  striking  on  a  granite 
post  was  perforated,  and  the  contents,  charred  and  blackened  and  par- 
tially or  wholly  destroyed,  were  all  that  remained  with  which  to  begin 
business  on  Monday  following  the  fire.  The  only  book  that  was  saved 
that  threw  any  light  iipon  the  dealings  of  the  bank  was  one  that  a  clerk 
had  asked  to  take  home  on  Saturday  night  to  discover  a  slight  error 
in  a  column  of  figures. 

The  bank  resumed  business  in  the  second  story  of  the  furniture  ware- 
house then  occupied  by  Haley,  Morse  &  Boyden,  on  Washington  street, 
opposite  the  Globe  Theatre.  Notice  was  at  once  given  of  the  condition 
of  the  bank  and  of  the  necessity  for  every  one  interested  to  assist  the  bank 
in  reaching  a  conclusion  whether  it  could  continue  business  as  a  bank  or 
not.  The  amount  of  discounted  notes  that  the  bank  had  on  the  night 
of  the  fire;  in  its  vaults,  according  to  a  statement  made  subsecpiently  by 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  :501 

Jeremy  Drake,  the  venerable  cashier  of  the  bank,  was  about  $1,400,000. 
Packages  of  discounted  notes  to  the  amount  of  $850,000  were  from  time 
to  time  examined  and  deciphered  by  experts  in  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment at  Washington.  Depositors  were  requested  to  bring  in  their 
deposit  books  and  to  show  by  their  cash  books,  check  books,  checks  or 
otherwise,  what  they  had  drawn  and  how  their  accounts  stood,  and 
duplicate  notes  were  taken  from  merchants  who  showed  that  paper  had 
been  discotmted  for  them  at  the  bank,  and  by  this  and  such  other 
means  as  were  at  the  bank's  disposal  the  condition  of  the  bank  was 
reached.  It  certainly  is  one  of  the  highest  proofs  of  the  integrity  of 
the  merchants  of  Boston  in  the  hour  of  their  dread  calamity  that  when 
the  statements  were  finally  concluded  and  the  bank  was  able  to  deter- 
mine what  the  loss  probably  had  been,  the  amount  was  figured  at  the 
nominal  sum  of  $0,000,  and  even  this  was  attributed  not  to  the  suppres- 
sion of  known  facts  but  to  the  inability  of  merchants,  because  of  the 
destruction  of  their  own  books  and  papers,  to  know  accurately  about 
their  notes.  All  of  the  bank's  customers  loyally  came  to  its  assistance, 
and  many  a  one,  as  he  gave  duplicates  of  notes  that  he  had  discounted, 
said,  "  I  have  no  idea  whether  I  shall  ever  be  able  to  pay  these  notes, 
for  my  property  is  in  a.shes,  but  here  is  the  evidence  of  them  for  the 
bank,  whatever  may  be  in  store  for  me." 

On  Decoration  Day,  Friday,  the  30th  day  of  May,  1873,  a  fire  again 
destroyed  the  building  in  which  the  Freemans  Bank  was  located.  A 
conspicuous  sight  to  a  pas.ser  down  Washington  street  after  that  fire 
was  the  vault  of  the  bank  standing  upright  on  its  own  foundation  and 
unharmed  either  by  falling  walls  or  by  fire.  When  the  safe  was  cooled 
the  contents  were  found  uninjured.  After  this  fire  the  bank  moved 
into  the  vSears  Building,  corner  of  Court  and  Wa.shington  streets,  where 
the  first  meeting  of  the  directors  was  held  on  the  1st  day  of  June,  1873. 
In  January  following  the  Freemans  Bank  moved  to  -^'U  Devonshire 
street,  where  it  remained  until  1877,  when  it  removed  again  to  the 
Church  Green  Building,  which  had  been  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old 
building. 

The  first  president  of  the  Freemans  Bank  was  Andrew  Drake,  who 
served  until  his  death  in  1843,  a  term  of  seven  years.  The  .second 
president  was  Solomon  Piper,  who  served  from  that  time  till  his  death 
in  the  autumn  of  1800,  a  period  of  twenty-three  years.  The  third 
president  was  John  H.  Rogers,  who  served  from  1800  till  1887,  when 
he  resigned  after  a  period  of  twenty-one  years  as  president  and  after 


302  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

havin<4-  served  faithfully  and  well  as  director  and  president  for  over 
fifty  years.  The  fourth  president,  William  A.  Rnst,  has  served  from 
1887  to  the  present  time. 

]\Ir.  Jeremy  Drake  was  the  first  cashier  of  the  bank.  He  was  chosen 
in  hs;]!)  and  served  without  intermission  till  his  death  in  October,  18TS, 
a  period  of  about  forty-two  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Edward  S. 
Hayward,  who  served  as  cashier  till  1884,  when  he  resigned.  INTr. 
George  P.  Tenney  was  then  elected  and  has  served  up  to  the  present 
time,  a  period  of  about  eight  years. 

The  present  officers  and  directors  are  as  follows:  President,  William 
A.  Rust;  cashier,  George  P.  Tenney;  directors:  Henry  M.  Rogers, 
Edmund  S.  Clark,  John  W.  Kennan,  Kilby  Page,  James  Pierce,  vSol- 
omon  Piper  Stratton,  Albert  E.  Harding. 

The  condition  of  the  Freemans  National  Bank  at  the  close  of  business 
March  6,  189o,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency,  was  as 
follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,202,005.63 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 4,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 204, 641 .  99 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 126,275.48 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 884. 93 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned 4,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 15,488.45 

Checks  and  other  cash  items _  3. 008. 1 6 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 25,403.61 

Bills  of  other  banks 13,855.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 687.06 

Specie 150,674.15 

Legal  tender  notes 36,353.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 10,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $2, 909,527. 46 

UAIULITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    800,000.00 

Surplus  fund 135, 100.00 

Undivided   profits 90,761.18 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends   unpaid 300.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,271,007.18 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 48,254.81 

Certified  checks 17,365.58 


BAXKIXG   IXSTITrriOXS.  303 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 70,807.72 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 281,78;).33 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 109,195.66 

Bills  payable 40,000.00 

Total §3, 909, 527. 46 

MECHANICS'    NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  ^lechanics"  National  Bank  was  originally  incorporated  as  a  State 
Bank  in  lS3(i,  with  a  capital  of  $150,000,  which  has  since  been  increased 
to  $'2oO,000.  The  original  directors  were:  Noah  Brooks,  Charles  Cole, 
jr.,  Timothy  Abbott,  Thotnas  R.  Dascomb,  David  Nickerson,  John  B. 
Russell,  James  W.  Converse,  John  Leach,  Solon  Jenkins,  Cranston 
Howe  and  Charles  Lane.  Samuel  Goodridge  was  its  first  president 
and  Alvan  Simonds  the  first  cashier.  In  1805  the  bank  was  organized 
under  the  National  Banking  act.  C.  O.  L.  Dilloway,  the  present  presi- 
dent, has  been  connected  with  the  bank  for  nearly  thirty  years.  Francis 
James  is  vice-president  and  Samuel  A.  Merrill  cashier.  Since  its  organi- 
zation this  bank  has  never  failed  to  pay  to  its  stockholders  a  semi- 
annual dividend;  has  always  pursued  a  careful  and  conservative  policy, 
and  endeavored  to  help  maintain  the  splendid  reputation  alwa}-s  held  by 
Boston  banks.  The  board  of  directors  for  189'2  is  as  follows:  C.  O.  L. 
Dilloway,  W.  M.  Bush,  M.  M.  Cunniff,  W.  E.  L.  Dilloway,  Zenas 
Sears,  L.  G.  Burnham,  Francis  James  and  George  B.  Clapp. 

The  financial  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller 
of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  G,  1803,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,189,345.88 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 9,324.03 

U,  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

vStocks,  securities,  etc 1,206.25 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 161,391.41 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 83,174.78 

Banking-house  furniture  and  fixtures .6,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 18,643.03 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 10,768.44 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 84, 795. 36 

Bills  of  other  banks 8,311.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 63. 15 

Specie 56,647.00 

Legal  tender  notes 18,000.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 50,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  L^.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total 81,749,920.33 


Mn  S[W'FOLK  CO  UN  TV. 

LIAISILII'IKS. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    SoO.OOO.OO 

vSurplus  fund 100, 000. 00 

Undivided  profits 42,787.88 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.(10 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1, 194,690.31 

Demand  certificates  of  dejDosit 10,611.45 

Certified  checks 15,074.65 

Due  to  other  National  Banks __  1,055.54 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 90,700.50 

Total $1,749,920.33 

vSHAWMUT   NATIONAL    BANK. 

In  May,  is:)!),  tlie  Warren  Bank  was  organized.  Its  name  was 
changed  l:)y  legislative  act  to  the  Shawmnt  Bank  in  April,  18)57,  at 
whicli  time  the  capital  was  increased  from  the  original  sum  of  $'-ioO,- 
(»()()  to  $750, ()()().  It  remained  a  vState  bank  until  April,  1S04,  when  it 
was  reorganized  under  its  present  title  of  the  Shawmut  National  Bank. 
Five  years  later,  in  ISti'.t,  its  capital  was  increased  to  its  present  sum  of 
$1,000,000.  The  original  board  of  directors  wascomposed  of  Benjamin 
T.  Reed,  Albert  Fearing,  John  L.  Dimmock,  Josiah  Reed,  Gardner 
Brewer,  John  Gardner,  Jairus  B.  Lincoln,  Horace  vScudder,  Nathaniel 
Dana,  Aaron  Rice  and  William  Bramhall.  No  one  of  this  original  board 
is  now  living;  the  last  survivor,  John  Gardner,  died  a  few  years  ago. 

Benjamin  T.  Reed,  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  a  well  known  and 
highly  esteemed  gentleman,  resigned  the  (office  in  1S48,  having  served 
twelve  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  John  Gardner,  who  served  till 
1S53,  when  Albert  Fearing  was  chosen  president.  The  latter  held  the 
office  for  one  year,  and  was  then  succeeded  by  William  Bramhall, 
senior  member  of  the  highly  successful  firm  of  Bramhall  &  Howe, 
.shipping  merchants.  Mr.  Bramhall  continued  in  office  for  fourteen 
years,  resigning  in  ISdS  on  account  of  failing  health.  His  successor, 
Hon.  John  Cummings,  has  served  as  president  from  that  time  to  the 
present.  Mr.  Cummings  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
^lassachusetts  Institute  of  Technology,  having  been  its  treasurer  for 
many  years,  and  has  done  much  for  the  education  of  youth.  He  has 
been  a  large  manufacturer  of  leather,  and  is  an  expert  in  that  line.  He 
was  one  of  the  judges  at  the  Centennial  ]^^xi)ositi()n  as  wx^ll  as  one  of  the 
board  of  finance.  For  several  years  he  was  president  of  the  Commer- 
cial Club.      Some  twenty  years  ago   he  served  as  State  senator  and  is 


&^ 


le 


BA  NKIXG   IXS  77  Ti  'T/ONS.  305 

well  known  as  a  gentleman  of  broad  ideas  and  of  sound  and  conserva- 
tiv^e  judgment. 

Thomas  Brown,  the  first  cashier  of  the  Shawmut  Bank,  served  from 
I80G  to  184C,  and  was  succeeded  by  Stephen  G.  Davis,  who  remained 
cashier  until  1870,  a  period  of  thirty  years.  James  P.  Stearns,  who 
succeeded  Mr.  Davis,  is  still  serving  in  this  capacity.  J.  G.  Taft,  the 
assistant  cashier,  has  been  connected  with  the  bank  for  thirty-seven 
years.     The  second  assistant  cashier  is  Frank  H.  Barbour. 

The  directors  of  the  bank,  besides  Mr.  Cummings,  are  at  present : 
Prentiss  W.  Scudder,  formerly  of  the  firm  of  Danforth  Scudder  &  Com- 
pany, wholesale  grocers,  and  now  the  oldest  director  in  point  of  service, 
having  been  elected  in  1800;  Hon.  Edward  D.  Hayden,  recently  mem- 
ber of  Congress;  William  Basset,  of  the  banking  house  of  Basset, 
Whitney  &  Company;  Moses  X.  Arnold,  extensive  shoe  manufacturer 
at  North  Abington;  George  M.  Coburn  and  Micajah  P.  Clough,  in  the 
boot  and  shoe  business;  William  P.  Spaulding,  member  of  the  well 
known  firm  of  Noah  Spaulding  &  Company,  sugar  refiners ;  and  James 
P.  Stearns,  the  cashier. 

The  location  of  the  bank  has  been  changed  several  times.  It  was 
originally  at  16  State  street;  in  1837  removed  to  02  State  street,  and  in 
1844  to  No.  43  State  street.  In  1874  it  was  removed  to  No.  60  Con- 
gress street,  corner  of  Water,  where  it  has  since  remained  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  temporary  change  to  41  State  street  during  the  rebuilding 
after  the  great  Boston  fire. 

The  Shawmut  Bank  is  a  designated  repository  for  the  public  moneys, 
and  the  postal  notes  and  money  orders  are  redeemed  by  it  through  the 
Clearing-hou.se.  It  has  the  largest  circulation  of  any  bank  in  Baston, 
and  is  known  as  one  of  the  active  and  progressive  banks  of  the  city.' 
Since  its  organization  as  a  national  bank  in  1864,  it  has  paid  in  divi- 
dends $1,890,000. 

The  condition  of  this  bank  at  the  close  of  business,  March  6,  1893, 
as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency,  was  as  follows : 


RESOURCES. 


Loans  and  discounts gg  ^39  qqj  j^ 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 005  7 j 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 1,000,000.00 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  deposits 200,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 920041.95 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 865! 458. 95 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 447^700.88 

39 


306 


SUFFOLK  COUNFY. 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers "''l'^*^^''^"^ 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned ^  "' J'^'D'*^^ 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid '6i,iU.  10 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 192,()(J0.(]() 

Checks  and  other  cash  items ^^^'^J'^IJ 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house <  -v J, .  o J.  1 7 

Bills  of  other  banks ^^'S'o!  ^ 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 1  ,.:534.^4 

Specie,  viz. : 

Gold  coin P60,8=32.50 

Gold  certificates 142,050.00 

Silverdollars 4,000.00 

Silver  certificates 15,100.00 

o  001   on: 

Fractional  silver o,ooi.^o      ^^^_  ^^j^^. 

,  ,      1           f    -  192,100.00 

Legal  tender  notes 

Redcmpti(..n  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasury,  5  per  cent,  of  circulati.m         45,000.00 

,p  ,  1  $8,207,809.15 

r(_)tal ^ 

LIAlilLITIES. 

.     ,    .     ,         •  1  •  $1,000,000.00 

Capital  stock  paid  in  _.  _      --  -""'^      ' 

\^    ,        .       /  200,000.00' 

Surplus  fund mn Vr-i  ia 

TT     T      1    J  at-c^  -  100,561.10 

Undivided   profits . ' 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 900,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid -  -  - 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check $2,914,888.43 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 809,806.57 

Certified  checks ^^'f^'^ 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding '~imSii  ^  ^^^^  947^ go 

1 7:?  1 44  29 
United  States  deposits ii  on  -^ 

Deposits  of  U.  S.  disbursing  oflicers 01  ^900  1  o 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,4' 850  05 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers l,d<  J,«oo.u.) 

Total $8,207,809.15 

BOYLSTON  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Boylston  Bank  was  incorporated  under  an  act  of  the  Leo-i.slature, 
of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  Chapter  l->5,  passed  to  be  en- 
acted March  i;5  and  14,  1S45.  The  original  corporators  were  Joseph 
H.  Hayward,  John  Redman  and  Josiah  Vose,  their  associates  and  suc- 
cessors. 

The  finst  meetino-  of  the  stockholders  was  held  in  room  No.  1,  Boyl- 
ston Hall,  on  Tuesday,  June  :3,  1845,  for  the  purpose  of  determining  on 


BA^Kl^G  INSTITUTION'^.  307 

the  acceptance  of  the  charter,  also  for  the  choice  of  directors  and  such 
other  business  as  might  leg-ally  come  before  them.  The  meeting  was 
called  to  order  by  Col.  Thomas  Hunting;  Warren  White  was  chosen 
chairman,  and  Amos  Cummings  clerk.  It  was  voted  unanimously  to 
accept  the  charter.  It  was  also  voted  that  the  number  of  directors 
should  be  twelve.  The  canvassers  nominated  by  the  chair,  Artemas 
Simonds,  Ephraim  Harrington  and  Henry  K.  Hancock,  were  chosen  by 
the  meeting. 

After  receiving  and  counting  the  votes,  the  canvassers  declared  that 
the  following  gentlemen  were  elected: 

William  Parker. 

Warren  White,  served  to  Oct.  0,  ISo-t. 

William  Pope,  resigned  Oct.  11,  isni,  died  Nov.  (»,  1S(;4,  in  his 

seventv-eighth  vear. 
Timothy  Gilbert,  served  to  Oct. 
John  M.  Mayo, 
Jonathan  Ellis, 
Ruel  Baker, 
Amos  Cummings. 
William  C.  Fay, 
Abner  E.  Fisher, 
Thomas  Hunting, 
Isaac  Emery, 

On  motion  of  William  Parker,  a  committee  of  five,  consisting  of 
William  Parker,  William  Brigham,  Matthew  S.  Parker,  Jonathan  Ellis 
and  William  Pope,  was  appointed  to  draft  by-laws  and  report  at  the 
adjourned  meeting,  June  24,  at  which  meeting  the  by-laws  were  re- 
ported and  unanimously  adopted. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  directors  held  June  o,  l.siS,  William  Parker  was 
elected  president.  The  following  gentlemen  were  chosen  a  committee 
to  inquire  and  report  as  to  the  most  eligible  place  for  a  banking  house : 
Warren  White,  Ruel  Baker,  Timothy  Gilbert  and  William  Parker. 

At  a  meeting  held  November  3,  a  committee  on  bills,  appointed  June 
3,  made  their  report,  and  it  was  voted  that  the  committee  be  authorized 
to  procure  the  plates  for  bills  of  the  following  denominations:  ones, 
twos,  fives  and  tens.  Twenties,  fifties,  hundreds  and  five  hundreds 
were  also  issued,  and  a  plate  for  threes  was  voted  May  14,  1852.  At  a 
meeting  held  November  8,  it  was  voted  that  the  committee  on  location 


Oct. 

5, 

1848. 

Nov. 

1-, 

1845. 

Oct. 

5, 

1855. 

Oct. 

0, 

1848. 

Nov. 

n, 

1845. 

Oct. 

1852. 

Oct. 

•', 

1S54. 

Oct. 

0, 

1854. 

30B  SC'FFOLK  COUNTY. 

be  aiithorized  to  contract  for  a  banking-  room  in  one  of  the  three  fol- 
lowing- named  buildings:  D.  C.  Mosele3^'s,  corner  of  Washington  and 
Boylston  streets;  John  Redman's,  corner  of  Essex  and  Washington 
streets;  and  J.  M.  Dexter's  new  granite  block,  Washington  street, 
nearly  opposite  Essex  street.  Mr.  Jonathan  Ellis  was  added  to  the 
committee.  At  a  meeting  held  November  11,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Ellis 
it  was  voted  that  Mr.  Warren  White  and  Col.  Ruel  Baker  be  authorized 
to  make  a  contract  with  Mr.  John  Redman  for  the  room  for  a  location 
of  the  bank  at  the  corner  of  Essex  street.  The  president  was  added  to 
the  committee.  At  a  meeting  held  November  13  this  vote  was  recon- 
sidered, and  on  motion  of  Mr.  Emery  it  was  voted  unanimously  that 
the  committee  be  instructed  to  make  a  bargain  with  Mr.  David  C. 
Moseley.  On  the  11th  of  November  Warren  White  and  Thomas  Hunt- 
ing were  appointed  a  committee  to  purchase  furniture  for  the  bank, 
and  Cof  Ruel  Baker  was  authorized  to  procure  and  paint  the  signs. 

At  a  meeting  held  November  20,  Duncan  McB.  Thaxter,  of  Fair- 
haven,  was  elected  cashier,  and  Luther  Blodgett  was  elected  mes- 
senger. 

On  December  23  the  commissioners  appointed  by  Governor  George 
N.  Brigg-s  to  examine  the  specie  in  the  vaults — Samuel  H.  Walley, 
John  G.  Palfrey  and  Henry  Jacques — after  weighing  and  examining 
the  specie,  administered  the  prescribed  oath  to  the  directors.  Subse- 
quently a  committee  which  had  been  authorized  to  make  a  contract 
with  the  Suffolk  Bank,  recommended  that  the  Boylston  Bank  should 
join  in  the  arrangement  with  other  banks  of  Boston  for  the  redemption 
of  country  bank  bills  by  making  the  usual  deposit  of  $5,000  in  the  Suf- 
folk Bank,  and  they  stated  that  in  consideration  of  an  additional  deposit 
of  $1,000  the  Suffolk  Bank  had  agreed  to  receive  all  bills  and  checks  on 
other  banks  in  this  city  which  might  be  received  by  the  Boylston  Bank 
on  deposit  and  in  exchange  for  its  own  bills.  This  report  was  approved 
and  accepted. 

The  bank  commenced  business  on  Wednesday,  December  24,  1845, 
in  its  rooms  leased  of  David  C.  Moseley,  at  the  north  corner  of  Boyls- 
ton and  Washington  streets.  The  economy  of  the  directors  is  shown 
by  the  passag-e  of  a  vote  December  29,  184(J — more  than  a  year  after 
the  bank  started — appointing  Messrs.  Baker  and  Parker  a  committee 
to  procure  cushions  for  the  chairs  in  the  directors'  room.  The  directors 
probably  concluded  that  the  bank  had  attained  so  firm  a  standing  that 
thev  were  entitled  to  more  comfortable  sittings. 


ELECTEE 

Nov. 

17, 

1845, 

Nov. 

17, 

1845, 

Oct. 

0, 

1854, 

Oct. 

0, 

1854, 

Oct. 

0, 

1854, 

Oct. 

5, 

1855, 

Oct. 

11, 

1861, 

Oct. 

11, 

1861, 

BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  300 

OTHER  DIRECTORS.  SERVED  TO. 

Albert  Clark,  Oct.     4,  1840. 

Nathaniel  Jewett,  Oct.     5,  1848. 

Timothy  Gilbert,  Oct.  11,  1861. 

Thomas  Upham. 
Luther  Blodg-ett. 
William  Brown. 
Joseph  T.  Bailey. 
Edwin  Pope. 

William  Parker,  the  first  president,  was  elected  June  3,  1845.  He 
was  born  November  7,  1703,  and  was  the  son  of  Rt.  Rev.  Samuel 
Parker,  Bishop  of  Massachusetts  (Episcopal).  He  was  a  lawyer  by 
profession  and  was  an  alderman  of  the  city  of  Boston  in  the  years  1842, 
'43,  '45,  '46  and  '47.  He  held  the  office  of  president  until  January  6,  1855, 
wdien  he  resigned,  as  he  was  to  take  a  trip  to  Europe  the  last  of  March 
to  be  absent  about  six  months.  He  continued  to  serve  as  a  director. 
Col.  William  Pope,  of  the  firm  of  William  Pope  &  Sons,  lumber  dealers, 
No.  280  Harrison  avenue,  and  an  alderman  of  the  city  of  Boston  in  the 
years  1845,  '46,  '48  and  '40,  was  elected  president  January  0,  1855.  He 
declined  to  serve,  it  being  his  intention  to  be  absent  much  during  the 
winter  and  spring.  Timothy  Gilbert,  who  was  then  elected  president, 
was  a  piano  manufacturer  at  No.  658  Washington  street,  as  now  num- 
bered, being  part  of  the  premises  now  occupied  by  John  H.  Pray,  Sons 
&  Co.  He  was  one  of  the  chief  promoters  of  the  Tremont  Temple 
enterprise,  and  an  early  and  firm  friend  of  the  anti-slavery  cause.  He 
served  to  October  11,  1861.  He  died  July  12,  1865,  in  the  sixty-ninth 
year  of  his  age.  Amos  Cummings  was  elected  president  October  11, 
1861.  He  was  a  grocer  and  at  different  times  occupied  stores  at  north 
corner  of  Essex  and  Washington  streets,  north  corner  of  Chickering 
Place  and  Washington  street,  and  at  No.  20  Summer  street. 

Duncan  McB.  Thaxter,  of  Fairhaven,  was  elected  cashier  November 
20,  1845,  and  served  to  May  1,  1848.  He  died  in  vSomerville,  August 
28,  1888,  in  the  ninety-second  year  of  his  age.  His  successor  was  John 
J.  Soren,  previously  teller  of  the  Washington  Bank  for  about  twenty- 
three  years.  Luther  Blodgett  was  elected  messenger  November  20, 
1845,  and  served  imtil  he  resigned,  April  1,  1854.  January  13,  1846, 
Mr.  vSkilton  was  employed  as  a  clerk,  serving  about  two  months.  Fred- 
erick L.  Church  was  elected  bookkeeper  from  July  1,  184(!,  and  served 
until  his  resignation,  November  1,  1848.      Daniel  E.  Snow  was  book- 


310  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

keeper  from  November  1,  184S,  until  he  resigned,  July  1,  1850.  De- 
pendence S.  Waterman,  who  entered  the  bank  as  assistant  to  the  cashier 
January  24,  18-ti),  was  elected  bookkeeper  July  1,  1850.  Charles  W. 
Snow  was  elected  clerk  March  10,  1804,  and  was  elected  messenger 
[une  11,  18(;4.  l^^dward  A.  Church  was  elected  clerk  and  general 
assistant  June  11,    18(i4. 

The  capital  stock  of  $150,000  was  increased  October  16,  1848,  to 
$200,000;  on  June  0,  1851,  to  $250,000;  on  June  2,  1853,  to  $300,000; 
and  on  May  5,    1854,  to  $400,000. 

The  Boylston  Rank  under  its  vStatc  charter  paid  thirty-eight  dividends 
amounting  to  $541,250,  including  an  extra  dividend  May  1,  1853,  of  six 
per  cent.,  amounting  to  $15,000. 

The  Boylston  National  Bank  of  Boston,  successor  to  the  Boylston 
Bank,  was  organized  under  act  of  Congress,  approved  June  3,  18(14,  by 
certificate  of  authority  of  the  comptroller  of  the  currency,  October  24, 
18(;4,  organization  No.  545.  Attention  is  directed  to  the  coincidence 
that  the  act  was  passed  just  nineteen  years  after  the  first  meeting  of 
the  stockholders  of  the  Boylston  Bank.  The  bank  commenced  busi- 
ness on  Thursday,  December  1,  18()4,  in  the  rooms  formerly  occupied 
by  the  Boylston  Bank,  and  remained  there  until  its  temporary  removal 
at  close  of  business,  Saturday,  February  28,  1874,  to  rooms  on  the 
north  corner  of  Beach  and  Washington  streets.  On  this  site  formerl}^ 
stood  a  one-story  stone  bxiilding  of  Grecian  style  of  architecture,  which 
was  occupied  by  the  Washington  Bank  when  it  commenced  business  in 
1825,  Mr.  Soren  being  its  teller.  The  bank  removed  from  its  tempo- 
rary quarters  about  July  1,  18T4,  to  its  present  location,  the  north  cor- 
ner of  Essex  and  Washington  streets. 

Of  the  original  directors,  after  organization  imder  the  National  Bank- 
ing act,  William  Parker  served  until  his  decease,  October  2!),  1873, 
nearly  eighty  years  of  age;  Amos  Cummings  till  his  death,  April  24, 
18(i8,  in  his  seventieth  year;  Thomas  Upham  till  January  11,  1870; 
Luther  Blodgett  till  his  decease,  August  18,  1874,  nearly  eighty  years 
of  age;  William  Brown  till  his  death,  February  10,  1875,  in  his  seven- 
tieth year. 

Of  the  present  directors  Joseph  T.  Bailey  and  Edwin  Pope  have 
served  since  18ri5;  Charles  Cummings  was  elected  January  12,  18(;0; 
Athcrton  Tr  Brown,  March  24,  1875;  Charles  Torrey,  March  24,  1875; 
George  H.  Green,  May  11),  1877;  P>ank  J.  Coburn,  April  15,  I8!)l  ; 
(Tcorge  W.  Coburn  served  as  director  from  December  28,  1877,  till  his 
death,  April  2,  18!)0,  in  his  sixtieth  year. 


BANKING   INSriTUrfONS.  311 

Amos  Cumming-s  was  the  first  president  and  served  until  his  decease, 
April  24,  18(iS,  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age.  Joseph  T.  Bailey- 
was  elected  president  May  13,  1868.  He  was  successively  a  member 
of  the  firms  of  Bailey  &  Jenkins;  Bailey,  Jenkins  &  Garrison;  and  Will- 
iams &  Coburn,  wool  merchants.  No.  105  Federal  street ;  served  as  a 
trustee  of  the  Massachusetts  Charitable  Mechanic  Association  for  the 
years  185!>,  1800  and  ISCl,  and  was  its  president  for  the  years  180-1, 
1805,  and  1800.  It  was  during  his  administration  that  the  tenth  exhibi- 
tion of  the  association  took  place.  He  was  an  alderman  of  the  city  of 
Boston  for  the  years  1859,  1860  and  1801.  William  Parker,  esq.,  acted 
as  president  p?-o  tcin.  during  the  illness  of  President  Bailey  from  Decem- 
ber, 1808,  to  April,  18(j0,  and  during  his  absence  abroad  from  July  to 
the  latter  part  of  October,  1870.  Charles  Torrey,  of  the  firms  of 
Bowker,  Torrey  &  Company,  No.  118  Portland  street,  and  Torreys  & 
Company,  No.  00  Beverly  street,  marble  and  granite  dealers,  was 
elected  vice-president  May  0,  18!)1. 

John  J.  Soren  was  the  first  cashier.  He  served  to  October  18,  1875, 
making  his  time  of  service  in  the  Washington,  Boylston  and  Boylston 
National  Banks  a  little  more  than  fifty  years.  He  died  Februar}^  20, 
]88tt,  aged  eighty-five  years  and  four  months.  Dependence  S.  Water- 
man was  the  bookkeeper  until  (^)ctober  18,  1875,  when  he  was  elected 
cashier.  He  has  been  connected  with  the  Boylston  and  Boylston 
National  Banks  forty-four  years.  Edward  A.  Church,  clerk  and 
general  assistant,  was  elected  messenger  and  assistant  discount  clerk 
November  7,  1808.  He  was  elected  bookkeeper  October  18,  1875,  and 
was  appointed  assistant  cashier  from  April  2,  1888.  Charles  W.  vSnow, 
then  messenger,  was  elected  receiving  teller  November  7,  1808.  He 
performed  the  duties  of  the  paying  teller  for  about  five  months  during 
the  illness  of  that  officer,  until  May  24,  1884,  when  he  was  elected  pay- 
ing teller.  Joseph  T.  Bailey  2d  entered  the  bank  as  messenger  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1879,  and  became  second  bookkeeper  June  1,  1881.  He  was 
elected  receiving  teller  May  24,  1884,  having  served  in  that  office  about 
five  months  previous  to  his  election.  Herbert  B.  Bailey  entered  the 
bank  as  second  bookkeeper  December  12,  1883.  Allen  B.  Davenport 
was  elected  assistant  to  the  receiving"  teller  from  July  27,  1885,  and 
was  elected  third  bookkeeper  from  Janiiary  1,  1889.  John  W.  Bailey 
came  to  the  bank  as  messenger  June  1,  1881,  and  became  collection 
clerk  August  1,  1885.  Walter  B.  Ellis  came  to  the  bank  as  clerk  De- 
cember 1,  1882,  and  became  the   messenger   August   1,  1885.     George 


312  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

W.  Wright  was  elected  clerk  January  1,  1880,  and  became  assistant  to 
the  receiving  teller  June  24,  1889.  Charles  W.  Bailey  entered  the  bank 
as  clerk  June  24,  188!). 

The  capital  stock  of  the  bank  when  it  commenced  business  Decem- 
ber 1,  18G4,  was  $400,000.  This  was  increased  April  1,  1SG5,  by  a 
stock  dividend  of  twenty-five  per  cent.  $100,000  to  $500,000;  Decem- 
ber 1,  1872,  to  $000,000;  and  March  D,  1875,  to  $700,000,  the  present 
amount. 

The  bank  has  been  happily  free  from  the  evils  resulting  from  for- 
geries and  defalcations,  nor  has  it  refused  specie  payments  except  in 
those  few  periods  when  they  were  refused  by  the  other  Boston  banks. 

However,  in  the  autumn  of  1800  a  robbery  was  perpetrated  which 
was  remarkable  in  many  respects.  A  month  previous  a  person  calling 
himself  William  A.  Judson  hired  a  room  in  the  next  building  to  the 
bank  in  the  rear  of  its  safe  for  the  pretended  business  of  selling  Cali- 
fornia wine  bitters.  On  vSaturday,  November  20,  1809,  the  safe  was 
closed  with  everything  in  its  usual  condition  of  supposed  security. 
But  on  the  next  Monday  morning  on  opening  the  safe  a  robbery  was 
discovered.  From  the  room  in  the  adjoining  building  the  brick  wall 
next  to  the  safe  had  been  removed.  A  series  of  holes  two  inches  in 
diameter  had  been  drilled,  making  an  opening  nearh^  in  the  form  of  a 
circle  through  the  iron  wall  of  the  outer  safe,  large  enough  to  admit  a 
boy  or  a  very  slender  man.  Upon  shelves  in  the  outer  safe  were  some 
thirty  .small  trunks  left  for  safe  keeping  at  the  risk  of  the  owners. 
These  were  taken  through  the  opening  and  their  contents,  consisting 
of  money  and  coupon  bonds,  largely  United  States  bonds,  of  the  value 
of  about  $300,000,  were  removed.  The  robbers  escaped  with  their 
plunder.  It  is  quite  certain  that  the  burglars  were  Charles  Bullard, 
"Ike"  Marsh,  Adam  Worth  and  "Billy"  Cochrane.  In  May,  1871, 
William  A.  Glover  was  arraigned  for  being  accessory  before  the  fact 
to  the  breaking  and  entering.  But  on  his  trial  the  jury  disagreed.  On 
his  second  trial,  January,  1872,  the  jury  brought  in  a  verdict  of  guilty. 
Exceptions  were  filed  and  were  admitted  and  sent  to  the  Supreme 
Court,  where  they  were  overruled.  His  sentence  was  further  delayed 
by  amotion  for  anew  trial,  which  was  also  overruled,  and  he  was  sen- 
tenced March  30, 1874,  to  twelve  years'  imprisonment  and  one  day  soli- 
tary in  the  State  Prison  at  Charlestown.  After  being  in  prison  some 
two  and  a  half  years.  Glover  was  thought  to  be  in  consumption,  and 
on  that  account,    and    having    been    kept    in    jail    nearly    three    years 


BANK/XC   INSTITUTIONS.-  313 

before  his  sentence,  combined  with  the  fact  that  he  was  adjiicls^'ed  ^^-nilty 
mostly  upon  the  evidence  of  one  witness,  he  was  pardoned  November 
■23,  IS^O.  Ballard,  who  with  his  companions  in  crime  fled  to  Europe 
so(ni  after  the  robbery,  married  an  English  woman,  and  went  to  Paris, 
where  he  started  an  American  gambling-  hoiise.  He  afterwards  returned 
to  this  country,  was  arrested,  and  arraigned  as  Charles  Bullard,  alias 
James  P.  Wells,  alias  AVilliam  A.  Judson,  September  IT,  ISTl.  He 
pleaded  not  gi:ilty  and  was  held  in  $100,000,  and  for  default  in  furnish- 
ing sureties  was  committed  to  jail.  On  November  18  following  he 
pleaded  guilty,  and  was  sentenced  to  twenty  years'  imprisonment  and 
four  days'  solitary  imprisonment  in  the  State  Prison  at  Charlestown. 
He  was  transferred  to  the  State  Prison  at  Concord  in  May,  1878,  but 
escaped  in  vSeptember  following.  One  $1,000  bond  dropped  in  the  room 
hired  by  the  robbers,  and  one  other  $1,000  bond,  obtained  after  some 
litigation,  was  all  that  was  recovered  of  the  stolen  property.  The  loss 
to  the  bank  was  only  a  few  hundred  dollars,  but  to  some  of  the  depo.sitors 
the  loss  was  heavy  and  severe. 

During  its  existence  as  a  national  bank,  the  Boylston  Bank  has  paid 
fifty-seven  dividends,  amounting  to  $1,404,500,  and  a  stock  dividend  of 
twenty-five  per  cent.  April  1,  1865,  amounting  to  $100,000. 

The  condition  of  the  Boylston  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business  March  (i,  1803,  was 
as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,180,320. 12 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 286. 90 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 44, 100. 00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 189,973.17 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 64,081.00 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 4,522.37 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 17,349.56 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 494. 61 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 70,840.86 

Bills  of  other  banks 19,862.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 622.45 

Specie 143,110.50 

Legal  tender  notes 55,184.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $2,843,007.54 

40 


314  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    700,()(K).00 

Surplus  fund 31o,()()0.00 

Undivided  profits 137,059.48 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 758.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,454,285.85 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 2,771.48 

Certified  checks. ^ 1,500.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 50,996.47 

Due  to  State  Bank  and  bankers 135,641.26 

Total $2,843,007.54 

NATIONAL    EXCHANGE    BANK. 

The  Exchanoe  Bank,  now  known  as  the  National  Exchang-e  Bank, 
was  chartered  April  12,  1847.  The  incorporators  named  in  the  act 
were  Solomon  R.  Spaulding-,  J.  B.  Kimball  and  Alexander  Strong. 
The  capital  was  fixed  at  $oO(),00(),  and  the  charter  to  continue  until 
October  1,  1851.  Its  capital  was  increased  to  ^1,000, ()()()  in  1851,  and 
has  since  remained  unchanged. 

The  folhnving  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  original 
stockholders:  Oliver  Ames  &  Sons,  John  P.  Bigelow,  James  M.  Beebe, 
vSylvester  Bowman,  Benjamin  Bangs,  Edward  C.  Bates,  Lewis  Cole- 
man, Francis  Carruth,  Lee  Claflin,  Charles  Choate,  P.  P.  F.  Degrand, 
William  H.  Dunbar,  Francis  Dane,  John  L.  Dimmock,  Ezra  Forristall, 
George  Foster,  Peter  Frothinghara,  Benjamin  French,  John  Felton, 
Seth  W.  Fowle,  David  (ioddard,  John  Hooper,  Thomas  Hunting,  John 
T.  Heard,  Earl  W.  Johnson,  Stephen  jcnney,  Abraham  T.  Lowe, 
George  H.  Loring,  Frederick  W.  Lincoln,  jr.,  Benjamin  B.  Musse}', 
William  J.  Niles,  Lyman  Perry,  Thomas  P.  Pingree,  Thomas  I). 
Quincy,  Sampson  Reed,  Nathan  Rcjbbins,  jr.,  Samuel  R.  vSpinney,  B. 
P.  vSpaulding,  William  D.  Ticknor,  INIinot  Tirrell,  Samuel  A.  Way, 
Jonathan  Whiting,  Henry  Wilson,  Nathaniel  Whitney,  Winslow  Wright 
and  William  D.  Sewall. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders  was  held  May  4,  1847,  at  the 
old  Exchange  Coffee  House,  when  l,li):3  votes  were  cast  for  the  follow- 
ing first  board  of  directors:  George  W.  Thayer,  S.  R.  vSpaulding,  John 
B.  Kimball,  Alexander  Strong,  John  G.  Davis,  Israel  C.  Rice,  Samuel 
Bates,  jr.,  John  Foster,  Peter  Frothingham,  William  H.  Dtmbar,  Dan- 
iel C.   Baker  and  Sampson  Reed.      At  the  meeting  of  the  directors  held 


BAXKIXG   INSTITUTIONS.  315 

the  same  day,  George  W.  Thayer  was  elected  president.  The  following 
additional  officers  were  subsequently  chosen:  J.  M.  March,  cashier; 
J.  M.  Pettengill,  teller;  J.  Mitchell,  bookkeeper;  John  T.  Bouve,  dis- 
count clerk;  Benjamin  V.  French,  jr.,  assistant  bookkeeper,  and  Fred- 
erick S.  Davis,  general  clerk. 

This  institution  became  the  National  Exchange  Bank  September  11), 
1S(;4,  with  a  capital  of  $1,000,000.  The  first  board  of  directors  after  it 
became  a  national  bank  was  composed  of  John  G.  Davis,  Francis  Dane, 
William  H.  Dunbar,  John  Foster,  J.  B.  Kimball,  Alexander  Strong, 
Sampson  Reed,  Solomon  R.  vSpaulding  and  George  W.  Hayes. 

The  presidents  of  the  lixchange  Bank  have  been  as  follows :  George 
W.  Thayer,  from  May  4,  1847,  till  his  decease  February  1,  18(50;  Abner 
I.  Benyon,  from  February  8,  1800,  to  February  17,  187'),  and  Edward 
L.  Tead  from  that  date  to  the  present  time. 

The  cashiers  have  been:  J.  M.  March,  from  May  10,  1847,  till  ^larch 
14,  181)4;  Abner  I.  Benyon,  from  then  till  February  8,  1800,  when  he 
became  president;  and  J.  M.  Pettengill  from  that  date  to  1884,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  present  cashier,  John  J.  Eddy. 

The  board  of  directors  for  1803  is  composed  of  Edward  L.  Tead, 
Freeman  J.  Doe,  Edward  J.  Brown,  Elisha  wS.  Converse,  Edward 
Hutchinson,  Walter  S.  Swan,  H.  G.  Nichols  and  L.  P.  Bartlett.  jr. 

Throughout  its  entire  history  the  Exchange  Bank  has  been  located 
at  38  .State  street.  It  has  largely  been  identified  with  the  boot,  shoe 
and  leather  interest,  and  has  always  readily  responded  to  the  public 
need  when  called  upon,  and  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  loaned 
large  sums  of  money  to  the  national  and  State  Governments.  Its 
board  of  directors  has  notably  contained  broad-minded  and  successful 
business  men  who  were  leaders  in  their  various  trades  and  callings. 

The  condition  of  the  bank  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency at  the  close  of  business  March  0,  1803,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $5,773,994.81 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 223. 92 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50, 000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc. 103, 158. 17 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 807,247.79 

Due  from  othertXational  Banks 386,413.49 

Banking-house,  furniture  and  fixtures 7,673.13 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  OAvned 18,420.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 28,128.27 


31G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 46,448.58 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 279,298.22 

Bills  of  other  banks 29,514.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 186. 28 

Specie 520,579.00 

Legal  tender  notes . 2(12,750.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $8,256,285.65 

LiAiiiLrriES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 250,000.00 

Undivided  profits 246,996.77 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 230.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 3,424,245.75 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 166,408.67 

Due  to  other  National  Banks . 2,549,525.59 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 443,878.87 

Bills  payable 130,000.00 

Total ---    _. $8,256,285.65 

NATIONAL    BANK    OF    COMAIERCIv 

Tlic  National  Rank  of  Commerce  was  incorporated  tinder  the  State 
laws  as  the  Bank  of  Commerce  April  0,  ISoO,  the  incorporators  be- 
in;^'  Edward  C.  Bates,  (reorge  A.  Fiske,  E.  C.  Emerson  and  their 
associates.  At  the  time  of  the  oro-anization  of  this  bank  there  were 
doini^'  business  in  IJoston  twenty-seven  banks  with  an  aj^'t^'reo-ate  capital 
of  |>1 '.»,2:)(), ()()(».  Quite  a  number  of  banks  which  had  sprim^-  into  exist- 
ence in  the  period  of  inflation  wliich  citlminated  in  the  panic  of  1<S;}7, 
not  only  in  Boston  but  in  other  parts  of  New  ]i^ni2,'hi.nd,  had  failed  and 
o-one  out  of  existence,  and  but  little  addition  to  the  banking-  capital  of 
the  city  had  been  made  for  the  previous  ten  years,  so  that  the  petition 
to  the  Let>"islature  for  an  act  of  incorporation  on  the  o-round  that  the 
public  o-()()d  rc([uire(l  an  increase  of  banking-  capital,  was  not  wholly 
without  reascMi.  The  original  capital  stock  of  the  bank  was  $7o(),0()0, 
a  large  portion  of  which  was  sid:)scribed  by  merchants  and  capitalists, 
and  al^oiit  one-third  was  taken  by  insurance  companies,  savings  banks 
and  trustees.  Among  the  subscribers  were  Nathan  Appleton  and 
Robert  O.  Shaw,  whose  vignettes  ornamented  the  notes  of  the  bank. 
Meeting  for  organization  was  held  at  the  Merchants'  lixchange  May  20, 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  317 

1850,  when  the  charter  was  accepted  and  the  following-  directors 
were  chosen:  Edward  C.  Bates,  James  W.  Baldwin,  Charles  J.  Hendee, 
Thomas  W.  Pierce,  Jarvis  Slade,  John  Worster,  Benjamin  E.  Bates, 
Abel  G.  Farwell,  Patrick  T.  Jackson,  Jacob  vSleeper  and  Reuben  S. 
Wade.  At  a  subsequent  meeting  of  the  directors,  Edward  C.  Bates  was 
chosen  president  and  William  H.  Foster  cashier.  To  the  last  named 
gentleman  belongs  the  credit  of  originating  the  plan  of  the  bank  and  of 
bringing  the  enterprise  to  a  successful  issue.  He  had  had  long  experi- 
ence as  a  bank  officer,  and  had  written  much  on  financial  subjects 
which  had  been  extensively  copied. 

The  bank  commenced  business  on  August  1,  1S50,  at  83  and  85  State 
street,  in  the  four  story  freestone  front  building  now  standing,  which 
was  erected  for  the  use  of  the  bank.  Business  was  begun  under  favor- 
able circuinstances.  The  president,  Mr.  Bates,  was  a  merchant  of  re- 
pute and  wealth,  of  pleasing  address  and  manners,  and  exceedingly  pop- 
ular in  commercial  circles.  The  depositors  rapidly  increased  in  number, 
and  the  bank  soon  became  one  of  the  most  active  in  Boston.      In  May, 

1851,  the  capital  stock  of  the  bank  was  increased  to  $1,500,000,  and  in 
May,  1853,  to  $2,000,000.  William  H.  Foster  resigned  the  office  of 
cashier,  and  the  board  of  directors  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  for  the  faith- 
fulness with  which  he  had  conducted  his  trust,  and  voted  him  a  gratuity 
of  eight  thousand  dollars  for  his  services  rendei^ed  in  the  establishment 
of  the  bank.  Caleb  H.  Warner  was  elected  cashier  to  succeed  Mr. 
Foster.  In  February,  1855,  Mr.  Edward  C.  Bates  resigned  the  office 
of  president.      He  was  succeeded  by  Benjamin  E.  Bates. 

During  the  progress  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  the  Bank  of  Com- 
merce was  prompt  to  respond  to  the  call  of  the  secretary  of  the  treasury 
for  funds.  In  April,  1801,  it  voted  to  the  State  government  a  loan  of 
ten  per  cent,  of  its  capital  stock.  In  August,  18(;i,  it  voted  to  take  its 
p7'0  rata  share  of  the  ten  million  government  loan  apportioned  to  the 
Boston  banks.  vSimilar  action  was  taken  in  November,  1861,  and  in 
September,  18(!3. 

The  subject  of  reorganizing  as  a  national  bank  was  discussed  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  stockholders  in  October,  18r)3,  but  was  not  final- 
ly acted  upon  till  the  annual  meeting  of  the  following  year,  when  it 
was  voted  to  make  the  change.  This  was  perfected  November  10,  18(>5, 
under  the  present  title  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce.  The  offi- 
cers at  this  time  were  Benjamin  E.  Bates,  Thomas  W.  Pierce,  Edward 
C.  Bates,  Jacob  Sleeper,  Cakes  Ames,  Reuben  vS.  Wade,  E.  T.  Farinng- 


318  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ton,  Henry  ].  Gardner  and  Henry  P.  Kidder,  direetors;  Benjamin  E. 
Bates,  president,  and  Caleb  H.  Warner,  cashier.  July  1,  18G9,  the  bank 
removed  its  place  of  business  from  85  wState  street  to  the  Sears  Building, 
where  it  is  still  located. 

In  May,  1875,  Caleb  H.  Warner  was  chosen  a  director  and  elected 
vice-president.  At  the  same  time  Georg-e  W.  Harris  was  appointed 
cashier,  and  still  serves  in  this  capacity,  and  has  been  connected  with 
the  bank  ever  since  its  organization.  Benjamin  E.  Bates,  who  was  one 
of  the  original  directors  of  the  bank  and  had  held  the  office  of  president 
since  1855,  died  on  January  14,  1878.  He  was  succeeded  as  president 
by  Caleb  H.  AVarner.  In  N()veml)er,  1884,  Richard  P.  Hallowell  was 
elected  vice-president  to  fill  the  vacanc)^  caused  by  the  death  of  William 
B.  Storer.  In  June,  1874,  A.  vS.  Lincoln,  who  had  been  paying  teller 
since  the  organization  of  the  bank,  resigned  his  position  on  account  of 
failing  health,  and  in  recognition  of  his  long  and  faithful  service  the 
board  of  directors  voted  to  pay  him  a  gratuity  of  one  hundred  dollars 
per  month,  which  continued  until  his  death  on  Septem])er  U,  1887,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  In  May,  188(;,  Richard  P.  Hallowell  re- 
signed his  position  as  vice-president  and  director,  and  Norwood  P. 
Hallowell  was  elected  in  his  stead.  Caleb  H.  Warner,  who  had  been 
connected  with  the  bank  since  its  organization,  declined  a  re-election 
as  president  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  directors  in  181)0,  and  Nor- 
wood P.  Hallowell  was  elected  as  his  successor,  a  position  he  still  holds. 
The  capital  stock  was  reduced  in  1879  to  $1,500,000.  During  its  forty- 
one  3^ears'  existence  this  bank  has  passed  but  three  semi-annual  divi- 
dends, and  the  average  rate  of  annual  dividends  for  this  period  has 
been  seven  and  sixteen-hundredths  per  cent. 

The  board  of  directors  for  1892  is  composed  of  Norwood  P.  Hal- 
lowell, Charles  Henry  Parker,  William  O.  Grover,  T.  Jefferson  Cool- 
idge,  jr.,  Caleb  H.  Warner,  George  von  L.  Meyer,  Lucius  M.  Sargent, 
William  J.  Ladd,  William  R.  Driver. 

The  condition  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce  as  reported  at  close 
of  business  March  (i,  1893,  w^as  as  follows: 

rb:sources. 
Loans  and  discounts ' $3,898,805.03 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation _        50,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 86,358.00 

Due  from  approved  i-eserve  agents,  subject  to  check 447,373.61 

Due  from  other  National  Banks,  subject  to  check 1,085,069.59 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  ?a\) 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers,  subject  to  check 29,()G8,()(5 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 3:;}, 205. 70 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 8,349. 11 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 252,295.50 

Bills  of  other  banks 10,880.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 245. 92 

Specie 204,570. 40 

Legal  tender  notes 75,200.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $0, 237, 527.04 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 300,000.00 

Undivided  profits 309,078.34 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid _  996.90 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check ..$3,134,400.29 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 01,400.41 

Certified  checks 15,878.22 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 45,058.00 

8,250,791.92 

Due  to  approved  reserve  agents,  subject  to  check 55,048.05 

Due  to  other  National  Batiks,  subject  to  check 740,851.80 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers,  subject  to  check j...  29,609.87 

Total ^ . . . : $0,237,527.04 

NATIONAL  BANK  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

The  act  creating-  the  Bank  of  North  America  pas.sed  both  Hou.ses  of 
the  Mas.sachusetts  Legislature  and  wa.s  approved  by  Governor  George 
N.  Brig-gs  April  8,  1850.  The  original  incorporators  named  in  the  act 
were  Newell  vStnrtevant,  David  vSnow  and  Charles  Rice.  The  charter 
was  to  continue  till  October  1,  1872;  the  capital  stock  to  consist  of 
ISO! ), 000,  in  shares  of  $100  each,  to  be  paid  in  by  May  1,  1851. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders  was  held  at  the  Exchange  Cof- 
fee House  on  September  11,  1850,  when  the  following  directors  were 
unanimor:sly  chosen :  George  W.  Crockett,  Charles  Rice,  Charles  Lane, 
Isaac  Rich,  J.  W.  Pottle,  Charles  W.  vScudder,  William  S.  Eaton,  J.  C. 
Bates,  Clement  Willis,  and  Thomas  Nickerson.  One  week  later  George 
W.  Crockett  was  elected  president  and  John  K.  Hall  cashier.  A  few 
days  later  the  directors  appointed  the  following  additional  officers :  J. 
W.  Bumstead,  teller;  Joseph  Richardson,  bookkeeper,  and  James  M. 
Bur£'ess,  messeneer. 


320  SUFFOLK  COUXTY. 

Within  three  years  after  the  org-anization  of  the  bank  its  prosperity 
was  sueh  that  an  increase  of  capital  became  desirable,  and  after  petition 
in  dne  form,  on  April  2S,  1853,  the  bank  was  authorized  to  increase  its 
capital  by  the  addition  thereto  of  $200,000.  In  ISfiT  the  capital  was 
ai>-ain  increased  to  the  amount  of  $300,000,  making  the  capital  then 
$1,000,000. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  on  the  Sth  of  December,  1804,  the 
directors  were  authorized  to  organize  the  institution  as  a  national  bank 
under  the  provisions  of  the  National  Banking  act,  and  on  February  15, 
18()5,  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the  National  Bank  of  North  Amer- 
ica was  held,  at  its  banking-house,  (!5  State  street,  when  the  follow- 
ing directors  were  unanimously  chosen,  the  whole  number  of  votes 
cast  being  720:  Clement  Willis,  William  S.  Eaton,  Charles  Lane,  Cas- 
sander  Gilmore,  Josiah  S.  Robinson,  Charles  A.  Whiting,  Samuel  O. 
Cochran,  R.  W.  Shapleigh  and  Edwin  R.  Sawyer. 

There  have  been  six  presidents  of  the  Bank  of  North  America, 
nainely:  George  W.  Crockett,  from  October,  1850,  to  August  15,  1851); 
David  vSnow,  from  August  24,  185!),  to  November  2,  1850 ;  Charles 
Rice,  from  November  5,  1850,  to  his  resignation  in  May,  1801 ;  William 
W.  Kendrick,  from  May  15,  1801,  till  his  death,  July  23,  1803;  Richard 
W.  vShapleigh,  from  November  4,  1803,  to  January  13,  1874;  and  Isaac 
T.    Burr  from  that  date  to  the  present  time. 

John  K.  Hall  was  the  first  cashier  of  the  bank.  He  served  from 
the  beginning  until  June,  1881,  his  connection  with  the  bank  being 
longer  than  any  other  of  its  officers.  He  was  siicceeded  by  Arthur  F. 
Luke,  who  continued  as  cashier  until  April  1,  1800,  when  Wallace  S. 
Draper,  the  present  cashier,  was  elected. 

The  locations  of  the  Bank  of  North  America  have  been  as  follows: 
From  1850  to  1850  it  was  at  00  State  street,  opposite  Merchants"  Row; 
from  1850  to  July  1,  1871,  at  05  State  street,  corner  of  Kilby,  over  the 
New  England  Bank ;  from  that  date  till  the  great  fire  of  November  9, 
1872,  it  was  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Franklin  and  Devonshire  streets 
— the  site  of  the  present  semi-circular  store  of  Abram  French  &  Com- 
pany— where  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire ;  from  that  date  the 
bank  was  located  at  40  State  street,  w^here  the  State  Bank  now  is,  until 
in  1873  it  was  removed  to  its  present  location  in  Brewer's  Building,  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Franklin  and  Devonshire  streets,  the  apart- 
ments having  been  completely  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  the  bank. 
The  Brewer  building  occupies  apart  of  the  site  of  the  old  Federal  Street 


BANKIXG   INSTirUTIONS.  321 

Theatre.  That  portion  of  the  southern  extension  of  Devonshire  street, 
on  which  it  now  stands,  was  formerly  known,  first  as  "Broad  Alley," 
and  afterwards  as  "  Theatre  Alley."  A  part  of  the  site  was  for  a  long 
time  occupied  by  a  large  old-fashioned  tavern  kept  by  William  Fenno, 
adjoining-  the  rear  of  the  theatre.  The  stage,  greenroom,  and  some  of 
the  dressing-rooms  were  situated  where  the  bank  is  located,  and  w^hen 
within  these  premises  the  minds  of  any  old  resident  of  Boston  is 
thronged  with  agreeable  dramatic  memories.  There  in  the  far  time 
Cooper,  the  Elder  Wallack,  Edmund  Kean,  Bernard,  Dickson,  Finn, 
Kilncr,  Jane  Henry  (afterwards  Mrs.  Drummond  and  Mrs.  George  H. 
Barrett),  Edwin  Forrest,  Charles  Kean,  Madame  Bishop,  and  others 
tiourished  and  won  the  applause  of  applauding  multitudes. 

From  the  list  of  original  stockholders  of  the  Bank  of  North  America 
has  been  gleaned  some  of  the  names  of  those  citizens  and  firms  who 
were  then  widely  knowm,  and  they  are  here  presented  with  the  number 
of  shares  first  held  by  them : 

William  H.  Adams 20  Thomas  J.  Lobdell 20 

Ruf  us  Adams ... 41  Charles  Rice 30 

J.  M.  Beebe  &  Co 20  Nathaniel  Benjamin  Shurtleff 20 

John  W.  Blodgett 30  Jared  Sparks 24 

Samuel  B.  Cochran  &  Co 20  Joshua  Sears 40 

George  W.  Crockett 200  Willis  &  Co 100 

Dane,  Dana  &  Co 50  Charles  Lane  &  Co 85 

Dunbar  &  Brothers 25  E.  Lock  &  Co 50 

Eaton  &  McClellan 41  Newton  Eaton  &  Co 25 

John  Earle,  jr 20  Silas  Pierce  &  Co 45 

Sumner  Flagg 30  John  Phelps  Putnam 125 

Seth  W.  Fowle 20  J.  W.  Pottle 40 

B.  A.   Gould 50  Josiah  Ouincy.  jr 40 

Gilmore,  Blake  &  Ward 30  John  Savory 10 

N.    Goddard 20  B.W.Thayer 20 

R.  Goddard 20  Otis  Tufts 20 

Greenough,  Jameson  &  Co 50  Joseph  A.  Veazie 30 

Harndon  &  Co 50  B.  F.  Tenney 10 

Earl  W.  Johnson 35 

The  directors  of  the  bank  for  1892  are  as  follows:  Daniel  Dewey,  W. 
S.  Eaton,  A.  F.  Luke,  Joseph  H.  Gray,  Daniel  W.  Wilcox,  George  F. 
Putnam,  and  William  Whitman. 

The  condition  of  the  bank  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency at  the  close  of  business,  March  G,  1893,  was  as  follow's: 
41 


SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 


RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $3,159,772.81 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 23.81 

United  States  Bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000. 00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc.  _ . 167,437.50 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 181,683.77 

Due  from  other  National  Banks _ .  197,485.22 

Current  expenses  and  ta.xes  paid 12,766.05 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 1,808.72 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 148,270.23 

Bills  of  other  banks 5,440.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 71 . 94 

vSpecie 154,232.30 

Legal  tender  notes 2,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $3,074,242.35 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 200,000.00 

Undivided  profits 21 5,326.49 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 44,500.00 

Dividends  unpaid 192. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,173,623.70 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 1,750.00 

Certified  checks 60,363.00 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 62.036.75 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 111,687.37 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 204,763.04 

Total $3,074,242. 35 

FANEUIL  HALL  NATIONAL  BANK. 

Faneuil  Hall  Bank  commenced  biusincss  in  Atij^ust,  1851,  with  a 
capital  of  $500,000.  Amonjj"  its  original  stockholdcr.s,  with  number  of 
shares  subscribed,  were  the  following  prominent  merchants  and 
capitalists  of  the  city  at  that  day : 

David  Austin 5       Lester  M.  Clark 30 

George  E.  Adams 15       George  S.  Adams 20 

James  W.  Baldwin 120       Nathaniel  Brackett 10 

Baker  &  Morrill 100       Joseph  Bailey 70 

Edward  C.  Bates  &  Co 100       Stephen  H.   Bennett ' 50 

Joseph  B.  Brigham 20       Jonas  Bennett 1 

Peter  C.  Brooks 20       C.    C.    Chamberlin 50 

Joseph  Tinker  Buckingham _■.   10       George  S.  Curtis , 40 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  32:5 

Henry  Dean 35       Moses  Pond 15 

Luke  Fay 50       David  Pulsifer 10 

J.  V.  Fletcher 130       Nathan  Robbins,  jr.  200 

Dexter  Follett 100       George  R.  Russell 20 

Israel  Lombard 50       George  Shattuck 20 

Thomas  Hunt 20      John  P.  Squire 25 

David  Lombard 10      John  Tillson 25 

John  S.  Lodge 15       J.  O.  Wellington 20 

Joseph  Manning 10       J .  B.  Winn 25 

Lambert  Maynard 50       John  Davis 10 

Francis  Melli ken..   10       Edward  Sparhawk 20 

B.  B.  Mussey 10       Paran  Stevens 50 

Harvey  D.  Parker 10       Enoch   Train 20 

Lemuel  Pitts ■ 25       Edward  Walker 25 

Abner  Pierce 20       Obadiah  Woodbury 20 

The  first  board  of  directors  was  composed  of  J.  V.  Fletcher,  J.  W. 
Baldwin,  Lambert  Maynard,  Reuben  Rice,  C.  G.  Chambcrlin,  Abijah 
Thompson,  Nathan  Robbins,  Lemuel  Pitts,  Charles  J.  Morrill,  Joseph 
H.  Curtis,  Joseph  C.  Bailey  and  Dexter  Follett. 

This  institution  was  reorg-anized  under  the  national  banking  laws  in 
18()5  with  a  capital  of  $1,000,000,  at  which  time  an  extra  dividend  of 
fifty  per  cent,  was  paid  and  a  regular  dividend  of  five  per  cent. 

J.  W.  Baldwin,  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  served  until  May  11, 
1S54,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Joseph  H.  Curtis,  who  a  few  months 
later  was  followed  by  Nathan  Robbins,  who  continued  as  president 
until  his  death,  September  5,  1885.  J.  Varnum  Fletcher  was  chosen 
as  Mr.  Robbins's  successor,  and  has  since  served  as  president.  Mr. 
Fletcher  has  served  four  years  as  a  representative  in  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, and  two  years  as  a  Republican  senator  from  the  Second  Middlesex 
District,  and  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  banks  and  banking  in 
that  body.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Belmont  vSavings  Bank,  and  a 
successful  merchant  in  Faneuil  Hall  Market.  The  first  cashier  of  the 
bank  was  Jonas  Bennett,  who  held  the  office  until  September  1,  18G2, 
Avhen  Edward  L.  Tead  was  chosen  and  continued  to  act  in  that  capacity 
until  his  resignation  in  February,  1870,  when  the  present  cashier,  T. 
G.  Hiler,  was  chosen.  Mr.  Hiler  has  been  connected  with  the  bank 
since  its  organization,  and  is  a  financier  of  large  experience.  The 
board  of  directors  for  1892  is  as  follows:  J.  Varnum  Fletcher,  Charles 
E.  Morrison,  Samuel  S.  Learned,  A.  J.  Adams,  George  W.  Fiske, 
L.  M.  Haskins,  S.  F.  Woodbridge,  Stillman  F.  Kelley,  Henry  D. 
Yerxa. 


;}24  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  Faneuil  Hall  Bank  was  first  located  in  Edward  Brinley's  build- 
ing- in  Market  Square,  opposite  the  south  side  of  Faneuil  Hall.  In  1858 
it  was  removed  to  43  South  Market  street,  and  in  1S(J4  to  its  present 
location,  3  vSouth  Market  street,  corner  of  Merchants'  Row. 

The  condition  of  this  bank  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency, at  the  close  of  business  March  (i,  ISDo,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,332,790.95 

Drafts,  secured  and  unsecured 618.33 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 17,800.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents.  _.__    145,274.10 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 185,198.69 

Banking  house,  furniture  and  fixtures 122,500.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 19,476.25 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 4, 645. 86 

E.\ changes  for  clearing-house 76,014.99 

Bills  of  other  l)anks 9,604.00 

Fractional  paper  currenc\%  nickels  and  cents 1,367.39 

Specie ' -  -  -  -  241 ,444. 00 

Legal  tender  notes 1 1,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total -. $3,219,984.56 

LI.VKILITIES. 

Capital  Stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 200,000.00 

Undivided  profits 237,537.02 

National  Bank  nt^tes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 672.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1 ,460, 500. 59 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 141,558.81 

Certified  checks 15,028. 11 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding.  _   8.75 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 78,180.50 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 41,498.78 

Total $3,219,984. 56 

BLACKSTONE  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Blackstone  Bank,  now  the  Blackstone  National  Bank,  was  char- 
tered as  a  vState  institution  May  24,  1851,  and  commenced  business 
September  10  following".      The  number  of  subscribers  to  the  stock  was 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  325 

two  hundred  and  thirty-four.  The  original  officers  of  the  bank  were 
as  follows:  President,  Frederick  Gould;  cashier,  Joshua  Loring;  direc- 
tors: Frederick  Gould,  Dexter  Roby,  Benjamin  L.  Allen,  Loyal  Love- 
joy,  George  W.  Chipman,  Isaac  H.  Hazleton,  William  Adams,  Gardner 
Chilson,  A.  L.  Chamberlain,  Henry  Cutter,  J.  M.  Holden,  N,  P.  Mann. 
Of  the  first  board  of  directors  only  one,  George  W.  Chipman,  sur- 
vives. 

The  original  capital  of  the  bank,  $250,000,  was  increased  by  the 
addition  of  $100,000  in  1853,  and  $400,000  in  1854-.  On  vSeptember  1!), 
18(i4,  the  bank  was  reorganized  under  the  National  Banking  act  as  the 
Blackstone  National  Bank,  and  in  October  following  $250,000  was 
added  to  its  capital,  besides  paying  to  the  stockholders  a  dividend  of 
twenty  per  cent,  in  addition  to  the  seini-anniial  dividend  of  five  per 
cent.  In  October,  18(19,  $500,000  was  added  to  the  capital,  and  in  Oc- 
tober, 1874,  the  same  amount,  making  the  capital  at  that  time  $2,000,- 
000.  In  vSeptember,  1878,  the  capital  was  reduced  by  the  payment  of 
$500,000  to  the  stockholder,  at  which  time  the  October  dividend  was 
omitted,  the  only  omission  of  a  semi-annual  dividend  since  the  bank  was 
organized. 

Mr.  (xould  resigned  the  presidency  January  17,  1871,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Joshua  Loring,  who  up  to  that  time  had  served  as  cashier. 
Mr.  Loring  continued  to  serve  as  president  until  Eustace  C.  Fitz  was 
elected  his  successor.  Mr.  Fitz  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Fitz,  Dana  &  Co.,  metal  dealers.  He  has  had  an  extensive  business 
and  financial  experience,  and  has  been  a  director  in  this  bank  for  more 
than  twenty  years.  He  has  served  both  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives and  vSenate  of  Massachusetts,  and  during  his  legislative  career 
rendered  valuable  service  in  shaping  financial  legislation. 

Joshua  Loring,  the  present  vice-president,  has  been  connected 
with  the  bank  ever  since  organization  either  as  cashier,  president  or 
vice-president.  He  is  the  only  one  of  the  original  officers  of  the  bank 
still  connected  with  the  institution. 

James  Adams,  the  cashier  of  the  bank,  was  chosen  February  ;>,  1875. 
He  previously  served  for  ten  3^ears  as  cashier  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Na- 
tional Bank,  and  has  had  an  extended  and  varied  experience  in  banking- 
affairs. 

The  Blackstone  National  Bank  has  been  an  ably  managed  institution 
and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  of  Boston  banks.  The 
substantial  building  owned  and  occupied  by  the  bank,  corner  of  Han- 


'.\n  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

over  and  Union  streets,  was  erected  on  a  site  bought  of  the  kite  James 
M.  Beebee,  at  one  time  a  prominent  merchant  on  Hanover  street.  The 
directors  of  the  bank  for  1892  are  as  follows:  Enstace  C.  Fitz,  George 
W.  Chipman,  Eleazar  Boynton,  William  A.  Rust,  Joshua  Loring-,  J.  S. 
Paine,  |.  O.  Wethcrbee,  John  Edmunds,  (jeorgc  F.  Blake  and  ().  M. 
Wentworth. 

The  condition  of  this  bank  at  the  close  of  business  Marcli  (i,  ISO:],  as 
reported  to  the  com]:)tr(»lk'r  of  the  currency,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts  _ $8,1^7,269.  ]S 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 5,1 50. 24 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulatif)n 50, 000. 00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc. 53,343.75 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 329,424. 03 

Due  from  <^ther  National  Banks 248, 709. 35 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 3,018.49 

Banking  house,  furniture  and  fixtures 313,000.00 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned 843. 49 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid -._  30,(I24.73 

Premiums  on  U.  S.  bonds 7,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 1,174.36 

Exchanges  for  clearing  house 127,099.42 

Bills  of  other  banks 71,579.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 369.51 

Specie .' 226,987. 75 

Legal  tender  notes 68,000.00 

U.  ,S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 10,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer,  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $4,735,238.80 

LI.MiH.ITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 230, 000. 00 

Undivided  profits 120,217.55 

National  Bank  notes  oixtstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 790.50 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 2,177,841.57 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 229,247.07 

Certified  checks 11,606.72 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 237, 102.22 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 183,433.17 


Total 14, 735, 238. 80 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  327 

NATIONAL   WEBSTER    BANK. 

The  Webster  Bank  received  its  charter  June  IG,  1853,  the  original 
incorporators  being  William  Thomas,  George  B.  Upton  and  Albert 
Fearing,  and  "their  associates  and  assigns."  It  came  into  existence 
eight  months  after  the  death  of  the  statesman  whose  great  name  it 
honorably  bears.  The  capital  was  fixed  at  $1,500,000.  At  the  first 
meeting  of  its  stockholders  the  following  directors  were  chosen :  Will- 
iam B.  Bacon,  James  M.  Beebee,  William  A.  Crocker,  John  M.  Forbes, 
H.  H.  Hunnewell,  George  H.  Kuhn,  L.  W.  Tappan,  William  Thomas, 
George  B.  Upton,  William  F.  Weld.  By  a  unanimous  vote  of  this 
board,  William  Thomas  was  chosen  president,  and  wSol onion  Lincoln 
cashier.  At  a  subsec^uent  meeting,  held  July  13,  1853,  the  following 
additional  officers  were  elected:  Edward  W.  Brown,  paying  teller; 
Charles  L.  Riddle,  receiving  teller;  Merrill  N.  Boyden,  bookkeeper, 
and  Charles  E.  Currier,  discount  clerk.  On  August  9  following,  Ellery 
Canning  Daniell  was  elected  discount  clerk  in  lieu  of  jSIr.  Currier,  who 
had  declined  to  serve,  and  William  C.  Durant  was  chosen  collection 
clerk. 

On  the  Kith  of  August,  1853,  the  Webster  Bank  made  its  first  dis- 
count. The  first  semi-annual  report  was  made  by  the  directors  on  the 
25th  of  March,  and  by  this  report  it  appeared  that  the  net  profits  to 
April  1,  1854,  was  $(50,352.86.  The  second  semi-annual  report,  made 
September  2(i,  1854,  showed  that  the  net  profits  of  the  bank  for  the  six 
months  ending  October,  1854,  were  $73,643.23.  The  surplus  at  that 
time  proved  to  be  $21,143,  and  the  semi-annual  dividends  of  the  first 
year  of  the  institution  were  ?»%  per  cent,  each,  on  the  capital  stock  of 
$1,500,000.  The  highest  and  lowest  market  prices  of  the  Webster 
Bank  shares  in  1853  were  $105  and  $101,  and  $107  and  $99  in  1854. 

On  the  21st  of  April,  1865,  the  stockholders  decided  by  vote  that  the 
bank  should  become  a  national  bank,  and  the  change  was  effected  on 
the  2d  of  June,  1865,  when  the  title  of  the  National  Webster  Bank  of 
Boston  was  adopted. 

There  have  been  five  presidents  of  this  institution.  William  Thomas 
was  president  from  June  16,  1853,  till  January  12,  1869,  when  he  re- 
resigned  after  a  successful  presidency  of  more  than  fifteen  years.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Solomon  Lincoln,  previously  ca.shier,  who  resigned 
on  the  1st  of  February,  1876,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Francis 
Jacques,  who  served  from  1876  to  1884.  Francis  A.  Peters  was  elected 
to  succeed  Mr.  Jacques,  and  held  the  position  until  1890,  when,  decliu- 


328  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

iwg  a  re-election,  John  P.  Lyman,  the  present  president,  was  elected 
his  successor. 

The  bank  has  had  four  cashiers.  Solomon  Lincoln  served  from  June 
111,  1S5;},  till  January  1-2,  L*^01).  He  was  then  succeeded  by  Ellery  C. 
Daniell,  who  served  till  February  21,  1871,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Edward  Reynolds  Hall,  who  continued  in  otifice  till  December  1,  187G, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Charles  L.  Riddle,  the  present  cashier.  Mr. 
Riddle  has  been  connected  with  the  bank  ever  since  its  origin  in  1853, 
lirst  as  receiving  teller  and  then  as  cashier.  H.  H.  Hunnewell  is  the 
only  tnember  of  the  first  board  who  has  ever  since  been  a  director. 
The  directors  for  1892  are  Joseph  S.  Kendall,  S.  W.  Marston,  John  C. 
Palfrey,  H.  H.  Hunnewell,  vSamuel  Johnson,  Joseph  A.  Laforme, 
Henry  Whitman,  John  P.  Lyman,  Thomas  Motley,  jr.,  Francis  A.  Peters. 

By  report  to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency,  the  condition  of  the 
National  Webster  Bank,  at  close  of  business  March  (">,  1893,  was  as  fol- 
low\s : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $3, (il 7,27(1. 14 

U.  vS.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50, 000. (K) 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 19,425.(10 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 155, 149,0(5 

Due  from  other  National  Banks _  _  73, 950.  ;5(> 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 21,934.87 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 66.01 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 6(),  729.  S8 

Bills  of  other  banks 21,2(10.00 

Fractional  paper  ciUTency,  nickels  and  cents 1 05. 1 1 

Specie _    1 1 9,308. 20 

Legal  tender  notes 27,900.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total _ ^3,175,348.63 

LI.VinLITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $l,50O,0(J0.(H) 

Surplus  fund 242,000.00 

Undivided  profits 98,740.48 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding '. 44,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid... 140.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,062,412.83 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 2,967.50 

Certified  checks 30,000.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 25,358.69 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 169,729. 13 

T< >tal  ,.,,.,_.-,._,__._.._.-_,.__.._,.„,..,,..,._  §3, 1 75, 248. 63 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  329 

HOWARD   NATIONAL    BANK, 

The  Howard  National  Bank  was  organized  with  a  capital  of  $500,000 
in  June,  1853,  under  the  name  of  the  Howard  Banking  Company.  The 
features  of  its  charter  were  substantially  the  same  as  those  of  several 
other  Boston  banks  organized  in  that  year.  The  first  board  of  directors 
was  composed  of  Daniel  C.  Baker,  Charles  Ellis,  Elisha  Atkins,  E.  G. 
Nickerson,  Adolphus  Davis,  George  W.  Robinson,  A.  W.  Farrar,  Reu- 
ben E.  Demmon  and  Abram  French.  The  first  meeting  of  this  board 
was  held  June  27,  1S53,  when  Daniel  C.  Baker  was  chosen  president 
and  Stephen  Bartlett  cashier.  The  following  additional  officers  were 
elected  July  7  following:  George  E.  Hersey,  teller;  Jonathan  Nichols, 
bookkeeper,  and  Noah  Robinson,  collection  clerk. 

Among  the  original  stockholders  v^'ere  the  following  citizens  and 
corporations : 

John  C.  Abbott 50  Jonathan  Whitney 4(t 

Adams  &  Powers 50  C.  H.  Warner 78 

Amoskeag  Savings  Bank 50  Ti  mothy  Willis 25 

Elisha  Atkins 110  W^ashington  Warner 58 

Edward  H.  Ashcroft 50  Cyrus  Wakefield 52 

O.  D.  Ashley 227  Sheldon  Webster 18 

Blake,  Howe  &  Co 81  CM.  Ellis 35 

Brewster,  Sweet  &  Co 6'J  Amos  Coolidge 20 

Joseph  Brown,  jr 47  Reuben  E.  Demmon 8 

Boston  Five  Cent  Savings  Bank 270  Isaac  Spaulding 30 

C.  Doherty 80  Ira  Stratton 30 

Eliot  Fire  Ins.  Co 80  George  A.  Curtis 20 

Shoe  &  Leather  Dealers'  Fire  Ins.  Co.  110  William  Claflin 17 

Stratton  &  Ayres 134  J.  M.  Currier 22 

Suffolk  Savings  Bank 105  Samuel  Cobb 35 

John  L.  Sheriff 44  Henry  L.  Daggett 10 

Edward  Sweet 52  John  L.  Eddy 25 

George  W.  Torrey 35  William  Estabrook 23 

Warren   Ins.  Co. 125  Newell  A.  Thompson 20 

The  name  of  the  Howard  Banking  Company  was  changed  to  the 
Howard  Bank  by  legislative  act  in  1S5S.  It  was  changed  to  a  national 
bank,  under  its  present  name  of  Howard  National  Bank,  in  ISOo,  at 
which  time  the  capital  was  increased  to  $750,000,  and  in  October,  18(i!», 
to  its  present  limit,  $!,()( »(),()()(). 

The  presidents  of  the  Howard  Bank  have  served  as  follows:  Daniel 
C.  Baker,  from  June  27,  1835,  to  September,  1855;  Charles  Ellis,  from 

42 


330  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

that  date  till  January  12,  l.SOO;  and  Reuben  E.  Demmun  from  that 
time  to  the  present. 

The  cashiers  have  been  as  follows:  Stephen  Bartlett,  from  July,  1853, 
to  June  18,  1855;  George  E.  Hersey  from  that  time  till  January,  1870; 
and  S.  F.  Wilkins  from  that  date  to  181)1,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
the  present  cashier,  Chandler  Robbins.  Mr.  Wilkins,  before  his  con- 
nection with  the  Howard,  had  been  assistant  cashier  of  the  Revere 
Bank,  under  the  presidency  of  vSamuel  H.  Walley. 

From  1853  to  April,  1870,  the  Howard  was  located  at  i)7  vState  street, 
and  after  the  latter  date  for  several  years  occupied  the  premises,  85 
State  street,  previously  occupied  by  the  Bank  of  Commerce.  It  is  now 
located  at  19  Congress  street.  The  board  of  directors  for  181)2  is  com- 
posed of  Reuben  E.  Demmon,  Francis  Flint,  A.  B.  Butterfield,  Samuel 
B.  Capen,  A.  P.  Martin,  N.  W.  Rice,  J.  W.  Candler,  James  M.  W. 
Hall  and  S.  F.  Wilkins.  Mr.  Wilkins  has  been  connected  with  the 
bank  since  1870,  and  since  181)1  has  been  vice-president.  Reuben  E. 
Demmcjn  and  A.  B.  Butterfield  have  been  directors  ever  since  the  bank 
was  organized. 

According  to  the  report  made  to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency, 
March  (I,  181)3,  the  condition  of  the  Howard  National  Bank  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

KESOUKCES. 

Loans  and  discounts  ... $2,(jl0,090.85 

Overdrafts 4,030.99 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation ."iO.ooo.oo 

Stocks,  securities,  etc. . . .    2:5, 11)4.  (>(> 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents .  179, SOI ..")<( 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 830,241.51 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 888.28 

Banking  house 29,991.27 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned .■35,148.81 

Current  expenses  and  ta.^es  paid 27,574.24 

Premiums  paid 7,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 10,589.24 

E.xchanges  for  clearing-house 127,689.21 

Bills  of  other  National  Banks 6,204.00 

Fractional  currency  (including  nickels) . 60.47 

Specie  (including  gold  treasury  notes) 282,221 .  10 

Legal  tender  notes 16,306.00 

Redemption  fund  with  V .  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Totals, .88,752,291.72 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  33i 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,00(),()00.00 

Surplus  fund 200,000.00 

Other  undi\'ided  profits 118,626.80 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 131.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,514,198.71 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 222,115.07 

Certified  checks 57,837.20 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 13,500.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 835,989.86 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 245.393.08 

Total 83,752,291.72 

ELIOT   NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  President,  Directors  and  Company  of  the  Eliot  Bank  received 
their  charter  in  1853,  the  original  incorporators  being  Jeffrey  R.  Bracket!, 
William  C.  Codman,  William  A.  Howe,  and  their  associates.  The 
capital  was  limited  to  $300,000,  and  its  charter  was  siibstantially  the 
same  in  its  provisions  as  the  charters  of  other  Boston  banks  incorporated 
in  the  same  year,  viz.  :  The  Howard,  Webster,  Boston,  and  Broadway. 
The  first  board  of  directors  consisted  of  Jeffrey  R.  Brackett,  William 
C.  Codman,  John  Demeritt,  Walter  Hastings,  Thomas  Hopkinson, 
William  A.  Howe,  William  H.  Jameson,  William  P.  Pierce,  John  P. 
Robinson,  and  John  N.  Ttirner.  At  the  first  meeting  of  this  board, 
held  on  the  11th  of  June,  1853,  William  A.  Howe  was  elected  president, 
and  at  a  subsequent  meeting  Robert  L.  Day  was  chosen  cashier.  Mr. 
Howe  continued  as  president  tmtil  October  13,  1859,  when,  owing  to  a 
protracted  illness,  the  directors  elected  John  N.  Turner  in  his  stead. 
In  December,  18Q3,  President  Turner  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health, 
and  John  Demeritt  was  elected  as  his  successor.  Mr.  Turner  subse- 
quently went  to  Europe,  where  he  died  May  10,  1864.  He  had  been  a 
director  of  the  bank  ever  since  its  origin,  and  for  more  than  four  years 
its  president.  He  was  for  many  years  widely  known  among  the  mer- 
cantile community  as  a  wholesale  dealer  in  dry  goods  in  Boston.  Mr. 
Demeritt  continued  as  president  till  January,  1873,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  William  H.  Goodwin,  who  has  since  served  in  that  capacity. 
Mr.  Goodwin,  prior  to  his  connection  with  the  bank,  was  engaged  in 
the  East  Indies  import  business. 

Robert  L.  Day  remained  as  cashier  of  the  Eliot  Bank  till  September 
30,  1805,  when  he   resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  R.  B.  Conant,  and 


332  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  last  named  b}^  the  present  cashier,  Francis  Harrington,  who  has 
been  for  thirty-six  years  in  the  bank,  fourteen  of  which  as  cashier. 

The  Eliot  Bank  became  the  EHot  National  Bank  on  October  20,  1804. 
Since  its  origin  in  1858  it  has  had  five  locations,  viz.  :  In  July,  1853,  it 
occupied  rooms  at  2(j  Kilby  street,  leased  from  the  Eliot  Insurance 
Company,  and  since  then  it  has  been  successively  located  at  13  Kilby 
street.  Brazier's  Building;  17  vState,  corner  of  Devonshire,  in  the  build- 
ing where  the  First  National  is  now  located,  and  finally  its  present  loca- 
tion in  the  Rialto  Building  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Milk  and 
Devonshire  streets. 

In  January,  18(35,  two  months  after  it  became  a  national  bank,  its 
capital  was  increased  to  $1,000, ()()().  The  board  of  directors  of  the  Eliot 
Bank  for  1802  are:  William  H.  Goodwin,  who  has  served  m  this 
capacity  since  18(i:5;  Joseph  H.  White,  since  18GT;  Thomas  E.  Proctor, 
since  18(18;  George  O.  Carpenter,  since  1870;  the  comparatively  new 
members  of  the  board  being:  Constantine  F.  Hutchins,  Francis  W.  Breed 
and  Henry  Morse. 

The  condition  of  the  Eliot  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (i,  IS!):),  was 
as  follows: 

RKSOl'RCKS. 

Loans  and  discounts _ !:!2,2T1, 1 :!.").  i)7 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 587. !)  1 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation 50, 000. (10 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 6r),r)00.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents . 75,;543.{M 

Due  from  other  National  Banks . . 1()1J,  147.07 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid ___.,.  14,512.41 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 4,8:50.96 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 36,643.87 

Bills  of  other  banks 7,578.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 40. 35 

Specie 14!), 363.00 

Legal  tender  notes . 3,800.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  3,250.00 

Total §2,851 ,733.48 

LIABHJTIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  m $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund oOO.OOO.OO 

Undivided  profits 121, ()!)().  71 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 561.00 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  33:5 

individual  deposits  subject  to  check 763,254. 15 

Certified  checks 30,001.03 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 12.00 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 103,072.50 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 88,133.09 

Bills  paj-able 200,000.00 

Total 82,851,733.48 

BROADWAY   NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  Broadway  National  Bank  was  organized  as  a  State  bank  in  1853, 
with  a  capital  of  $50,000.  The  first  board  of  directors  was  composed 
of  J.  P.  Monks,  H.  O.  Briggs,  C.  Gill,  vS.  Adams,  W.  Eaton,  S.  Leeds, 
(t.  C.  Thacher,  J.  Tillson,  Osborne  Howes,  Joseph  Smith,  C.  J.  F.  Allen 
and  Isaac  Adams.  Isaac  Adams  was  elected  first  president  and  H.  H. 
White  cashier.  The  presidents  of  this  bank  after  Mr.  Adams,  who 
served  until  November,  1853,  with  periods  of  service,  have  been  as 
follows:  John  Tillson,  from  November,  1853,  to  July,  1855;  Seth 
Adams,  from  July,  1855,  to  November,  18(il ;  Henry  vSouther,  from 
November,  18<11,  to  January,  18T<i;  Axel  Dearborn,  from  January,  18Tr», 
to  January,  1884;  Aquila  Adams,  from  January,  1884,  to  vSeptember, 
1884;  and  Roswell  C.  Downer,  from  September,  1884,  to  present  time. 
The  present  cashier  is  J.  B.  Kellock.  The  directors  for  1802  are:  J. 
R.  Graham,  Roswell  C.  Downer,  Frank  O.  Sqiiire,  H.  L.  Millis,  and 
F.  W.  Downer.  In  1854  the  capital  of  the  bank  was  increased  to  $l(l((,- 
000,  in  1855  to  $150,000,  and  in  18(54,  at  which  time  it  was  changed  to 
a  national  bank,  to  $200,000.  This  bank  has  ahvays  retained  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  the  financial  community.  The  present  man- 
agement assumed  control  of  its  affairs  in  1884,  since  which  time  new 
life  and  energy  has  been  imparted  to  the  institution.  Its  management 
has  been  progressive,  but  at  the  same  titne  conservative. 

According  to  the  report  of  the  officers  of  the  Broadway  National 
Bank,  made  to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency  March  (i,  181)3,  the  con- 
dition of  the  bank  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts iSl,703,4(t3.35 

Overdrafts,  secured 7,253.40 

Overdrafts,  unsecured •523. 20 

U.  vS.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 8,981.73 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 281,803.31 


334  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 10,786.91 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 1,279.75 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 22, 734. 65 

Premiums  paid  on   U.  S.  bonds 7,250.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 1,791.87 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house . 156,096. 99 

Bills  of  other  banks 12,686.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 9.29 

Specie 89,162.50 

Legal  tender  notes 185,688.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 10,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer,  5  per  cent  of  circulaticm^  2,250.00 

Total $2,501,500.85 

LIAHII.ITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in !?  2(10,000.00 

Surplus  fund 150,000.00 

Undivided  profits '. -  -  77,7B8.50 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1 ,714,924.94 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit . 81,562.64 

Certified  checks  _.,    7,524.50 

Due  to  other  National  Hanks 95,000.00 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 79,750.27 

Billspayable 100,000.00 

Total $2,501,500.85 

NATIONAL    R(^CKLAND    BANK. 

The  National  Rockland  Bank  of  Roxbury  was  incori:)oratcd  b}"  the 
vStatc  in  lSo3  as  the  Rockkmd  Rank,  with  a  capital  of  $1()(»,(»()0,  which 
was  increased  to  $lo(),()0()  in  1S54.  In  April,  LSfio,  it  was  reorganized 
as  a  national  bank,  under  its  present  name,  at  which  time  its  capital  was 
still  further  increa.sed  to  $:5(H),(I()().  The  first  directors,  elected  June  20, 
jSo;),  were:  Samuel  Walker,  Thomas  Adams,  F.  M.  Weld,  Joseph 
Dorr,  Nahum  Ward,  vStephen  P.  Fuller,  Georoe  Packer,  W.  A.  Hum- 
phrey and  Calvin  B.  Faunce.  Hon.  Samuel  Walker  was  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  bank,  and  Samuel  Little  the  first  cashier.  Mr.  Little 
succeeded  to  the  presidency  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Walker,  in  ISdO,  and 
|.  M.  Swain  was  appointed  cashier.  The  latter  was  succeeded  at  the 
end  of  a  year  l)y  C.  E.  Richardson,  who  was  followed  by  Robert  G. 
Molineaux,  and  for  the  last  twenty-two  years  Robert  B.  Fairbairn  has 
been  cashier. 


77//'^/  ^ 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  335 

Hon.  wSamuel  Walker,  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  was  a  noted 
hortieulturist,  and  mayor  of  Roxbury.  Hon.  Samuel  Little,  identified 
with  the  bank  from  the  beginning,  has  always  been  active  in  the  affairs 
of  Rcjxbury,  and,  since  annexation,  in  the  affairs  of  the  city  of  Boston. 
He  represented  Roxbury  in  the  Legislature,  and  for  several  years 
served  in  the  board  of  aldermen  of  the  city  of  Boston.  He  is  president 
of  the  Boston  Lead  Manufacturing  Company,  the  E.  Howard  Watch 
and  Clock  Company,  and  director  of  the  West  End  Street  Railway 
Company  and  Bay  State  Gas  Company. 

The  directors  of  the  National  Rockland  Bank  for  18'J2  are:  vSamuel 
Little,  Solomon  -S.  Rowe,  John  F.  Newton,  Phineas  B.  vSmith,  James 
Bennett  Forsyth,  Augustus  Richardson,  George  Curtis,  B.  Rodman 
Weld.  As  one  of  the  two  local  banks,  the  National  Rockland  Bank 
has  had  a  prosperous  career,  and  has  steadily  increased  in  business  and 
in  the  confidence  of  the  business  communit3^ 

According  to  the  report  made  by  the  officers  of  this  bank  at  the  close 
of  business,  March  (i,  1S!)3,  to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency,  its  co^-'- 
dition  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,34(5,590.82 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 7. 80 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50, ()()(). 00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 20,432.00 

iJue  from  approved  reserve  agents 1 18, 120. 57 

Due  from  other  National   Banks. _■ 5,281.24 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 8,400.54 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 18.354.14 

Bills  of  other  banks 17,655.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 750. 10 

Specie 109,084.50 

Legal  tender  notes 38,9(55.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $1, 745,897. 73 

LIAKILn  lES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    300,000.00 

Surplus  fund 150,000.00 

Undivided  profits 42,364. 17 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding '_  44,200.00 

Dividends  unpaid 1 ,  366. 00 

Individiial  deposits  subject  to  check .  1,170,666.16 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 37,331.40 

Total $1,745,897.73 


336  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

BOSTON    NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  Boston  National  Bank  was  organized  under  a  State  charter, 
June  4,  1,S53,  with  a  capital  of  $300, 000,  which  in  April,  1854,  was 
increased  to  $750,000.  The  original  directors  were  John  H.  Wil- 
khis,  Otis  Daniell,  J.  E.  Hazelton,  William  H.  Hill,  David  Kim- 
ball, A.  K.  P.  Cooper,  J.  M.  S.  Williams,  Abraham  T.  Lowe,  and 
Jonathan  Preston.  John  H.  Wilkins  was  elected  its  first  president 
and  Charles  B.  Hull  cashier.  March  24,  18ii4,  a  reorganization 
was  perfected  under  the  National  Bank  act,  when  the  name  of  the 
institution  was  changed  to  its  present  title  of  the  Boston  National 
Bank.  In  ISOS  the  capital  stock  was  increased  to  $1,000,000.  Charles 
B.  Hull,  the  first  cashier  of  the  bank,  and  later  president,  was  at  one 
time  treasurer  of  the  Commonwealth.  The  present  officers  of  the  bank 
arc  vSilas  Pierce,  president,  who  has  been  a  director  since  1879;  D.  B. 
Hallett,  cashier,  who  has  been  in  the  service  of  the  bank  since  1855, 
and  David  Bates,  assistant  cashier,  whose  connection  with  the  bank 
dates  from  1860.  The  directors  for  181)2  are  David  L.  Webster,  Charles 
vS.  Kendall,  William  A.  Russell,  Lyman  Nichols,  Silas  Pierce,  J.  E. 
Hall,  John  C.  Howe,  and  W.  W.  Blackmar. 

The  report  of  the  officers  of  this  bank  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency, made  at  the  close  of  business,  March  6,  18',)3,  shows  the  condi- 
tion of  the  bank  to  have  been  as  follows: 

KE.SOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2,551,98L76 

Overdrafts,  secured , 248.45 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 210, 1()2.50 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 209, 31 8. 32 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 786,298.23 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 2,()9<S.7() 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned 10,900.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 18,3(55.44 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 8,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 8,428.67 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 120,024.07 

Bills  of  other  banks 6, 134.00 

Specie 230,475. 00 

Legal  tender  notes 57,000.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 20,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  \] .  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $4,352,279. 14 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  337 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid,  in $1,()()0,UU0.U0 

Surplus  fund 157,000. UO 

Undivided  profits 120,091. 63 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding  ,.   45,000. 00 

Dividends  unpaid 63. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 2,308,855.30 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 50,206.23 

Certified  checks 1,800.00 

Due  to  other  National  Bank 542,488.90 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 101,774.08 

Bills  payable 25,000.00 

Total $4,352,279.14 

MONUMENT    NATIONAL   BANK. 

The  Monument  Bank  of  Charlestown,  now  the  Monument  National 
Bank,  was  granted  a  eharter  on  March  28,  lSo4,  with  a  capital  of  $150,- 
000.  The  meeting  of  the  petitioners  for  organization  was  held  at  the 
vSavings  Bank,  15  City  Square,  on  May  10  following,  at  which  a  code 
of  by-laws  was  adopted  and  the  following  named  gentlemen  elected  to 
constitute  a  board  of  directors,  viz.  ;  Peter  Hubbell,  jr.,  James  Dana, 
James  Lee,  jr.,  George  W.  White,  James  H.  Conant,  James  O.  Curtis, 
and  Alexander  Beal.  At  subsequent  meetings  of  the  directors,  Peter 
Hubbell  was  chosen  president  and  George  L.  Foote,  of  Cambridge, 
cashier. 

At  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the  subscribers  to  the  capital  stock, 
held  October  3,  1854,  the  same  directors  were  re-elected  with  one  ex- 
ception, Andrew  Sawtell  being  substituted  for  Mr.  Beal.  With  this 
board  of  directors,  president  and  cashier  before  named,  the  Monument 
Bank  opened  for  business  on  March  14,  1855,  and  entered  at  once  upon 
a  prosperous  career,  paying  its  first  dividend  of  three  per  cent,  on  the 
1st  of  October  following. 

During  the  first  decade,  which  covered  the  history  of  the  bank  as  a 
State  corporation,  the  banking  institutions  of  the  country  were  com- 
pelled to  encounter  the  memorable  panic  of  1857,  and  later,  the  fail- 
ures, depression  and  general  derangement  of  business  occasioned  by 
the  civil  war.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  Monument  Bank, 
however  well  handled,  would  pass  through  unscathed.  During  this  ten 
years  its  total  loans  amounted  to  $1),  328, 000,  and  it  losses  to  $10,040, 
or  -^yJ-_  of  one  per  cent,  of  the  amount  loaned,  under  the  circumstances 
13 


338  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

a  very  creditable   showing-.      Notwithstanding  these    losses  the  ban 
continued  its  regular  dividends  in   April   and   October  of  each  year, 
dividing    among    its   stockholders    for  this   entire    period    an    average 
annual  dividend  of  seven  and  fifteen-hundredths  per  cent. 

At  the  date  of  its  annual  meeting  in  October,  1864,  a  large  majority 
of  the  banks  throughout  the  country  having  reorganized  under  the 
National  Banking  act,  the  directors  were  authorized  to  take  such 
action  as  would  enable  the  bank  to  become  a  national  banking  associa- 
tion under  this  act.  This  change  was  subsequently  made  by  the  direct- 
ors with(^ut  any  interruption  of  business,  the  Monument  Bank  assum- 
ing its  new  title  of  the  Monument  National  Bank  of  Charlestown,  May 
1,  1805.  The  board  of  directors  at  this  time  consisted  of  Peter  Hub- 
bell,  James  O.  Curtis,  Andrew  Sawtell,  Bradley  M.  Clark,  Josiah  F. 
Guild  and  Amos  Stone,  Clark  and  Guild  having  been  elected  at  the 
annual  meeting  in  October,  1858,  and  Mr.  Stone  in  October,  18()3. 

Mr.  Hubbell  held  the  office  of  president  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  January  1),  ISTl  ;  James  O.  Curtis  was  elected  his  successor 
and  served  imtil  his  death,  March  3,  18!)0,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
the  present  president  of  the  bank,  Amos  Stone.  Mr.  Stone  has  been 
a  director  since  18ti3.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Charlestown  Five 
Cents  Savings  Bank  and  of  the  Mutual  Protection  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Foote  resigned  his  position  as  cashier  in  December  following  the 
reorganization  of  the  bank  for  the  purpose  of  entering  the  private 
banking  business  in  Boston,  but  his  valuable  experience  was  retained 
in  the  interest  of  the  bank  by  his  immediate  election  as  a  member  of 
the  board  of  directors.  He  was  succeeded  as  cashier  January  1,  1806, 
by  the  present  incumbent  of  the  office,  Warren  Sanger,  who  has  abh' 
and  most  efficiently  discharged  the  duties  of  the  position. 

Of  the  members  of  the  board  of  directors  for  18'.t'-2,  consisting  of 
Amos  wStone,  Henry  C.  Rand,  (ieorge  B.  Neal,  Warren  Sanger  and 
Mark  F.  Burns,  "Mr.  vStone  is  the  oldest  in  point  of  service,  having  been 
elected  in  1803.  Mr.  Rand  was  elected  in  18ri),  Mr.  Neal  in  1880,  Mr. 
Sanger  in  1888,  and  Mr.  Burns  in  18'Jl. 

The  Moniuiicnt  Bank  bequeathed  to  its  successor,  the  Monument 
National  Bank,  a  good  reputation,  a  good  business  and  a  reserve  of 
undivided  profits  equal  to  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  its  capital.  Com- 
mencing under  these  favorable  auspices  just  after  the  close  of  the  civil 
war,  the  bank,  under  the   national   system,  has  continued  its  career  of 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  3^9 

prosperity  and  success.  Conservative  management,  as  applied  to  the 
payment  of  dividends,  as  well  as  to  the  general  affairs  of  the  bank,  has 
placed  this  institution  in  the  front  rank  of  the  national  banking  associa- 
tions of  Boston. 

According  to  the  report  of  the  officers  of  this  bank  to  the  comptroller 
of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (»,  1S03,  its  condition 
was  a  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $613,436.02 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  tnisecured 30. 97 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,   securities,    etc 77,500.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 111,015.22 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid .. 4,341.61 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 5,345.95 

Bills  of  other  banks 2,736.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 11.34 

Specie 25,365.80 

Legal  tender  notes 11,200.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $903,232.91 

LI.AlBILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $150,000.00 

Surplus  fund 160,000.00 

Undivided  profits 70, 610. 42 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 42,900.00 

Dividends  unpaid 150-  00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check .    473,236.96 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 6,177.11 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 158.42 

Total : . ■- $903,232.91 

NATIONAL    MARKET    BANK   OF    BRIGHTON. 

The  National  Market  Bank  of  Brighton  was  incorporated  as  a  State 
institution,  under  the  name  of  the  Market  Bank  of  Brighton,  March  28, 
1854.  Among  the  incorporators  named  in  the  act  were:  Life  Baldwin, 
Charles  Heard  and  Granville  Fuller.  Its  original  capital  was  $100,000, 
which  has  since  been  increased  to  $250,000.  It  was  reorganized  under 
its  present  name  in  18(i5.  The  present  officers  of  the  bank  are  as  fol- 
lows:  President,  Granville  Fuller;  cashier,  Frank  G.  Newhall ;  direct- 
ors, B.  M.  Fiske,  G.  A.  Fuller,  Hiram  Barker,  Granville  Fuller, 
Albert  A.  Taylor,  Homer  Rogers  and  Henry  F.  Coe. 


340  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  following  is  the  report  of  the  officers  of  this  bank  to  the.  comp- 
troller of  the  currency,  at  the  close  of  business,  March  G,  1893: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $  57B,975.r)l 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 1,146.21 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc.  47,500.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents •_ 2,471.70 

Ctn-rent  expenses  and  taxes  paid 2,282.50 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds .  -  -  7,875.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items S,Sl().Of) 

Bills  of  other  banks 5,(;iS.OO 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents _ .  187.77 

Specie 1 1 ,  (i08. 00 

Legal  tender  notes 15,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $    738,224.75 

LIAHILrriES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $  250,000.00 

Surplus  fund 50,000.00 

Undivided  proHts 1 9,024. %\ 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 40,500.00 

Dividends  unpaid 1,170.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check $818,23(5.01 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 57,425.38 

375,(i(Jl.;{4 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 968.48 

Total $    738.224.75 

NATIONAL    HIDE    AND    LEATHER    BANK. 

The  National  Hide  and  Leather  Uank  was  incorporated  in  May,  1857, 
as  a  State  institution,  und(jr  the  name  of  the  Hide  and  Leather  Bank, 
with  a  capital  of  |;i, ()()(), ()()().  The  original  board  of  directors  consisted  of 
John  Field,  Albert  Thompson,  Lee  Clatlin,  John  I>aury,  Henry  Poor, 
William  Clatlin,  Daniel  Harwood,  N.  W.  Keen,  Samuel  Atherton,  T. 
Batcheller,  James  S.  Stone  and  Frederick  Jones. 

The  original  stockholders  of  this  bank  included  the  following  promi- 
nent citizens  and  firms: 

John  B.  Alley 150       Alderman  &  Gore 50 

P.  Ames  &  Sons 100       George  M.  Barnard 25 

Samuel  Atherton Ill       T.  <.V  E.  Batcheller ..100 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  341 

O.  Bennett 5U  John  P.  Ober  _ .  _ 50 

Henry  Boggs 50  Charles  H.  Parker .  50 

Campbell,  Harwood  &  Co. 50  Charles  C.  Poor 50 

William  Claflin 200  Henry  Poor 74 

Lee  Claflin 350  Charles  Rice 50 

D.  M.  Christie _  50  Nathan  Robbins 100 

Field,  Converse  &  Co 100  James  S.  Stone 82 

John  Field .■ 54  Albert  Thompson 50 

Fay  &  Stone ,.__   50  James  Tucker,  jr ■ ....__  20 

Joseph  Holmes 50  James  P.  Thorndike 50 

Daniel  Harwood 104  Mace  Tisdell 50 

C.  C.  Plarvey 50  E.  W.  Upton . .  .100 

William  H.  Hill 50  Robt.  Upton 50 

Frederick  Jones 67  Foster  Waterman 50 

Keen,  Reed  &  Bryant 140  Pierce,  Brothers  &  Flanders 50 

N.  M.  Keen 100  Rising,  Lester.  Child  &  Co. 50 

At  a  meeting-  of  the  directors,  held  at  the  American   House  June  25, 

1857,  Lee  Claflin  was  chosen  president. 

On  the  loth  of  March,  1804,  the  directors  were  empowered,  when 
they  should  deem  it  expedient,  after  having  obtained  the  consent  of 
the  owners  of  two-thirds  of  the  capital  stock,  to  take  the  usual  steps  to 
transform  the  institution  into  a  national  bank.  On  March  2(i,  18''»4,  it 
was  voted  to  become  a  national  bank,  and  on  the  27th  of  June  follow- 
ing it  commenced  operations  as  the  National  Hide  and  Leather  Bank. 
Since  then  the  capital  has  been  increased  to  its  present  amount, 
$1,500, 000. 

This  bank  was  located  in  1857  at  77  Pearl  street,   and  from  April  1, 

1858,  to  January,  1803,  in  the  Suffolk  Bank  building.  At  the  latter  date 
it  moved  into  the  vSimmons  Block,  corner  of  Congress  and  Water  streets, 
where  it  remained  until  the  building  was  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  of 
1872.  Since  April,  187-4,  it  for  a  time  was  located  at  70  Federal  street, 
corner  of  Franklin,  but  now  occupies  fine  quarters  corner  of  Congress 
and  Milk  streets. 

The  Hide  and  Leather  Bank  has  had  four  presidents:  Lee  Claflin 
from  June  25,  1857,  to  October  li»,  1800;  Daniel  Harwood  from  that 
date  till  succeeded  by  ex-Governor  William  Claflin,  who  remained  till 
January,  1875,  when  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  the  present 
president,  George  Ripley.  Mr.  Ripley  was  cashier  (jf  the  Hartford 
Bank,  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  18(;o.  From  that  year  until  1870  he  was 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  paper  in  Lowell,  Mass.  From  1872  to 
1875  he  was  national  bank  examiner. 


342  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

This  bank  has  had  five  cashiers:  John  S.  March,  from  its  orig-in  initil 
he  was  made  vice-president;  James  D.  Martin  from  that  time  nntil  he 
resig'ned,  April  '28,  1808,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  William  Bassett; 
George  N.  Jones,  who  resigned  February  28,  1878,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  present  cashier,  vSamuel  Carr,  jr. 

The  National  Hide  and  Leather  Bank  has  suffered  by  no  forgeries, 
but  in  the  early  part  of  1808  a  defalcation  of  over  |!500,(»00  was  dis- 
covered in  the  accounts  of  the  cavshier,  who  had  for  years  permitted 
certain  outside  parties  to  overdraw  to  that  amount,  although  it  is  not 
supposed  that  he  received  or  expected  to  receive  any  pecuniary  benefits 
from  the  collusion. 

The  directors  of  this  bank  for  1S<)2  are:  William  Claflin,  Alfred  L. 
Ripley,  George  Ripley,  R.  H.  Stearns,  Gilman  B.  Dubois,  Jacob  Rog- 
ers and  George  G.  Davis.  Of  this  board,  William  Claflin  has  served 
ever  since  the  origin  of  the  Ijank. 

The  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency at  the  close  of  business  March  (J,   18",):),  was  as  follows: 

KESUUKCEb. 

Loans  and  discounts . .  _  $3,023,089.45 

Overdrafts,    unsecured . _ 2. 48 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 5(1,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc •_ 218,7!)0.24 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents ., 271 . !)!)! .  1)5 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 339, 63;}.  04 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid .  27,407.60 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 3,073.77 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 163,748.72 

Bills  of  other  banks 1,908.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 1,191.43 

Specie 199,574.15 

Legal  tender  notes 32,871.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer (5  percent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 


Total $4,335,531.84 

I.I.\l!lLniES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 300,000.00 

Undivided   profits 1.52,416.63 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends   unpaid 72.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 901,461.77 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 30,328.48 

Certified  checks 10,450.00 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  343 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,111,365.39 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers. . 284,437.57 

Total _• $4, 335,531 .  84 

NATIONAL  BANK  OF  REDEMPTION. 

The  year  1858  was  marked  by  the  disturbance  of  the  Suffolk  Bank 
system.  For  several  years  previously  the  banks  of  New  England  had 
contemplated  the  establishment  of  a  bank  to  perform  the  work  of  assort- 
ing country  money,  the  profits  on  which  were  supposed  to  be  large, 
to  be  divided  among  them.  With  this  view  the  Bank  of  Mutual  Re- 
demption was  incorporated  in  1855,  with  an  authorized  capital  not 
exceeding  $3, 000, 000,  to  which  the  banks  of  Massachusetts  were  to 
subscribe  one-half  and  the  other  New  England  banks  the  other  half; 
no  bank  to  subscribe  over  five  per  cent,  of  its  capital.  The  new  bank 
was  subjected  to  special  restrictions  in  regard  to  -its  issues  and  loans. 
It  was  not  until  1858  that  the  Bank  of  Mutual  Redemption  commenced 
operations  with  a  capital  of  $5(51, 700  and  the  following  directors: 
James  G.  Carney,  of  Lowell,  Mass.  ;  Franklin  Nichols,  Norwich,  Conn.  ; 
Almon  D.  Hodge,  Boston;  Stephen  N.  Mason,  Woonsocket,  R.  T.  ; 
Charles  Francis  Adams,  Quincy,  Mass.  ;  Ezra  Farnsworth,  Boston ; 
Francis  H.  Dewey,  Worcester,  Mass.  ;  Jacob  H.  Loud,  Plymouth,  Mass.  ; 
Geo.  W.  Thayer,  Boston;  Chester  W.  Chapin,  Springfield,  Mass.,  and 
Adam  W.  Thaxter,  Boston.  James  G.  Carney  was  chosen  president 
and  Henry  P.  Shed  cashier.  The  vSuffolk  Bank  system  had  produced 
results  so  excellent,  and  assumed  a  position  of  so  much  importance  that 
the  majority  of  the  Boston  banks  were  opposed  to  the  attempt  to  sup- 
plant it,  and  refused  the  Bank  of  Mutual  Redemption  admission  to  the 
Clearing-house  Association.  The  division  of  the  business  of  redemp- 
tion caused  considerable  bitterness;  the  friction  arising  finally  led  the 
Suffolk  Bank  directors  to  give  notice  that  they  would  discontinue  the 
business  of  assorting  country  money  after  November,  1858.  The  Bank 
of  Redemption  having  subsecjuently  signified  its  readiness  to  receive 
country  money  at  the  rate  of  twenty-five  cents  per  $1,000,  several  of  the 
Boston  banks  made  a  permanent  arrangement  with  the  Suffolk  Bank 
on  this  basis.  Others  transferred  their  business  to  the  Bank  of  Miitual 
Redemption,  which  in  April,  1858,  had  one  htmdred  and.  forty-three 
banks,  or  about  half  the  banks  of  New  England,  as  its  stockholders.  At 
this  early  date  the  bank  employed  a  clerical  force  of  fifty  in  its  re- 
demption department  alon-e.      The   system   of  redemption   of  country 


344  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

money  was  successfuly  conducted  nntil  the  establishment  of  the 
national  bank  system  which  rendered  it  no  lono^er  useful  or  practicable. 

In  October,  1S(;4,  this  bank  was  organized  as  the  National  Bank  of 
Redemption,  vmder  the  National  Banking  act,  making  at  the  time  a  stock 
dividend  of  twenty  per  cent,  and  increasing  its  capital  stock  to  $1,000,- 
000,  since  which  time  it  has  always  paid  from  six  per  cent,  to  ten  per 
cent,  in  annual  dividends,  and  now  shows  surplus  and  profits  of  over 
half  a  million  dollars.  The  general  and  special  character  of  its  organ- 
ization as  a  bank  of  redemption  gave  it  a  most  fortunate  relationship 
as  a  reserve  agent  for  many  New  England  banks,  a  feature  which 
has  been  preserved  to  the  present  day,  and  which  is  now  so  prominently 
manifest  in  its  bank  deposits  of  over  $5,000,000,  besides  individual  de- 
posits of  over  $2,()()0,()00.  Chas.  A.  Presbrey  is  the  oldest  officer  of 
the  bank,  having  been  cashier  since  February,  bSi;;).  James  B.  Case 
has  been  president  since  November,  1S(SS.  The  directors  for  1892  are: 
James  B.  Case,  Jacob  Edwards,  Charles  A.  Grinnell,  Dexter  N. 
Richards,  Theophilus  King,  ().  H.  Alford,  J.  Albert  Walker,  Henry 
M.  Knowles  and  Spencer  W.  Richardson. 

The  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency at  the  close  of  business,  March  (i,   1S'.):5,  was  as  follows: 

KKSOl'KCE.S. 

Loans  and  discounts $5, 1M9/J()y.24 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 8,07S.2!) 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation... 4(»0,()(K).()() 

Stocks,  securities,   etc 31,281.78 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents . .  681,983.05 

Due  from  other  National  Banks. 1,083,530.97 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 37,205.35 

Interest  and  exchange 33, 648. 57 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 44,205. 19 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds . .  55,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 7,412.23 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 891.721.46 

Bills  of  other  banks 16,045.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 13.46 

Specie 557,402.85 

Legal  tender  notes. 52,006.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 10,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  circulation)  18,000.00 
Due  from  U.  S.   treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,   redemption 

fund 8,000.00 

Total $9, 120,453. 44 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  345 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in . $1,UUU, 000.00 

Surplus  fund 400,000.00 

Undivided  profits 158,548.;^) 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding :M7, 100. 00 

Dividends  unpaid 252. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,954,621.38 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 97,402.58 

Certified  checks 150, 152. 16 

Due  to  other  National  Banks '  3,4:^4,290.62 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 968,086.45 

Bills  payable 610,000.00 

Total $9, 120,453.44 

NATIONAL  BANK  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 

At  the  office  of  the  China  Mutual  In.surance  Company,  on  the  14th 
of  December,  185!),  the  first  meetino-  of  the  subscribers  to  tlie  stock  of 
the  Bank  of  the  Republic  was  held  for  the  purpose  of  organizing", 
choosing  directors,  etc.  The  capital  stock  was  fixed  at  $0(H»,(i(»(),  in 
shares  of  $100  each.  The  whole  number  of  shares  already  subscribed 
was  found  to  be  1,(S27,  representing  oo4  votes,  all  of  which  were  cast  for 
the  following  ten  gentlemen,  who  were  accordingly  elected  the  first 
board  of  directors:  David  Snow,  Aaron  Kimball,  Horatio  Chickering, 
Thomas  Nickerson,  S.  G.  Palmer,  Asa  Jacob,  Charles  W.  Pierce, 
Joseph  J.  AVhiting,  Franklin  L.  Fay  and  Joseph  F.  Dane.  The  articles 
of  association  were  then  accepted  and  signed  by  the  following  twenty- 
seven  subscribers,  who  tocjk  the  nuinber  of  shares  affixed  to  their 
names,  and  who  were  the  real  founders  of  the  bank ; 

David  Snow, 700  John  J.  Newcomb,- 25 

Gen.  John  S.  Tyler, 10  Charles  S.  Kendall, 10 

Joseph  Nickerson, 100  Pierce  Brothers  &  Flanders, 100 

Charles  B.  F.  Adams, 100  S.  G.  Palmer,.  _ ..    50 

J.  Baker  &  Co., 20  S.  G.  Palmer  ,S:  Co., 50 

Horace  Scudder  &  Co. , 100  F.  L.  Fay, 50 

Daniel  Harwood, 10  Fa}^  &  Stone, 50 

Frederick  Jones, 10  John   Borrowscale, 10 

F.  Nickerson  &  Son, 100  Aaron  Kimball, 100 

Horatio  Chickering,   50  Joseph  J.  Whiting, 50 

A.  &  A.  Jacobs, 100  Thomas  Nickerson 50 

Horatio  Otis  Briggs,  . . 25  Nickerson  &  Co. , 50 

Joseph  T.  Dane, 100  Plumer  &  Co. , ,.._.____._.  10 

Edwin  Briggs, 25 

44 


346  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Thus  the  shares  subscribed  for  on  that  day,  December  14,  1850,  were 
2,055,  representin,!^-  $205,500.  On  the  same  day,  by  unanimous  vote, 
David  Snow  was  elected  president  of  the  bank.  On  the  31st  of  the 
same  month,  T.  C.  Severance  was  chosen  cashier;  Charles  A.  Vialle 
paying  teller,  and  Lloyd  Briggs  messenger.  On  the  !)th  of  January, 
18G0,  Nathan  P.  Lamson  was  chosen  bookkeeper. 

The  bank  was  opened  for  business  in  February,  1860,  in  the  Wiggles- 
worth  Building  on  State  street.  On  the  17th  of  May  following  it  was 
voted  to  increase  the  capital  to  $1,000,000.  At  the  fourth  annual 
meeting  of  the  stockholders  held  in  November,  1863,  a  formal  ballot 
was  taken  relative  to  changing  to  the  National  Bank  system,  and  of  the 
whole  number  of  votes  cast,  157,  all  but  ten  were  in  favor  of  the  meas- 
ure. Pursuant  to  this  result  on  the  Kith  of  March,  1864,  at  a  special 
meeting  of  the  stockholders,  the  pfeliminary  steps  were  taken  to 
become  a  national  bank.  On  the  13th  of  April,  1864,  Hugh  McCulloch, 
comptroller  of  the  currency,  sent  a  certificate  authorizing  the  bank  to  com- 
mence operations  as  a  national  bank,  and  on  the  2d  of  May  it  did  so 
under  its  present  name,  National  Bank  of  the  Republic.  It  was  the 
third  bank  in  Boston  organized  as  a  national  bank,  the  Safety  Fund 
having  been  the  first  and  the  Granite  second. 

David  Snow  continued  as  president  of  the  institution  from  its  origin 
until  his  death  January  12,  1876.  On  the  24th  of  the  same  month  he 
was  succeeded  by  Harrison  Otis  Briggs.  Mr.  Briggs  had  been  a 
director  of  the  bank  almost  from  the  beginning,  and  from  1853  to  1858 
had  been  a  director  of  the  Broadway  Bank,  South  Boston.  Mr.  Briggs 
was  succeeded  by  Charles  A.  Vialle,  who  has  since  ably  filled  the 
position. 

T.  C.  Severance,  the  first  cashier  of  the  bank,  resigned  on  the  13th 
of  February,  1862,  on  account  of  seriously  impaired  health.  The  office 
was  then  tendered  to  Charles  A.  Vialle,  but  he  declined,  and  William 
Bassett,  jr.,  was  elected.  Mr.  Bassett  resigned  on  Jime  4,  1863,  when 
Charles  A.  Vialle  was  selected  and  held  the  positicni  until  elected  presi- 
dent. He  was  succeeded  by  Henry  D.  Forbes,  who  has  been  in  the 
service  of  the  bank  for  twenty-eight  years.  Mr.  Vialle  is  the  only  one 
of  the  original  officers  still  connected  with  the  bank.  He  commenced  his 
banking  career  as  messenger  in  the  Suffolk  Bank,  was  afterwards  teller 
in  the  Bank  of  the  Metropolis,  and  has  served  the  Bank  of  the  Repub- 
lic (vState  and  national)  throughout  its  whole  existence  with  conspicu- 
ous abilitv  and  fidelitv. 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  347 

On  the  1st  of  April,  18G0,  the  capital  stock  of  this  institution  was  in- 
creased from  $1,000,000  to  $1,500,000,  one-half  of  the  assessment, 
$500,000,  was  a  stock  dividend  of  twenty-five  per  cent,  and  amounting 
to  $250,000.  This  institution  was  a  fiscal  agent  of  the  United  States 
Treasury  Department  from  ISfU  to  1872,  and  during  this  time  negotiated 
very  large  amounts  of  treasury  notes,  7-30's;  and  of  10-40  bonds.  The 
largest  amount  it  subscribed  for,  in  one  day,  was  $1,500,000.  At  one 
time  it  had  a  deposit  of  over  $5,000,000  of  government  money. 

The  board  of  directors  of  the  National  Bank  of  the  Republic  for  1892 
is  composed  of  Frederick  D.  Allen,  George  W.  Merrett,  Albert  Stone, 
Charles  W.  Field,  C.  A.  Vialle,  Jacob  P.  Bates,  William  G.  Benedict 
and  Costello  C.  Converse. 

The  condition  of  the  bank  at  the  close  of  business  March  <;,  181(3, 
as  reported  to  the  cotnptroller  of  the  currency,  was  as  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts §  7,439,440.28 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 510.27 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation .")(),()()(). 00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc.. '       47,800.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 1,165,000.30 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 521,1(54.39 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 14, 432. 85 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 39,245.49 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 355,925.06 

Bills  of  other   banks 10,000.00 

Specie 485,000.00 

Legal  tender  notes 319,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $1 0,449, 804. 59 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in S  1,500,000.00 

Surplus  fund . _  1,000,000.00 

Undivided  profits 292,839.84 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 59. 50 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check $4,887,916.55 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 120,778.35 

Certified  checks 40, 833. 18 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,422,755.40 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 514,621.77 

6.986,905.25 

Bills  paj-able 625, 000. 00 

Total §10,449,80459 


848  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

NATIONAL  REVERE  BANK. 

The  Revere  Bank  of  Boston  was  incorporated  in  March,  185!).  The 
provisions  of  the  charter  were  in  accordance  with  the  bankincj  act  passed 
in  1851,  and  the  additional  act  passed  in  1852.  Tlie  authorized  capital 
was  $000,000  in  0,000  shares  of  $100  each.  The  bank  commenced  oper- 
ations on  the  ;kl  of  May,  1850.  The  first  board  of  directors  was  com.- 
posed  of  George  Blackburn,  Osmyn  Brewster,  W.  L.  Beal,  Charles  S. 
Cutter,  John  Cowdin,  W.  F.  Goodwin,  E.  R.  Hoar,  George  Linder,  Ed- 
win Parker,  T.  P.  Rich,  and  vSamuel  H.  Walley.  At  the  first  meeting 
of  the  directors  held  March  14-,  1859,  vSamuel  H.  Walley  was  elected 
president,  and  John  W.  Lefavour  cashier.  The  subscriptions  to  its  en- 
tire capital  stock  was  completed  and  paid  in  within  six  weeks  after  its 
subscription  books  were  opened,  and  it  is  a  significant  fact  that  they 
embrace  a  larger  number  of  incorporated  institutions  than  the  original 
lists  of  any  of  the  older  banks  of  Boston,  and  the  best  commentary  upon 
the  soundness  and  success  of  the  Revere  Bank  is  the  further  fact  that 
most,  if  not  all,  of  these  institutions  still  remain  stockholders  in  it. 
The  bank  commenced  business  on  the  corner  of  Franklin  and  Devon- 
shire streets.  In  July,  1S5!»,  the  capital  stock  was  increased  to  $1,000,- 
000,  and  at  the  end  of  the  first  year's  business  the  condition  of  the 
beank  was  reported  upon  by  a  special  ccjinmittee,  from  which  report 
the  following  facts  are  taken:  Individual  deposits  $403, 62!). 90,  bank 
deposits  $184,877.48,  circulation  $155,745.00,  notes  discounted  $1,589,- 
777.53.  There  was  at  that  date  but  one  debt  overdue  to  the  bank,  a 
sum  of  $041.01,  and  that  was  believed  to  be  fully  secured.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  and  throughout  the  civil  war  the  officers  of  the  Revere 
Bank  were  foremost  in  illustrating  the  patriotic  spirit  which  has  alwa3^s 
been  signally  manifested  by  the  Boston  banks,  and  in  a  most  practical, 
serviceable,  and  ready  manner.  John  W.  Lefavour,  on  account  of  ill 
health,  resigned  his  position  as  cashier  in  June,  18(;4,  and  was  succeeded 
by  the  present  cashier  Henry  Blasdale. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1805,  the  Revere  Bank  was  reorganized  under  the 
National  Bank  act,  and  assumed  its  present  title  of  National  Revere 
Bank.  In  that  year  the  market  value  of  its  shares  ranged  from  113_^ 
to  130,  and  its  dividends,  regular,  and  extra  amounted  to  a  total  of  six- 
teen per  cent,  on  its  capital  stock  of  $1,000,000.  The  capital  stock  of 
the  Revere  Bank  remained  from  October  7,  185!),  to  May  28,  1809,  at 
$1,000,000.  On  the  latter  date  it  was  increased  to  $2,000,000,  on  which 
basis  the  bank  was  carried  on  until  January  8,  187s,  when  the  capital 
was  reduced  to  $1,500,000. 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  349 

Durin^^  the  great  fire  of  1S72  the  bank  building  was  destroyed,  and 
the  bank's  safe,  which  had  been  built  on  a  stone  foundation,  was  thrown 
into  the  middle  of  the  street.  Its  contents  were  found  substantially 
uninjured.  Business  was  quickly  resumed  after  the  fire  in  rooms  in 
the  Sears  Building,  where  the  bank  remained  for  about  two  years.  On 
August  1,  1ST4,  rebuilding  having  been  completed,  it  was  returned  to 
its  original  site,  but  occup5'ing  the  lower  floor  instead  of  the  second 
floor  as  before  the  fire. 

The  National  Revere  Bank  has  had  but  three  presidents  since  its  or- 
ganization. Hon.  vSamuel  H.  Walley,  its  first  president,  was  long  a 
prominent  citizen  of  Boston  and  Roxbury,  at  one  time  representing  the 
latter  district  in  Congress.  He  was  ever  active  and  interested  in  mat- 
ters connected  with  his  business,  with  the  city  where  he  lived,  and  with 
the  old  South  Church,  of  which  he  was  treasurer  for  many  years.  He 
held  the  office  of  president  of  the  Revere  Bank  from  March  14,  1859, 
till  the  time  of  his  death  August  27,  1877.  Hon.  Samuel  C.  Cobb  had 
been  elected  a  director  in  January,  187(5,  and  after  the  death  of  Mr. 
Walley  was  chosen  president.  Mr.  Cobb  came  to  Boston  from  Taun- 
ton in  18-l:-2,  and  pursued  a  mercantile  career,  finally  becoming  a  part- 
ner of  the  house  of  Cunningham  &  Cobb,  and  later  Wheelwright  &  Cobb. 
For  three  years  he  served  as  mayor  of  Boston,  an  office  he  filled  with 
most  honorable  fidelity.  Mr.  Cobb  had  served  as  president  of  the  Re- 
vere Bank  scarcely  seven  months,  when  he  accepted,  much  to  the  re- 
gret of  his  fellow  directors  of  the  bank,  the  position  of  actuary  of  the 
Massachusetts  Hospital  Life  Insurance  Company.  He  accordingly  re- 
signed as  president  and  director  of  the  bank  March  30,  1878.  Mr. 
George  S.  Bullens  was  thereupon  chosen  as  Mr.  Cobb's  successor,  and 
has  since  served  most  acceptably  as  president.  Mr.  Bullens  came  to 
Boston  from  Chicopee  in  1848,  and  soon  entered  the  counting-room  of 
J.  C.  Howe  &  Co.,  a  leading  dry  goods  house  in  this  city.  He  rapidly 
advanced,  and  long  before  the  dissolution  of  the  house  was  a  partner 
and  financial  manager  of  the  firm. 

James  A.  Woolson  is  the  oldest  director  of  the  Revere  Bank,  having 
been  elected  in  November,  1859,  only  six  months  after  its  organization. 
The  present  board  is  composed  of  George  S.  Bullens,  Joseph  Sawyer, 
James  A.  Woolson,  Gorham  Rogers,  John  C.  Potter,  Franklin  E.  Greg- 
ory, George  A.  Alden,  Henry  A.  Rice,  jr.,  and  Henry  O.  Houghton. 

The  condition  of  the  National  Revere  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  clo.se  of  business,  March  (i,  1 893,  was  as 
follows: 


360  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts |4, 17P>,94r).64 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 105. 8S 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 46,384.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 784,464. 58 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 625,184. 66 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 639. 22 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 38,058.96 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds.  _. 5,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 3,210.34 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house : 95,071.85 

Bills  of  other  banks 17,334.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 257.07 

Specie : : 313,652.75 

Legal  tender  notes 122,500.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasury  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $6,27S,05S.  90 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1 ,500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 140,000.00 

Undivided    profits H6,677.68 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 42,140.00 

Dividends  unpaid 60. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check $2,362,998.32 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 20, 1 51. 39 

Certified  checks 2,875.00 

Due  to  approved  reserve  agents .  _       229, 631 . 25 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,504,744. 80 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 273,780.46 

Bills  payable 115,000.00 

4,509,181.22 

Total $6,278,058.90 

FIRST  NATIONAL   BANK. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Boston  was  orij^inally  org-anized  as  a  State 
institution,  nnclcr  the  name  of  the  vSafety  Fund  Bank,  on  January  3, 
ISoO,  with  a  capital  of  $r.()0, ()()(),  which  in  October  of  the  same  year  was 
increased  to  $1,0()(),(»()().  The  original  directors  were:  Abraham  T. 
Lowe,  F.  S.  Carruth,  William  H.  Hill,  Wm.  J.  Reynolds,  S.  H.  Howe, 
Nol)le  H.  Hill,  Isaac  Fenno,  Isaac  vSweetser,  Charles  W.  Bryant,  Otis 
Daniell,  and  Artemas  Stone,  of  whom  but  one,  Isaac  Fenno,  is  still  con- 
nected with  the  bank. 


BANKING   INSriTUTIONS.  351 

Tlie  orig-inal  articles  of  association  were  signed  by  the  followino- 
stockholders  who  subscribed  for  the  number  of  shares  affixed  to  their 
names : 

Abraham  T.  Lowe 200  Woodman,  Horsewell  &  Co 10 

William  Hill 200  Baldwin  &  Curry 20 

William  J.  Reynolds  _ 200  Anderson,  Sargent  &  Co 50 

S.   H.   Howe 100  Austin,   Sumner  &  Co 25 

Isaac  Fenno 100  Milton,  Cushman  &  Co 50 

Artemas  Stone... 100  M.  &  N.  Crocker 10 

Francis  S.  Carruth 100  William  J.  Cutler ,10 

Isaac  Sweetser 100  Joseph  A.   Hyde 10 

Charles  W.  Bryant 100  Cashing  Mitchell 10 

Otis  Daniell 100  Rust  &  Copeland 10 

Noble  H.  Hill 100  A.  B.Wheeler 5 

Charles  C.  Henshaw 10  William  H.  Hill,  jr 2 

C.  R.  Ransom 100  Seth  Turner 15 

These  1,737  shares,  or  $173,700  of  the  capital  stock,  formed  the  nu- 
cleus of  the  original  capital  of  $(;00,OOO. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  directors  of  the  Safety  Fund  Bank,  all  of 
whom  were  men  of  wealth  and  character,  widely  known  in  the  com- 
mercial world,  was  held  on  the  3d  of  January,  1850,  the  day  of  their 
election,  when  Abraham  T.  Lowe  was  unanimously  elected  president, 
and  C.  R.  Ransom  cashier. 

The  Safety  Fiind  Bank  went  into  actual  operations  on  the  -tth  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1S5U,  and  was  prosperous  from  the  start.  On  the  2d  of  July, 
1850,  six  months  after  the  organization  of  the  bank,  the  directors  voted 
to  increase  its  capital  stock  to  an  amount  not  exceeding  $1,000,000.  At 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  stockholders  on  the  21st  of  November,  18r)3, 
the  directors  were  given  power  to  close  up  the  affairs  of  the  vSafety  Fund 
Bank,  and  to  organize  under  the  National  Bank  act.  Under  this  author- 
ity the  directors,  after  having  obtained  the  legal  consent  of  the  owners 
of  two-thirds  of  the  stock,  made  application  to  the  comptroller  of  the 
currency  that  the  bank  be  changed  to  a  national  institution.  A  certifi- 
cate was  received  on  the  22d  of  January,  ISG-l,  authorizing  the  directors 
to  organize  the  institution  as  a  national  bank,  and  it  was  accordingly 
voted  on  February  1,  1804,  that  the  Safety  Fund  Bank,  which  was  the 
first  bank  in  Boston  to  reorganize  under  the  national  law,  should  be 
transformed  into  a  national  bank  under  the  name  of  the  First  National 
Bank. 

The  first  annual  meeting  of  the  stockholders  after  reorganization  was 
held  January  10,  18G5,  at  which  meeting  1,028  votes  were  cast  for  the 


352  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

following  directors :  Abraham  T.  Lowe,  F.  S.  Carruth,  Otis  Daniell, 
William  H.  Hill,  William  J.  Reynolds,  Artemas  Stone,  Noble  H.  Hill, 
Isaac  Fenno,  Isaac  vSweetser,  William  J.  Cutler,  and  William  Atherton. 

The  predecessor  of  the  First  National  Bank,  the  Safety  Fund  Bank, 
began  business  in  the  Tremont  building,  41  State  street.  Since  1870 
the  bank  has  been  located  at  IT  State  street,  corner  of  Devonshire  and 
opposite  the  south  side  of  the  old  State  House.  Abraham  T.  Lowe, 
the  first  president  of  the  bank,  served  until  January,  1881.  For  several 
months  thereafter  Samuel  D.  Warren  served  as  president.  He  was 
succeeded  in  August,  1881,  by  John  Carr,  who  still  fills  this  position. 
From  the  organization  of  the  bank  until  March,  18G4,  Chandler  R.  Ran- 
som served  as  cashier,  being  then  succeeded  by  John  Carr,  who  held 
this  office  until  his  election  as  president  in  1881,  and  since  that  date 
Chas.  H.  Draper  has  been  cashier.  The  present  board  of  directors  is 
composed  of  Isaac  Fenno,  William  J.  Cutler,  John  Carr,  Mortimer  B. 
Mason,  William  H.  Hill  and  Charles  H.  Draper. 

The  condition  of  the  First  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the  comp- 
troller of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  0,  18!to,  was  as 
follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $4,009,962.36 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 113,300.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 330,581.24 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 489,385.66 

Bankmg  house,  furniture,  and  fixtures 250,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 34,886.65 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 66,306.89 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 393,863.46 

Bills  of  other  banks 13,566.00 

Fractional  paper  currencv,  nickels  and  cents 431.00 

Specie ' 137,089.50 

Legal  tender  notes 153,337.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer,  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Due  from  U.  S.  treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption  fund  7,000.00 

Total $6,051,859.76 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus   fund 1,000,000.00 

Undivided  profits 327,944.06 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unjniid_ . 210.00 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  353 

Individnal  deposits  subject  to  check 2, 014, 60:3. SO 

Certified  checks 33  307.(H) 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 22  788.58 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,288,841.23 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 00, 159. 32 

Notes  and  bills  re-discounted 160,010.71 

Bills  payable 100,000.00 

Total $6,051,859.76 

CONTINENTAL  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Continental  Bank,  now  the  Continental  National  Bank,  began 
operations  on  October  1,  1860,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000.  The  original 
board  of  directors  was  composed  of  Edward  R.  Seccomb,  Oliver  Dit- 
son,  William  T.  Hart,  F.  W.  Lincoln,  Jonas  Fitch,  George  C.  Lord, 
Frank  W.  Andrews,  William  R.  Clark  and  E.  C.  Drew.  Each  of  these 
received  143  votes,  representing  1,555  shares.  On  the  same  day  of 
their  election,  they  met  at  the  banking  rooms,  239  Washington  street, 
and  chose  the  following  officers:  President,  Edward  R.  Seccomb; 
cashier,  James  Swan;  teller,  Charles  F.  Smith;  bookkeeper,  Joseph  J. 
Howe ;  collection  clerk  and  messenger,  Albert  D.  wSwan. 

On  November  2G.  ISGl,  President  Seccomb  declining  a  re-election, 
Oliver  Ditson  was  elected  in  his  place,  and  for  twenty- one  years  very 
efficiently  served  in  this  capacity.  William  T.  Hart  was  his  successor 
and  has  since  most  acceptably  filled  the  position.  James  Swan,  the 
first  cashier,  served  for  twelve  years,  being  succeeded  by  the  present 
cashier,  Charles  F.  Smith,  who  was  chosen  teller  at  the  organization  of 
the  bank  and  has  been  in  its  service  ever  .since.  Joseph  J.  Howe  has 
been  bookkeeper  from  the  origin  of  the  bank. 

On  October  1,  1804,  the  capital  was  increased  to  $500,000  and  on  No- 
vember 4,  18(58,  to  $1,000,000.  The  reorganization  of  this  bank  under 
the  National  Banking  act  was  effected  in  October,  18G4.  Its  board  of 
directors  for  1892  is  as  follows:  Frederick  W.  Lincoln,  C.  F.  Smith, 
William  T.  Hart,  J.  H.  Lee,  Phineas  Pierce,  D.  R.  Emerson,  William 
B.  Rice  and  Henry  P.  Stanwood.  Two  of  this  board,  Frederick  W. 
Lincoln,  and  William  T.  Hart,  have  been  directors  ever  since  the  bank 
was  organized. 

The  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency, at  the  close  of  business  March  G,  1893,  was  as  follows: 

45 


354  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $2, 133, 248. 58 

Overdrafts,   secured  _  _ .  _ 332.532 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50, 000. 00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 4,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 301,742.71 

Due  from  other  National  Banks. _ 71,177.28 

Banking  house,  furniture,  and  fixtures 190,000.00 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned 27,905.20 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 13,067.74 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 1,432.35 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 64,910. 69 

Bills  of  other  banks 4,571.00 

Fractional  paper  currei:cy,  nickels  and  cents . . 469. 35 

Specie 121,300.00 

Legal  tender  notes 25,000.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 40,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total $3,050,467.23 

LiAiiii.rriEs. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surpkis  fund 200,000.00 

Undivided  profits 192,358.40 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 43,650.00 

Dividends  unpaid 1,031.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1 ,288,054.75 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 67,698.55 

Certified  checks 7,289.55 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 23,980.74 

1  )ue  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 151,404.23 

Bills   payable 75,000.00 

Total $3,050,467. 22 

MOUNT  VERNON  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Mount  Vernon  Bank,  now  the  ^lotmt  \"ernon  National  Bank, 
received  its  charter  in  ISdU.  In  the  o-reat  fire  of  1872,  the  btiilding'  in 
wliieh  the  banlc  wa.s  located,  at  13  Franklin  street,  corner  of  Washing- 
ton, was  destroyed,  and  in  the  general  destruction  were  destroyed  all 
the  records  of  the  bank  prior  to  1S(;4.  Its  charter  fixed  the  capital 
stock  at  $200, 00(1.  The  following  persons  and  partnerships  were 
among  the  more  prominent  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the  bank, 
and  a  majority  of  them  continued  to  hold  stock  in  it  after  it  had  been 
enrolled  in  the  larger  family  of  national  banks: 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  355 

Charles  B.  F.  Adams,  Samuel  O.  Aborn,  F.  O.  Prince, 

William  P.  Sargent  &  Co.,  Rev.  Henry  B.  Hooker,  David  Snow, 

William  B.  May,  John  Bigelow,  William  J.  Reynolds, 

John  H.  Goddard,  John  J.  Clarke,  G.  W.  Tuxbury, 

Beals,  Greene  &  Co.,  John  CoUamore,  Edward  Wyman, 

Edward  Everett,  John  M.  Call,  S.  G.  Rogers, 

Mrs.  Ehza  H.  Otis,  John  Vose,  jr.,  Ralph  Huntington, 

William  Whiting,  Isaac  H.  Cary,  George  W.  Simmons, 

William  G.  Russell,  S.  H.  Gregory,  Julius  A.  Palmer. 

Albert  Hobart, 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  orig-inal  board  of  directors,  j.  P.  Robinson 
was  elected  president,  and  H.  W.  Perkins  cashier,  both  of  whom  had 
been  leading  spirits  in  the  formation  of  the  bank.  On  December  28, 
1S()4,  the  bank  was  reorganized  as  a  national  bank  under  its  present 
title,  Mount  Vernon  National  Bank.  Carnie  E.  King  was  chosen  presi- 
dent of  the  reorganized  bank,  and  at  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the 
stockholders  after  reorganization  the  following  directors  were  elected: 
Carnie  E.  King,  Julius  A.  Palmer,  Albert  Hobart,  William  B.  Ma}-, 
Samuel  H.  Gregory,  Wm.  G.  Russell  and  John  M.  Call.  Mr.  King 
was  succeeded  as  president  in  ISl^Ii  by  Thomas  N.  Hart,  ex-post- 
master of  Boston,  who  still  serves  in  this  position.  Mr.  Hart  has 
been  director  of  the  bank  since  1S71.  H.  W.  Perkins  continued 
in  the  office  of  cashier  imtil  his  death  in  1884,  when  F.  E.  Barnes,  the 
present  cashier,  was  chosen  in  his  stead.  Mr.  Perkins  had,  previous  to 
his  connection  with  the  Mount  Vernon  Bank,  been  connected  with  the 
banking  interest  of  Boston,  and  enjoyed  a  well  deserved  reputation  in 
financial  circles.  The  board  of  directors  of  this  bank  for  1802  is  as 
follwvs:  Thomas  N.  Hart,  John  B.  Babcock,  Benjamin  F.  Dyer,  Fred. 
L.  Felton,  Frederick  O.  Prince,  Oscar  H.  Sampson  and  Walter  H. 
Tenny. 

The  Mount  Vernon  Bank  commenced  business  at  l(j()  W^ashington 
street.  In  vSeptember,  1800,  it  moved  to  !'?>  Franklin  street.  After  the 
great  fire  of  18t2  it  temporarily  occupied  quarters  at  13o  Tremont 
street  until  its  old  quarters  on  Franklin  street  were  rebuilt,  whither  it 
removed  in  October,  1873. 

The  condition  of  this  bank  at  close  of  business  March  G,  ISO)),  as  re- 
ported to  the  comptroller  of  the  currency,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,028,890.49 

(J)verdrafts.  unsecured 1 4(i.  1 :;} 


35G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

U.   S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation .   r)(),()()0.()() 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 115,848. 38 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 58,579.55 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 10,434.71 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 5,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 409. 26 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 50,557.00 

Bills  of  other  banks 7,125.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 482.38 

Specie '. 82,713.40 

Legal  tender  notes 36,470.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 10,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulaticni)  2,250.00 

Due  from  U.  vS.  treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption  fund  4,000.00 

Total $1,462,912.30 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $  200,000.00 

Surplus  fund 50,000.00 

Undivided  profits 54,622.64 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 147.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 941,153.01 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit . 67,700.00 

Certified  checks 9,217.84 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding • . 545.00 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 29,526.81 

Bills  payable 65,000.00 


Total $1,462,912.30 

THIRD    NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  Third  National  Bank  was  the  first  Boston  bank  which  was  a 
national  bank  at  the  bet^innino-  of  its  career.  It  was  organized  under 
the  National  Banking-  act  of  February  25,  ISC):),  and  beg-an  operations 
on  the  1st  of  April,  lS(i4,  with  a  capital  of  |;;50(),(I(I0  and  with  liberty  to 
increase  it  to  $!,{)( )(),()(»(). 

Amono-  the  prominent  Boston  merchants  and  capitalists  who  were  its 
orit^'inal  stockholders  were :  Charles  B.  Adams,  Nathaniel  J.  Bradlce, 
Francis  Dane,  Percival  L.  Everett,  Jonathan  Ellis,  Joseph  L.  Hen- 
shaw,  vSanniel  Hall,  jr.,  H.  P.  Kidder,  Frederick  W.  Lincoln,  S.  D. 
Nickerson,  Thomas  W.  Nickerson,  Charles  H.  Parker,  Isaac  Rich, 
Royal  E.  Robbins,  James  vSturg'is,  James  E.  Root,  Jacob  Sleeper,  M. 
vS.  vScuddcr,   John   vS.  Tyler,   J.    M.  Wiohtman,   Jacob  Stan  wood,   S.   S. 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  357 

Pierce,  Thomas  H.  Perkins,  Joseph  Nickerson,  James  L.  Little,  Harvey 
Jewell,  John  wS.  Keyes,  Benjamin  E.  Bates,  A.  O.  Bigelow  and  Alvin 
Adams. 

The  first  board  of  directors  was  composed  of  Percival  L.  Everett, 
vSamiiel  Hall,  jr.,  J.  Willard  Rice,  Joseph  L.  Henshaw,  Marshall  S. 
Scudder,  James  Sturg-is,  J.  H.  Stephenson,  vSereno  D.  Nickerson  and 
Royal  E.  Robbins.  At  a  meetin^g  of  this  board  held  February  10,  1S04, 
Percival  L.  Everett  was  elected  president,  and  at  a  subsequent  mectino^ 
Jonas  Bennett  was  chosen  cashier.  Mr.  Everett  was  president  till 
November  21,  1885,  when  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Moses 
Williams,  who  has  ever  since  served  in  this  capacity.  Jonas  Bennett 
continued  as  cashier  till  May,  1873,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Francis 
B.  Sears,  who  held  the  position  until  January,  1800,  when  he  was 
elected  vice-president  of  the  institution,  and  Frederick  wS.  Davis  was 
chosen  cashier.  Of  the  officers  of  the  bank,  Mr.  vSears  is  the  oldest  in 
point  of  service.  He  entered  the  bank  at  its  organization  as  junior 
clerk.  Two  years  later  he  accepted  another  business  position  and  was 
out  of  the  bank  for  five  years.  He  returned  in  1871  as  assistant  cashier, 
and  as  before  stated,  was  made  cashier  in  1873,  and  later  vice-president, 
promoting-  the  interest  of  the  bank  with  fidelity  and  acceptability  in 
each  capacity.  The  cashier,  Mr.  Davis,  has  been  eng-aged  in  the  bank- 
ing business  for  more  than  forty  years.  He  was  cashier  of  the  Traders' 
National  Bank  for  thirty  years  and  its  president  two  years  before  ac- 
cepting his  present  position. 

The  Third  National  Bank  was  originally  located  at  18  vState  street, 
where  it  remained  about  eighteen  months.  It  was  then  moved  to  28 
vState  street,  there  remaining  till  1870,  when  it  was  removed  to  06  State 
street,  and  in  1881  to  8  Congress.  At  the  latter  place  it  remained  until 
May,  1892,  when  it  took  possession  of  its  present  quarters  in  the  Ex- 
change Building.  May  3,  1881,  the  capital  was  increased  to  $(;()0,000; 
May  2,  1889,  to  $1,000,000,  and  October  1,  1891,  to  $2,000,000.  A  safe 
deposit  department  was  added  to  the  facilities  of  this  bank  upon  its 
removal  to  its  present  Cjuarters,  and  this  branch  of  the  business  is  under 
the  inanageinent  of  Andrew  Robeson.  The  safe  deposit  vaults  are 
the  largest  in  New  England.  There  are  six  compartments,  with  a  capa- 
city of  15,000  boxes. 

The  board  of  directors  for  1893  is  composed  of  Royal  E.  Robbins, 
Benjamin  F.  Brown,  Thomas  O.  Richardson,  Moses  Williams,  Otis  E. 
Weld.  Benjamin  F.  Stevens,  Francis  B.  vSears,  Charles  A.  Welch,  Henry 


358  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

B.  Endicott,  Jerome  Jone.s,  William  L.  Chase,  Edward  Atkinson, 
George  E.  Keith,  Charles  E.  Sampson,  Joseph  B.  Rnssell,  William 
Minot,  jr.,  Edward  vSherwin  and  Edwin  H.  Abbott.  Of  the  pre.sent 
board.  Royal  E.  Robbins  is  the  only  director  who  was  a  member  of  the 
original  board.  He  has  been  a  director  ever  since  the  organization  of 
the  bank. 

The  condition  of  the  Third  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency  at  close  of  business  March  6,  1893,  was  as 
follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $  5,847,084.70 

Overdrafts 25,662.87 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 1,000,000.00 

vStocks,  securities,  etc 50,190.18 

Due  from  apjjroved  reserve  agents 885, 148. 14 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 1,055,2!):}.46 

Due  from  vState  Banks  and  bankers 58,878.06 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned 1 7,869. 12 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 48,709.74 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 90,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 9,237.76 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 716,202.52 

Bills  of  other  banks 20,898.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 1 ,742.84 

Specie 566,969.75 

Legal  tender  notes 110,500.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders  .  _ 50,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  45,000.00 

Due  from  U.S.  treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption  fund  17,000.00 

Total §10,610,876.64 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in %  2,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 95,000.00 

Undivided  profits _ .  _ 102,157.59 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 899,990. 00 

Dividends  unpaid 849. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 4,286,449. 58 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 181,434.75 

Acceptances 173,197.95 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,440,081.81 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 1,582,216.01 

Total §10,610,876. 64 


BANKING   INSTITUrWNS.  359 

EVERETT    NATIONAL    BANK. 

The  Everett  National  Bank  received  its  charter  under  the  provisions  of 
the  National  Banking  acton  the  8th  of  March,  1805.  It  was  originally 
proposed  by  its  corporators  to  style  it  the  Fourth  National  Bank  of 
Boston,  but  they  concluded  to  adopt  in  its  stead  the  propitious  name  of 
Everett,  in  honor  of  the  great  orator  and  statesman.  The  corporators 
consisted  of  the  following  eminent  citizens,  most,  if  not  all,  of  whom 
were  residents  of  the  vSouth  End :  William  Fox  Richardson,  Charles  A. 
Babcock,  Nathan  Crowell,  Richard  A.  Robertson,  Nathaniel  Adams, 
George  W.  Messinger,  Warren  Sawyer,  Jarvis  Williams,  Alden  Speare, 
Amos  B.  Merrill,  Pliny  Nickerson,  Josiah  H.  Jones,  Frederick  Jones, 
Daniel  Harwood,  Osborn  Howes,  William  Cumston,  Uriah  Ritchie, 
Job  A.  Turner,  George  H.  .Davis,  and  S.  Harris  Austin. 

The  above  gentlemen  took  one  himdred  shares  each,  at  $100  a  share, 
making  up  the  capital  stock  of  $200,000,  as  fixed  by  the  charter.  On  the 
od  day  of  May,  18')5,  the  following  gentlemen  were  elected  the  first 
board  of  directors :  Charles  A.  Babcock,  Nathan  Crowell,  Richard  A. 
Robertson,  Nathaniel  Adams,  George  W.  Messinger,  Warren  Sawyer, 
Jarvis  Williams,  Alden  Speare,  x\mos  B.  Merrill,  and  William  Fox 
Richardson.  The  last  named  gentleman  was  perhaps  the  most  active 
of  all  who  had  exerted  themselves  to  establish  the  bank.  He  was 
therefore  very  appropriately  elected  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  and 
Nathan  P.  Lawson  as  its  cashier.  Mr.  Richardson,  late  president  of 
the  Boston  Penny  Savings  Bank,  has  for  many  years  been  one  of  Bos- 
ton's most  useful  and  influential  citizens.  He  was  succeeded  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Everett  National,  January  12,  18(iG,  by  Warren  vSawyer, 
who  has  ever  since  most  ably  filled  the  position.  Nathan  P.  Lawson 
was  cashier  until  January  15,  18(J7,  when  he  resigned,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  George  E.  Carr.  The  present  cashier,  John  Reynolds,  has 
been  serving  in  this  capacity  since  January  ID,  1883. 

The  capital  of  the  bank  was  increased  to  its  present  limit,  $400,000, 
on  March  31,  187-1.  The  locations  of  the  bank  have  been  various. 
It  remained  at  its  original  location,  corner  of  Newton  and  Washington 
streets,  vSouth  End,  till  the  expiration  of  tliQ  lease  of  its  banking  rooms 
there.  On  the  1st  of  November,  18G7,  having  obtained  permission  from 
the  comptroller  of  the  currency  to  remove  to  a  better  location  down 
town,  it  moved  into  Parker's  Building,  on  Congress  street,  between 
Milk  and  Water  streets.  On  May  28,  1872,  it  moved  to  premises  in 
Congress  street,  near   Lindall   street,    now   Exchange  Place,    where  it 


360  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

remained  till  the  great  fire  of  November  0  and  10,  when  the  building 
was  destroyed.  This  was  the  last  building  burned  in  that  section  of 
the  city.  On  the  Monday  following  the  fire  the  Everett  recommenced 
business  at  00  State  street,  continuing  there  until  December  1,  1875, 
when  it  moved  into  the  New  England  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company's 
building,  corner  of  Milk  and  Congress  streets,  where  it  has  since 
remained 

Of  the  ten  original  directors  the  only  one  still  a  member  of  the  board 
is  Warren  vSawyer,  who  has  been  one  of  the  directors  of  the  bank  ever 
since  its  origin.  The  board  of  directors  for  1892  is  as  follows:  Warren 
Sawyer,  Francis  O.  Winslow,  Lucius  G.  Pratt,  William  H.  Sands, 
Joac[uin  K.  vSouther,  Charles  F.  Johnson  and  R.  B.  Converse. 

The  condition  of  the  Everett  National  Bank,  as  reported  to  the 
comptroller  at  the  close  of  business,  March  0,  1  S'.i:),  was  as  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,069,830.38 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 48.44 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 100,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 44,822.34 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 107,667. 12 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 53,842. 15 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 12,734.32 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 15,400.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items^ .  _ 70.75 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 41 ,  140. 64 

Bills  of  other  banks 6,309.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 61.17 

Specie 75,916.95 

Legal  tender  notes 37,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  4,500.00 

Total $1,569,343.26 

LIABILrriES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $  400,000.00 

Surplus  fund 39,457. 74 

Undivided  profits 34,647.55 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 90,000. 00 

Individual  deposits  subiect  to  check 947. 887. 09 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 3,019.50 

Certified  checks 6,773.38 

Due  to  other  National  Banks ..  709.04 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 1,848.96 

Bills  payable t 45,000.00 

Total .$1,569,343.26 


BANKING  INSTITUriONS.  3(;i 

NATIONAL    SECURITY    BANK. 

The  National  Security  Bank  of  Boston  commenced  operations  No- 
vember 22,  1807,  with  a  capital  of  $250,000,  and  with  libert}^  to  increase 
it  to  |1, 000,000.  Its  original  location  was  8!)  Court  street,  but  it  is 
now  70  Court,  corner  of  Brattle.  The  officers  of  the  bank  are  as  fol- 
lows: President,  vSamuel  A.  Carlton;  cashier,  Charles  R.  Batt ;  directors, 
Samuel  A.  Carlton,  E.  G.  Byam,  D.  Webster  King-,  Charles  R.  Batt, 
vStillman  K.  Roberts  and  Henry  F.  vSpencer. 

The  financial  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller 
of  the  currenc}^  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (i,  181(3,  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,428,707.86 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 6.009.27 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 250,000.00 

U.  S.  bondsonhand . 100,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc _    196, 250. 00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 247,512.19 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 42,547.86 

Banking-house  furniture  and  fixtures 75,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 5,960.94 

Premiums  on  U.  S.  bonds 25,0(M),00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 6,759.9:^) 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 03, 642. 49 

Bills  of  other  banks 10,46().00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents  1,0:57. 51 

Specie 106,525.00 

Legal  tender  notes 94,889.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  vS.  treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  11,250.00 


Total $2,641,508.05 

i.i.\BiLrriEs. 

Capital  stock  paid  in . . .                     $  250,000.00 

Surplus  fund 200,000.00 

Undivided  profits 190,:505.80 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 225,000.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,455,516. 12 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 31,451.60 

Certified  checks 2,656.25 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 39,309.97 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 197.268.31 

Liabilities  other  than  those  above  stated 50,000.00 


Total ----     - $2,641,508.05 

46 


363  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

NATIONAL    BANK    OF   THE    COMMONWEALTH. 

The  National  Bank  of  the  Commonwealth  was  organized  April  12, 
1871,  with  a  cash  capital  of  $500, 000,  which  has  since  been  increased 
to  $1,000,000.  The  first  president  of  the  bank  was  E.  C.  Sherman, 
who  served  until  his  death  in  February,  1881.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Williani  A.  Tower,  who  continued  in  office  until  April  4,  1882,  when 
A.  L.  Newman  was  elected.  The  latter  served  until  May  13,  1892, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  William  A.  Tower,  the  present  president. 
John  J.  Eddy  was  the  first  cashier.  He  served  until  July  9,  1879,  when 
A.  T.  Collier  was  chosen  and  has  since  served  in  this  capacity.  There 
have  been  three  vice-presidents,  who  have  served  in  the  order  named : 
E.  B.  Pratt,  A.  L.  Newman  and  J.  J.  Eddy,  the  last  named  having 
been  elected  in  July,  1892.  The  cashier,  A.  T.  Collier  is  in  point  of 
service  the  oldest  official  in  the  bank.  He  was  discount  clerk  from 
1872  to  1879,  when  he  was  promoted  to  his  present  position.  The 
directors  for  1892  are:  William  A.  Tower,  R.  Worthington,  E.  B.  Pratt, 
A.  L.  Newman,  J.  F.  Harris,  Oliver  Ames,  A,  O.  Smith,  Solomon  Lin- 
coln, Harrison  Gardner,  Francis  A.  Foster,  and  A.  T.  Collier. 

The  CfMidition  of  this  bank,  according  to  report  to  the  comptroller  of 
the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (i,   1893,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discimnts $4,()()7,0S2.I51 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured . 109.(10 

U.  vS.  bond.s  to  secure  circulation  (4s) r)(),()(M).00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 70,740.00 

Due  frf)m  approved  reserve  agents, . 729,702.49 

Due  from  other  National  Banks  _ 782,241.08 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  bankers 196,458.45 

Banking-house :500,00().00 

Other  real  estate  owned 24,0(i2.44 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 2;?, 509. 02 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 18,508. 97 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house. 201,200.28 

Bills  of  other  banks 8,008.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 15. 65 

Specie 458,049.00 

Legal  tender   notes 119,000.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 80,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  vS.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,500.00 

87,088,138.29 


my/^Z'^f^mi^:^Si»Myi-- 


1^  AN  KING  INSTITUTIONS.  3(;3 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  fund 300,000.00 

Undivided  profits 174,254.45 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 15. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check §2,800,499.92 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 508,223. 62 

Certified  checks 76,331.20 

Due  to  other  National   Banks 1,953,148.62 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 830, 665. 42 

6,168,868.84 

Total 87,688, 138.29 

FIRST  WARD  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  First  Ward  National  Bank  of  East  Boston  was  orj>-anized  in  187o, 
with  a  capital  of  $200, (>()(».  The  first  board  of  directors  consisted  of  W. 
L.  Sturtevant,  vS.  H.  Whidden,  E.  M.  McPherson,  J.  H.  Pote,  W.  Wool- 
ley,  H.  B.  Hill,  vSamiiel  Hall,  Silvanus  Smith,  and  James  Smith.  W. 
L.  vSturtevant,  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  served  from  its  organiza- 
tion iintil  1880.  He  was  succeeded  by  Christopher  R.  McLean,  who 
had  been  a  member  of  the  Governor's  Council  and  prominent  in  city  and 
State  affairs.  Mr.  McLean  held  the  position  for  four  years,  being  fol- 
lowed in  1884  by  S.  H.  Whidden,  who  served  until  180-2,  when  the 
present  president,  George  W.  Moses,  was  elected  his  successor.  Mr. 
Moses  had  previously  been  connected  with  the  bank  from  1881  as 
cashier.  The  present  board  of  directors  (18'.»->)  is  composed  of  George 
W.  Moses,  Charles  A.  Morss,  jr.,  Silvanus  Smith,  vStephen  H.  Whid- 
den, E.  H.  Atwood,  Samuel  N.  Mayo,  Wesley  A.  Gove,  and  Jabez  K. 
Montgomery.  Silvanus  wSmith  and  Stephen  H.  Whidden  have  served 
as  directors  since  the  organization  of  the  bank. 

The  financial  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  by  its  officers  to  the 
comptroller  of  the  currency  at  the  close  of  business,  March  (3,  1803,  was 
as  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $  782,178.28 

Overdi'afts,  secured 259. 12 

Overdrafts,  unsecured 4.00 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulaticm 50,000.0(1 

Stocks,  certificates,   etc. 15,800.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 58,803.86 


3G4  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 43, 186.05 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 9,r)4().05 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 6,500.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 893.87 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house ' 19,582.46 

Bills  of  other  banks 6,563.00 

Fractional  paper  currency^,  nickels  and  cents 636.43 

Specie 92,632.00 

Legal  tender  notes 32,329.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 15,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 
1  )i;e   from   U.   S.    treastn-er,   other  than  5  per  cent  rcdcmi)tion 

fund _---    .                                                                               --  450.00 

Total.  $1,136,564.12 

LIABILniES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in -  -$  200,000.00 

Surplus  fund 100,000.00 

Undivided  profits ..^    24,518.36 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding.    45,000.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check. _  748,017.15 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit .  17,950.94 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,077.67 

Total ^.. $1,136,564.12 

CENTRAL  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Central  National  l>ank  commenced  operations  on  May  2,  187:5. 
with  Hcnr\-  Smith  a.s  ])resident,  and  for  about  two  years  was  located  in 
the  Masonic  Temple,  but  since  1875  has  occupied  its  present  more  cen- 
tral and  convenient  premises  at  121  Devonshire  street.  On  January  11, 
18T''>,  Charles  J.  Bisho}!,  of  the  well  known  house  of  Charles  J.  Bishop 
(*v  Co.,  wholesale  leather  dealers,  was  elected  president,  and  under  his 
administration  the  bank  became  successfitl  and  popular  among  the  busi- 
ness community.  During  the  panic  of  18To  the  Central  National  was 
(me  of  the  few  banks  which  did  not  avail  itself  of  the  Clearing-house  cer- 
tificates. L.  W.  Young  was  cashier  for  several  years.  For  three  5'ears 
(1S(;1 -(;:))  he  was  connected  with  the  foreign  money  department  of  the 
old  Bank  of  Redemption;  in  May,  18(;;5,  he  became  attached  to  the  Na- 
tional Exchange  Bank;  in  1874  he  became  cashier  of  the  Central  Na- 
tional. The  present  officers  of  the  bank  are  as  follows:  President, 
Charles  H.  Allen;  cashier,  Otis  H.  Luke;  directors,  Charles  H.  Allen, 
Henry  D.  Hyde,   Charles  J.  Bishop,  Moses  W.  Richardson,   Edward  P. 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  3G5 

Mason,  John  W.  Leighton,  Samuel  Carr,  jr.,  A.  L.  Fessenden,  Edward 
P.  Wilbur,  Otis  H.  Luke.      The  capital  of  the  bank  is  $1,000,000. 

The  condition  of  the  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency, March  (i,  18!):),  was  as  follows: 

RESO  URGES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,842,617.45 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 146.  (io 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 236,069. 78 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 243, 638. 05 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 141,306.89 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 17,456.76 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 13,307.24 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 87,348.54 

Bills  of  other  banks 5,718.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 96.50 

Specie 126,192.25 

Legal  tender  notes 54,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 


Total S2,820. 148. 09 

I.IAHILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in §    500,OO(l.(H) 

Surplus  fund 100,000.00 

Undivided  profits 338,282. 73 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 165. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,419,738.13 

Deinand  certificates  of  deposit _,    1,934.54 

Certified  checks 6, 385. 72 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 158,571.69 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 125,070.28 

Bills  payable 125,000.00 


Total $2,820,148.09 

MANUFACTURERS'  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Manufacturers'  National  Bank  was  incorporated  in  ISTo,  and  has 
a  capital  of  $500,000.  Its  president,  Weston  Lewis,'  was  for  years  at 
the  head  of  the  great  dr}'  goods  house  of  Lewis,  Brown  ik  Co.,  and  for 
two  and  one-half  years  chairman  of   the  State  Board  of  Arbitration. 

•  Since  the  above  was  written  Mr.  Lewis  died,  April  6,  1893,  and  at  present  writing  his  successor 
has  not  been  chosen. 


3G.G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  cashier,  Francis  E.  vSeaver,  has  held  this  position  ever  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  bank,  and  has  had  an  experience  in  banking-  dating 
from  1X57.  The  vice-president  is  George  B.  Nichols;  directors:  Nathan 
P.  Coburn,  Benj.  W.  Munroe,  H.  H.  Proctor,  Geo.  B.  Nichols,  A.  vShu- 
man,  Otis  vShepard,  H.  Staples  Potter,  John  Wales,  and  William  A. 
Easton. 

The  financial  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of 
the  currency  at  close  of  business,  March  (1,  1853,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,753,170.05 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured . 135.88 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation _  190,000.00 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 5,700.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 232,367.23 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 146,736.59 

Banking-house,  furniture  and  fixtures 203,770. 19 

Interest  and  exchange 8,611.76 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 17,202.75 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds. . 28,249.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 1 ,  265. 92 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 34,604.33 

Bills  of  other  banks 8,242.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents _ .  296.02 

Specie 134, 032. 30 

Legal  tender  notes - 57,000.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders. 70,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  percent,  of  circulation)  8,550.00 
Due  from  U.  vS.  treasurer,   other  than   5  per   cent,  redemption 

fund   6,000.0(1 

Total $2,905,934.02 

LIABIUTIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 41,300.00 

Undivided  profits 102,996. 01 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 171, 000.  (iO 

Dividends  unpaid .  _ 72.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 1,724,427.00 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 30,300.77 

Certified  checks 10,534.41 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 169,704.93 

Due  to  vState  Banks  and  bankers 105,598.30 

Liabilities  other  than  those  above  stated 50,000.00 

Total -- ....!?2,905,934.02 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  367 

METROPOLITAN  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Metropolitan  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1875,  with  a  capi- 
tal of  $5()(),00().  The  original  officers  and  directors  were  as  follows: 
President,  Spencer  W.  Richardson ;  cashier,  S.  D.  Loring ;  directors : 
Clinton  Viles,  James  S.  Cumston,  James  W.  Roberts,  Edward  D.  Adams, 
William  Fosdick,  Henry  G.  Crowell,  J.  M.  Roberts,  S.  D.  Loring, 
Francis  Child,  and  Spencer  W.  Richardson.  Increase  E.  Noyes,  the 
present  president  of  the  bank,  was  elected  in  November,  1801,  and 
George  Howe  Davis  has  served  since  October  1,  1870.  The  board  of 
directors  for  1892  is  composed  of  the  following  members:  Clinton  Viles, 
Peter  S.  Roberts,  Alfred  D.  Hoitt,  C.  H.  B.  Breck,  D.  M.  Anthony, 
Luther  Adams,  Increase  E.  Noyes,  Charles  Weil,  and  Richard  F.  Bolles. 
Clinton  Viles  is  the  only  member  of  the  board  of  directors  who  has 
served  since  the  organization  of  the  bank. 

The  financial  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of 
the  currency  at  close  of  business,  March  (>,  1803,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1, 144.268.07 

Overdrafts,  secured 8,280.00 

Overdrafts,  unsect:red 219.89 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents . 182,714.57 

Due  fn^m  other  National  Banks 46, 110. 50 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 10,270.54 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 7,725.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items -. 2,943.85 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 72,445.92 

Bills  of  other  banks 5,769.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 40. 02 

Specie 47,829. 65 

Legal  tender  notes 44,110.(10 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 


Total $1,574,972.01 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in %  500,000. 00 

Surplus  fund 67,000.00 

Undivided  profits 32,724.08 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 756,347.57 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 52, 965. 93 

Certified  checks 3,589.92 

Due  to  other  National  Banks . 47,318. 18 


308  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Dut  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 20,036.33 

Bills  payable 50,000.00 

Total $1,574,972.01 

WINTHROP  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Winthrop  National  Bank  is  the  successor  of  the  Merchandise  Na- 
tional Bahk,  chartered  in  1875,  with  an  authorized  capital  of  $5()(>,0()0. 
I.  G.  Whitney  was  president,  and  E.  O.  Rockwood,  cashier.  It  was  in- 
tended as  an  institution  to  loati  money  on  merchandise,  and  for  a  time 
was  conducted  upon  this  line.  This  feature,  however,  has  been  done 
away  with.  The  bank  was  reoro-anized  as  the  Winthrop  National  Bank 
in  18'.)().  Wilmot  R.  Evans,  who  has  since  been  president,  was  for 
eiiihteen  years  connected  with  the  National  Bank  of  the  Commonwealth. 
Chai-les  H.  Ramsey,  the  cashier,  also  served  in  the  National  Bank  of 
the  Commonwealth  for  eighteen  years.  The  original  capital  of  the 
bank  was  at  one  time  increased  to  $1,()0(),()00,  then  reduced  to  $500,000, 
and  is  now  $300,000.  The  directors  for  18112  are:  Albert  H.  Daven- 
port, William  E.  Russell,  Alonzo  H.  Evans,  Albert  A.  Pope,  James  H. 
Eaton,  Arthur  Hobart,  Wilmot  R.  Evans,  A.  Pierce  Green,  Thomas 
Appleton,  and  P.  W.  Sprague. 

The  condition  of  the  bank,  as  re]X)rted  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency, March  (i,   181);),  was  as  follows: 

RESUl'KCES. 

Loans  and  discounts , $1,351,038.82 

Overdrafts,  secured 128. 10 

Overdrafts,  unsecured ■  81.90 

U.S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 5(t,O(K).0O 

Stocks,  certificates,  etc 3l»,060.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents . 195,791.72 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 279,616.23 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid, 9,686.20 

Checks  and  other  cash  items  2,658.85 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 63,888.25 

Bills  of  other  banks 9,017.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 293.27 

Specie ' 1 05,470. 00 

Legal  tender  notes   34,95.0.00 

U.  S.  certificates  of  deposit  for  legal  tenders 10,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  V .  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00" 

Total $2,144,930.34 


BANKING   INSTITUTIONS.  3G9 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $    ;j()0,(»()0.00 

Surplus  fund 1 70,000.00 

Undivided  profits 65,311.97 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Dividends  unpaid 74.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check §1,059,155.25 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 155,071.63 

Certified  checks 28,111.52 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 99,604.29 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 322,601.68 

1,664,544.37 

Total $2, 144,930. 34 

FOURTH  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Fourth  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1875,  and  has  a  capital 
of  $500,000.  The  officers  are  as  follows:  President,  W.  W.  Kimball; 
cashier,  A.  W.  Newell ;  directors :  W.  W.  Kimball,  F.  O.  Squire,  N.  B. 
Plummer,  J.  C.  Melvin,  E.  R.  McPherson,  S.  E.  Hyde,  C.  Wright,  A. 
vS.  Eiistis,  W.  H.  Conant,  H.  L.  Lawrence,  Edwin  Chapman,  and  R.  H. 
Sturtevant. 

The  condition  of  the  bank  on  March  G,  18!)3,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts $1,536,495.70 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 573. 07 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents ' 105,446.53 

Due  from  other  National  Banks " 188,942.22 

Other  real  estate  and  mortgages  owned 20,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid. 20,902.32 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 2,136.10 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 93,068.87 

Bills  of  other  banks 5,365.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 426.04 

Specie 92,553.75 

Legal  tender  notes 62,000.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250,00 

Total $2, 180, 159.60 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in §    500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 100,000.00 

47 


370  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Undivided  profits 77,540.77 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 43,840.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check .; 1,130.398.16 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 38,236.64 

Certified  checks 13,774.40 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 72,283.97 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 39,085.66 

Bills  payable 100,000.00 

Liabilities  other  than  those  above  stated 65,000.00 

Total 12,180,159.60 

LINCOLN  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Lincoln  National  Bank  was  organized  in  December,  1882,  with 
a  capital  of  $300,000.  The  first  officers  of  the  bank  were  as  follows: 
President,  Joseph  Davis;  cashier,  Edward  C.  Whitney;  directors,  Joseph 
Davis,  Elisha  Atkins,  Oliver  Ames,  William  T.  Parker,  John  Shepard, 
Benjamin  F.  Spinney,  Nathaniel  J.  Rust,  Asa  P.  Morse,  Isaac  P.  T. 
Edmands,  Irving  O.  Whiting,  Samuel  N.  Brown,  and  Frank  M.  Ames. 

The  capital  of  the  bank  was  increased  to  $500,000  on  May  3,  1892. 
Nathaniel  J.  Rust  succeeded  Mr.  Davis  as  president  in  1884,  and  is  still 
serving  in  this  capacity.  Mr.  Rust  is  one  of  Boston's  prominent  busi- 
ness men,  and  has  held  many  positions  of  trust  in  city  affairs.  Mr. 
Whitney  has  continued  as  cashier  since  the  organization  of  the  bank. 
The  direct(n-s  for  1892  are  as  follows:  Nathaniel  J.  Rust,  William  T. 
Parker,  John  Shepard,  Isaac  P.  T.  Edmands,  Irving  O.  Whiting,  Frank 
M.  Ames,  Owen  J.  Lewis,  Edward  K.  Butler,  B.  AV.  Currier,  G.  W. 
Williams,  Oakes  A.  Ames,  and  George  A.  Litchfield. 

The  Lincoln  National  Bank  began  operations  in  the  Equitable  Build- 
ing, but  in  January,  1892,  a  removal  was  made  to  the  Hancock  Build- 
ing where  convenient  and  attractive  banking  apartments  have  been  se- 
cured. 

The  condition  of  the  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency at  the  close  of  business,  !March  (!,  1893,  was  as  follows. 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts  _  .    .  „  . $1,368,628.78 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured 582. 37 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks,  securities,  etc 2,500.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 228,310.60 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  sn 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 173,859.61 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 15,781.16 

Premiums  on  U.  S.  bonds 7.000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 5,676.42 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 88,020.81 

Bills  of  other  banks 2,507.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 60-4. 80 

Specie 116,000.00 

Legal  tender  notes 21 ,000,00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 
Due  from  U.  S.  treasurer,  other  than  5  per  cent,  redemption 

fund 4,000.00 

Total 82,086,221.05 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in 8    500,000.00 

Surplus  fund 48,500. 00 

Undivided  profits 34,999. 76 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45,000.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 81,224,539.07 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 7,227.46 

Certified  checks 51,378.06 

Cashier's  checks  outstanding 8,194.80 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 166,882.24 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 4,499.66 

1,462,721.29 

Total -82,086,221.05 

COMMERCIAL  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  Commercial  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1888,  and  has  a 
capital  of  $250,000.  The  officers  of  the  bank  are  as  follows:  President, 
Otis  Hinman ;  cashier,  Geo.  B.  Ford ;  directors :  Otis  Hinman,  Wm.  O. 
Blaney,  Frank  B.  Dole,  Kilby  Page,  Edmund  Reardon,  I.  W.  Adams, 
Charles  A.  Baldwin,  R.  H.  Chamberlin,  D.  S.  Emery,  Israel  E.  Dec- 
row,  and  Sidney  R.  Baxter. 

The  condition  of  the  bank  ]\Iarch  O,  1893,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts 8  893,886.90 

Overdrafts,  secured 133.28 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Stocks 15,489. 00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 111,474.02 


372  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 121,536.62 

Furniture  and  fixtures 5.655.40 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 8,643.88 

Premiums  paid  on  U.  S.  bonds 7,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 7,329.90 

Exchanges  for  clearing  house 82, 736. 68 

Bills  of  other  banks 3,921.00 

Fractional  paper  currency,  nickels  and  cents 117.85 

Specie [ 68,764.50 

Legal  tender  notes 12,688.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  2,250.00 

Total §1,391,627.03 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  Stock  paid  in %    250,000.00 

Surplus  fund 5,000.00 

Undivided  profits : 23,990.43 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45.000.00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check S803,581.54 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 3,541.21 

Certified  checks 47,700.94 

854,823.69 

Due  to  approved  reserve  agents 27,458.85 

Due  to  other  National  Banks 1,905.88 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 43,448. 18 

Bills  payable 140,000. 00 

Total $1 ,  391, 627. 03 

SOUTH  END  NATIONAL  BANK. 

The  South  End  National  Bank  was  oro^anized  in  ISSO,  with  a  capital 
of  $200,000,  and  the  following  officers :  President,  John  A.  Pray;  vice- 
president,  Henry  E.  Cobb ;  cashier,  F.  N.  Robbins ;  directors :  John  A. 
Pray,  H.  E.  Cobb,  Oliver  L.  Briggs,  Nathan  B.  Goodnow,  J.  G.  Blake, 
Joshua  C.  Dana,  and  J.  J.  McNutt.  There  has  been  but  one  change 
among  the  officers  of  the  bank  from  the  time^t  commenced  operations 
until  the  present  time,  that  of  Henry  E.  Cobb,  vice-president,  who  died 
in  LSOl,  and  was  succeeded  by  Joshua  C.  Dana. 

The  financial  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  to  the  comptroller  of 
the  currency  at  close  of  business,  March  (j,  181)3,  was  as  follows: 

RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts §430,457.40 

Overdrafts 1, 053. 95 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS.  373 

U.  S.  bonds  to  secure  circulation 50,000.00 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents 32,863.69 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 14,092.38 

Check-books 308.28 

Real  estate,  furniture  and  fixtures 8,000.00 

Current  expenses  and  taxes  paid 4,073.23 

Premiums  paid 7,000.00 

Checks  and  other  cash  items 2, 722. 39 

Exchanges  for  clearing-house 9,371.68 

Bills  of  other  national  banks 4,923.00 

Fractional  currency  (inluding  nickels) 93. 68 

Specie  (including  gold  treasury  notes) 39,714.00 

Legal  tender  notes 14,869.00 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  treasurer  (5  per  cent,  of  circulation)  _  2,250.00 

Total 3621,792.68 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in S200,000.00 

Surplus  fund 10,500,00 

Other  undivided  profits 13,242.72 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding 45, 000. 00 

Individual  deposits  subject  to  check 327,988.29 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 4,075.00 


79 


Certified  checks 2,857,7 

Due  to  State  Banks  and  bankers 18,128.95 

Total 8621, 792. 68 

As  an  interesting-  summary  of  the  condition  of  the  banks  of  Boston, 
and  also  as  a  more  convenient  form  for  reference,  the  following'  table  is 
g-iven,  made  up  from  the  reports  of  March  (5,  1893,  showing-  the  capital, 
the  surplus  and  undivided  profits  of  each  bank,  with  other  items  which 
directly  bear  upon  their  condition.  As  will  be  seen,  the  sixty  national 
banks  of  Boston  represent  a  capital  stock  paid  in  of  $54,(;00,000.  The 
banks  also  show  a  surplus  of  $14,881,558,  and  undivided  profits  of 
$7,488,9(38.  Expenses  and  taxes  paid  amount  to  $1,212,981.  The  un- 
divided profits,  less  expenses  and  taxes  paid,  were  $0,275,987.  A  com- 
parison with  the  returns  for  December  9,  1892,  shows  the  following- 
changes:  The  surplus  has  increased  $400,100,  the  undivided  profits 
have  increased  $1,828,945.  The  undivided  profits,  less  expenses  and 
taxes  paid,  have  increased  since  the  last  statement  $1,285,382.  The 
amount  of  United  States  deposits  held  by  the  various  depository 
banks  of  the  cit}"  at  the  date  of  this  statement  was  $249,405,  divided 
among  two  banks  as  follows:  Shawmut,  $204,200;  Merchants,  $45,259. 


BANKS. 


Atlantic  National .  _  _ 

Atlas  National 

Blackstone  National 

Boston  National 

Boylston  National ' 

Broadway  National 

Bunker  Hill  National 

Central  National 

Columbian  National 

Commercial  National 

Continental  National 

Eliot  National 

Everett  National 

Faneuil  Hall  National 

First  National 

First  Ward  National 

Fourth  National 

Freemans  National 

Globe  National 

Hamilton  National 

Howard  National 

Lincoln  National 

Manufacturers'  National 

Market  National 

Massachusetts  National 

Mechanics'  National 

Merchants'  National 

Metropolitan  National 

Monument  National 

Mount  Vernon  National 

National  Commerce 

National  Commonwealth.. 
National  North  America. . . 

National  Redemption 

National  Republic 

National  City 

National  Eagle 

National  Exchange 

National  Hide  &  Leather. . 
National  Market,  Brighton 

National  Revere 

National  Rockland 

National  vSecurity 

National  Union 

National  Webster 

New  England  National 

North  National 

Old  Boston  National 

People's  National 

Second  National 

Shawmut  National 

Shoe  &  Leather 

South  End 

State  National 

Suffolk  National 

Third   National 

Traders'  National 

Tremont  National 

Washington  National 

Winthrop  National 


Capital 
Stock. 


§750,000 

1,500,000 

1,500,000 

1,000,000 

700,000 

200,000 

500,000 

500,000 

1,000,000 

250,000 

1,000,000 

1,000,000 

400,000 

1,000.000 

1,000,000 

200,000 

500,000 

800,000 

1,000,000 

750,000 

1,000,000 

500,000 

500,000 

800,000 

800,000 

250,000 

3,000,000 

500,000 

150.000 

200,000 

1,500,000 

1,000,000 

1,000,000 

1,000,000 

1,500,000 

1,000,000 

1,000,000 

1,000,000 

1,500,000 

250,000 

1,500,000 

300,000 

250,000 

1,000,000 

1,500,000 

1,000,000 

1,000,000 

900,000 

300,000 

1,600,000 

1,000,000 

1,000,000 

200,000 

2,000,000 

1,500.000 

2,000,000 

500,000 

2,000,000 

750,000 

300,000 


Surplu.s. 


§300,000 
200,000 
230,000 
157,000 
315,000 
150,000 
350,000 
100,000 
155,000 
5,000 
200,000 
500,000 

39,458 
200,000 
1,000,000 
100,000 
100,000 
135,100 

65,500 
200,000 
200,000 

43,500 

41,300 

105,000 

100,000 

100,000 

1,500,000 

67,000 
160,000 

50,000 
300,000 
300,000 
200,00(1 
'400,000 
1,000,000 
108,000 
112,200 
250,000 
300,000 

50,000 
140,000 
150,000 
200,000 
400,000 
242,000 
600,000 
350,000 
250,000 
175.000 
900,000 
200,000 

85,000 

10,500 

400,000 

300,000 

95,000, 

50, 000  i 

375,000 

300,000 

70,000 


Undiv'd 
Profits 


§72,093 

278,527 

120,218 

120,092 

137,059 

77,738 

116,024 

338,283 

90,309 

23,990 

192,358 

121,700 

34,648 

237,537 

327,944 

24,518 

77,541 

90,761 

92,714 

129,313 

118,627 

35,000 

102,996 

80,359 

44,981 

42,788 

244,343 

32,724 

70,610 

54,623 

309,073 

174,254 

215,326 

15,s,54.s 

292,840 

50,858 

112,905 

246,997 

152,417 

19,925 

88,678 

42,364 

190,306 

236,943 

98,740 

151,481 

95,372 

70,467 

31,650 

270,918 

100,561 

103,335 

13,243 

194,198 

152,179 

102,158 

44,240 

99,982 

54,680 

65,312 


Exp. and 
taxes  pd 

§12,042 
15,269 
30,025 
18,365 
17,350 
22,735 
14,421 
17,457 
29,178 

8,644 
13,068 
14,512 
12,735 
19,476 
34,88' 

9,546 
20,902 
15,488 
26,519 
15,1 
27,574 
15,781 
17,203 
19,162 
17,139 
18,643 
62,034 
10,2 

4,342 
10,435 
33,206 
23,510 
12,766 
44,265 
39,245 
19,966 
20,374 
28,128 
27,408 

2,282 
38,059 

8,401 

5,961 
11,322 
21,933 
24,155 
19,268 
17,503 
10,802 
40,830 
33,313 
19,826| 

4,073 
12,275 
12,825! 
48,710 
22,607 
11,405 
22,538 

9,686 


Prem's 
paid. 

$7,000 

7,000 
8,000 

7,250 


31,500 
7,000 


15.400 


6,500 


5,500 

7,000 
7,000 
28,249 
8,000 
6,000 


7,725 
5,000 

55,000 
7,000 


7,375 

5,000 

25,000 


14,060 
47,522 


192,000 

23,844 

7,000 


90,000 

47,500 

5,000 


Note.— The  writer  of  the  foregoing  chapter  on  the  history  of  the  financial  institutions  of  Boston 
.was  greatly  indebted  to  gleanings  from  the  files  of  the  t«;w;«iv(7rt/i>';///r//V,  which  contained  valu- 
able material  on  this  subject. 


BOSTON    CLEARING-HOUSE. 

By  Dudley  P.  Bailey. 

There  are  now  in  the  city  of  Boston  and  vicinity  about  one  hundred 
banks,  of  which  the  sixty  national  banks  of  Boston  represent  a  capital 
of  $54,600,000.  Of  these  sixty  banks,  fifty-three  with  a  capital  of 
$52,700,000  are  associated  together  to  form  the  Boston  Clearing-house, 
which,  though  an  entirely  voluntary  association  without  any  corporate 
privileges,  wields  a  mighty  power. 

Each  of  these  banks  in  its  daily  dealings  receives  large  amounts  of 
checks  and  drafts  on  other  banks,  so  that  at  the  close  of  the  day's 
business  every  bank  has  in  its  drawers  a  large  number  of  checks 
and  drafts  thus  due  it  by  other  banks.  It  is  also  the  debtor  of  other 
banks  which  have  during  the  day  received  its  bills  and  checks  drawn 
upon  it. 

Before  the  establishment  of  the  Clearing-house,  on  March  20, 
1850,  it  was  necessary  for  each  bank  every  morning  to  make  up 
its  account  with  every  other  bank,  and  to  send  its  porter  to  pre- 
sent the  bills  and  checks  so  received  to  the  debtor  banks  for  pay- 
ment. The  balances  of  their  indebtedness  were  adjusted  by  pay- 
ments in  gold.  This  course,  which  became  laborious,  complicated, 
and  even  dangerous,  was  obviated  by  means  of  the  clearing-house 
system,  through  which  the  settlements  are  so  quickly  effected  that 
the  exchanges  adjusted  through  it,  amounting  in  one  day  to  $31,321,- 
877,  were  settled  within  an  hour  and  the  balances  within  a  short  time 
afterwards. 

The  exchanges  are  prepared  at  the  bank  by  sorting  the  checks  re- 
ceived according  to  the  banks  on  which  they  are  drawn,  the  totals  held 
against  each  bank  being  entered  upon  a  blank  called  the  "Settling 
Clerk's  Statement,"  of  which  a  sample  is  given  below,  the  "first  debit" 
representing  the  checks  received  the  day  prior  to  the  clearing,  and  the 
second  or  "total  debit,"  the  total  including  those  received  in  the 
morning  mail.  The  column  "Bank's  Credit"  is  left  vacant  and  is 
filled  up  at  the  Clearing-house. 


(iLOBE   NATIONAL   BANK. 

Settling  Clerk's  Statement,  April  22,  i8gj. 


No. 


10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
31 
32 
33 
34 
36 
37 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 


Banks. 


Massachusetts   National 

National  Union 

Old  Boston  National 

State  National 

New  England  National 

Tremont  National 

Columbian  National 

National  Eagle 

National  City 

Washington  National 

North  National 

Atlantic   National 

Merchants'  National 

Traders'  National 

Hamilton  National -  — 

Market  National 

Second  National 

Atlas  National 

Shoe  apd  Leather  National 

Shawmut  National 

National   Exchange 

National  Bank  of  Commerce... 
National  Bank  of  N.  America. . 

Faneuil  Hall  National 

National  Webster . .  . . . 

Eliot  National 

Howard  National 

Suffolk   National 

Globe  National 

Freemans  National 

Boj'lston  National 

Blackstone  National 

Boston   National 

National  Hide  &  Leather 

National  Bank  Redemption 

First   National 

National  Revere 

National  Bank  of  Republic 

Continental  National 

Mt.  Vernon  National 

Third  National 

Everett  National 

National  Security 

Broadway  National 

National  Bank  Commonwealth, 

Central  National 

Manufacturers'  National 

Fourth   National . 

Metropolitan  National 

Merchandise  National 

Lincoln  National 

Mechanics'    National 

Commercial  National 


First  Debit. 


Total  Debit. 


118.28 

75.96 
3,982.02 
2,009.42 


Footings. 
Balance. . 


159.74 

14.70 

1,310.88 

5.70 

9.00 

69.91 

28.00 

10,054.68 

164.14 

603.49 

869.01 

11.70 

99.26 

46.33 

7.00 

430.83 

36.93 


63.36 

1,147.82 

223.55 

11.59 

5,399.99 
49.9(1 
40.25 

162.69 

610.83 

70,00 

110.70 


228.04' 
13,374.40 
7.374.07 

51,128.80 


6,118.28 
75.76 
3,982.02 
2,122.58 
599.25 
1,401.00 

1,268.57 


2,971.82 

14.70 

8,356.05 

5.70 

9.00 

69.91 

1,156.73 

10,054.68 

164.14 

2,884.05 

3,251.14 

311.12 

2,099.26 

46,33 

15,376.50 

430.83 

36,93 


68.36 

1,397.82 

223.55 

294.04 

105,686.79 

241.41 

21,173.11 

15,950.00 

162.69 

610.83 

70.00 

110.70 

355.08 

505.97 

7.00 

17,647.81 

292.26 

228.04 
25,200.15 
18,200.20 


(1,232.36 


Bank's  Credit. 


50.00 
1,287.50 

4,500.00 

38.95 

405.20 

1,000.00 

195.56 

320.69 

16.50 

5,410.55 

93.15 

664.57 

34.42 

3,518.56 
648.13 
112.64 

1,284.63 
764.10 

9,175.33 

164.00 

22.16 

306.00 

332.87 

1,142.49 

203.05 

1,264.50 

145.33 

334.64 

294.77 

32,307.33 

2,950.36 

1,222.90 

1,053.80 

20,100.00 

20.75 

706.32 

12.19 

1,887.86 

213.45 

1,775.97 

30.00 
54,141.20 
65.30 
50.00 
243.95 
93.49 
50.40 


150,655.56 

120,576.80 

271,232.36 


-^^^■^ 


^    ^^r^'^^ 

'"%  ^^^^~^"^"'^^"~^^'^^^?^^. 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE. 


377 


The  mode  of  doing-  business  at  the  Clearing-house  is  as  follows; 
Each  bank  is  represented  at  the  Clearing-house  by  a  settling  clerk  and 
a  messenger.  These  representatives  assemble  at  the  Clearing-house 
at  or  before  10  o'clock  every  morning.  Each  settling  clerk  brings 
with  him  first,  his  settling  clerk's  statement  made  up  at  his  bank 
before  leaving,  which  he  retains;  secondly,  a  credit  ticket,  which 
he  hands  to  the  manager  on  entering,  which  is  filled  up  on  a  blank 
in  the  following  form: 


No.    1. 

BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE. 

i8g.. 

Credit  Globe  National  Bank  $271,232.36. 

A.  B.,   Sett  liner  Clerk. 


The  figures  from  the  credit  tickets  are  rapidly  entered  by  the 
manager  or  clerk  in  a  blank  called  the  "Clearing-house  Proof"  in 
the  column  headed  "Banks  Cr. ,"  representing  the  amount  of  the 
checks  brought  by  the  different  banks  to  the  Clearing-house.  When 
these  entries  are  made  they  are  footed  while  the  exchanges  are  in 
progress. 

Each  bank  has  a  number  in  the  Clearing-house  and  a  desk  num- 
bered to  correspond  with  the  number  of  the  bank.  At  precisely  10  a. 
-M.  every  settling  clerk  must  be  in  his  place  inside  the  desk  appropriated 
to  his  bank,  with  his  settling  clerk's  statement.  On  the  outside  is  each 
messenger  having  the  actual  checks  or  other  matter  to  be  exchanged 
with  the  other  banks.  The  manager  calls  the  Clearing-house  to  order 
and  !5ounds  the  gong  at  precisely  10  a.  m.  At  the  sound  of  the  gong 
each  messenger  moves  one  desk  forward  or  to  the  left  and  deposits  the 
checks  and  other  Clearing-house  matter  drawn  on  that  bank  with  its 
settling  clerk,  and  at  the  same  time  drops  in  a  small  aperture  in  the 
desk  an  exchange  slip,  so  called,  as  follows,  showing  the  totals  drawn 
upon  that  bank : 

48 


378 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


No.  33, 

BLACKSTONE  MTIONAL  BANK, 

FROM 

No.    13,    Merchants'   Nat'l    Bank, 
38,965  Dolls.   39  Cts. 


In  this  manner  the  messensrers  advance  from  desk  to  desk,  depositing 
with  each  the  checks  drawn  upon  the  bank  there  represented  and  the 
exchange  slip,  until  each  has  passed  entirely  around  to  all  the  desks  and 
comes  back  again  to  the  point  from  which  he  started  in  front  of  the 
desk  of  his  own  bank.      This  occupies  usually  five  minutes. 

The  messenger  then  receives  from  the  settling  clerk  of  his  bank  the 
checks  and  other  matter  left  at  the  desk  by  the  other  messengers,  and 
returns  with  them  to  his  own  bank. 

The  taking  up  of  the  exchanges  usually  occupies  three  minutes 
more,  so  that  within  about  eight  or  ten  minutes  from  the  time  the  ex- 
changes begin  at  the  sounding  of  the  gong  they  have  been  full}^  com- 
pleted, and  the  messengers  have  left  for  their  respective  banks  with 
the  checks  they  have  received.  When  received  at  the  bank  they  are 
delivered  to  the  Clearing-house  clerk,  by  whom  they  are  examined  and 
entered,  or  returned,  as  the  case  may  be.  All  checks  not  good  must 
be  returned  by  one  o'clock. 

As  fast  as  the  exchange  slips  and  checks  are  received  they  are 
entered  in  the  settling  clerk's  statement  in  the  last  column  headed 
"  Banks  Cr. "  and  rapidly  footed. 

Each  settling  clerk,  as  soon  as  he  has  footed  the  credit  column 
of  his  statement  and  carefully  revised  the  work,  strikes  a  balance  be- 
tween the  total  debit  and  the  total  credit  exchange,  which  shows  how 
much  his  bank  is  to  receive  or  pay. 

He  then  copies  these  footings  into  what  is  called  a  "balance  ticket" 
as  follow: 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE. 


379 


No.  29. 

BOSTON   CLEARING-HOUSE. 

UJ 

April  22,  1893. 

1- 

i^r.    Globe    National    Bank,    Amt.   Reed.   $150,6^5.56. 

LLl 

o 

Cr.        "            "           "      Amt.   Brot.  $271,252.56. 

_l 

Balance,  $ due  Clearing-house. 

Balance  due  Globe  National  Bank,  $120,576.80. 

A.   B.,   Settling  Clerk. 

These  balance  sheets  as  fast  as  they  are  filled  out  are  passed  to  the 
manager.  vSome  of  them  are  handed  up  almost  immediately  after  the 
close  of  the  exchanges,  perhaps  by  ten  minutes  past  ten,  and  they  con- 
tinue to  come  in  until  nearly  half-past  ten,  by  which  time  the  proof 
must  be  made  under  a  penalty  of  a  fine  upon  the  delinquent  bank  ac- 
cording to  a  scale  fixed  in  the  Clearing-house  regulations. 

The  total  of  the  amotmt  received,  as  shown  by  the  balance  ticket,  is 
entered  on  the  Clearing-house  proof  in  the  column  headed  "Banks  Dr." 
and  the  balance  in  the  proper  column.  The  amounts  received  and  the 
balances  are  then  footed.  If  the  totals  on  both  sides  agree,  the  work  is 
correct,  the  proof  is  made  and  the  clerks  are  at  liberty  to  go.  If  they 
fail  to  agree,  it  is  evident  that  an  error  must  have  been  made,  as  the 
amount  of  checks  brought  and  the  amount  of  checks  carried  away  must 
be  exactly  the  same.  For  instance,  on  a  certain  morning  there  is  a 
discrepancy  of  $199.90.  The  manager  immediateh^  announces,  "The 
error  is  $109.90."  The  clerks  immediately  proceed  to  examine  their 
figures  for  the  error.  In  a  few  minutes  one  of  the  clerks  reports  that 
he  has  discovered  an  error  of  ten  cents,  which  makes  the  error  $200, 
which  is  announced  by  the  manager.  The  clerks  continue  to  examine 
their  figures  and  in  five  minutes  more,  at  10.40,  the  error  of  two  hun- 
dred dollars  is  discovered  and  corrected,  the  proof  is  completed  and 
the  clerks  are  allowed  to  withdraw.  The  two  banks  whose  clerks  have 
thus  detained  the  whole  force  for  ten  minutes  are  subjected  to  a  fine  of 
$2.00  each. 

The  following  is  a  sample  of  the  Clearing-house  Proof: 


BOSTON   CLEARING-HOUSE    PROOF, 189.. 


No. 


8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
31 
32 
33 
34 
36 
37 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 


BANKS. 


Massachusetts  National  _ 

National  Union 

Old  Boston  National 

State  National  -  _ . 

New  England  NationaL. 

Tremont  National 

Columbian  National 

National  Eagle 

National  City 

Washington  National 

North  National 

Atlantic  National 

Merchants  National 

Traders  National 

Hamilton  National 

Market  National 

Second  National 

Atlas  National 

vShoe  and  Leather  Nat'L 

Shawmut  National 

National  Exchange 

Nat'l  B'k  of  Commerce.. 
Nat'l  B'k  of  N.  America. 
Faneuil  Hall  National,.  . 

National  Webster 

Eliot  National 

Howard  National 

Suffolk  National 

Globe  National 

Freemans  National 

Boylston  National 

Blackstone  National 

Boston  National 

National  Hide  &  Leather 
Nat'l  Bank  Redemption. 

First  National 

National  Revere 

Nat'l  Bank  of  Republic. . 

Continental  National 

Mt.  Vernon  National 

Third  National 

Everett  National 

National  Security 

Broadway  National 

Nat'l  B'k  Commonwealth 

Central  National 

Manufacturers  National. 

Fotu-th  National 

Metropolitan  National  .. 

Winthrop  National 

Lmcoln  National 

Mechanics  National 

Commercial  National  _ .  _ 


Balances 
due  to  Clear- 
ing House. 


9,179.07 
518,473.37 


77,865.67 

34,411.99 

124,738.93 

53,271.72 

349,615.59 

27,413.09 
19,101.81 
12,944.70 


208,244.57 
437,884.70 
482,195.14 


23,840.08 


6,122.42 
113,072.23 
161,560.32 


110,707.75 
30,427.86 

140,090.0 
15,749.83 

36,096.26 

56,566.91 

8,318,92 

21,380.21 
26,576.54 


EXCHANGES. 


Banks,  Dr. 


199. 

151. 

142, 

242, 

638, 

192. 

137, 

199, 

172, 

154 

332, 

24 

1,466 

124, 

325 

126 

451 

145 

301, 

1,821 

2,145, 

1,211, 

161 

117 

192 

97 

151 

454 

439 

80, 

93 

340 

400 

316 

1,282 

436 

743 

849 

236 

64 

998 

36 

88 

145 

1,021 

136 

139 

141 

60 

109 

182 

103 

70 


548.47 
066.67 
518.65 
888.87 
318.06 
102.02 
937.73 
190.67 
539.88 
298.36 
684.84 
200.99 
163.41 
371.54 
423.74 
475.07 
089.14 
449.47 
686.63 
982.82 
645.51 
963.46 
520.53 
665.83 
382.78 
443.35 
880.93 
237.49 
229  25 
2m  61 
280.86 
645.10 
694.25 
154.89 
811.03 
174.65 
836.77 
818.27 
752.68 
321.02 
125.04 
,332.66 
,626.25 
547.69 
303.44 
,900.28 
,496.59 
,117.  .57 
40.66 
30.00 
,641.34 
220.22 
,314.88 


AGGREG.vrES 3,105,849.75  20,400,711.91  20,400,711.91  3,105,849.75 


Banks,  Cr. 


288 
141 
174 
346 
119 
216 
219 
121 
138 

29 
279 

66 
1,116 

96 
306 
113 
677 
179 
337 
1,613 
1,707 
729 
346 
119 
274 

73 
370 
478, 
746 
161 

87 
227 
239 
503 
1,866 
518 
946 
1,132 
126 

33 
858 

20 

190 

109 

1,043 

80, 
131 
183 

39 

83, 
187, 
113 

85 


909.29 

887.60 

804.41 

905.19 

844.69 

2H8.60 

323.40 

325.00 

127.89 

559.43 

413.12 

927.21 

547.82 

958.45 

321.93 

530.37 

623.13 

493.52 

630.28 

738.25 

760.81 

768.32 

106.74 

504.87 

850.26 

603.27 

335.92 

340.59 

028.9 

497.0 

158.44 

572.8* 

133.93 

101.39 

653.80 

773,78 

435.62 

012. 

044.93 

893.16 

034.9 

582.83 

769.18 

451.43 

538.69 

333,37 

177.67 

990.64 

360.45 

153.46 

667.09 

315.26 

599,83 


Balances 

Due  to 
the  Banks. 


89,360.82 

32,285.76 
104,016.32 

24,186.58 
81,385.67 


42,726.22 


226,533. 
34,044. 
35,943. 


184,586. 

1,839, 

82,467. 

218,454. 

24,103. 

306,799. 

81,277. 


186,946. 
583,842. 
82,599. 
202,598. 
282,194. 


102,142. 
22,235. 


93 


No. 


42,873.07 


5,025. 
10,095. 
15,284. 


10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
31 
32 
33 
34 
36 
37 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE.  381 

After  the  completion  of  the  exchanges  the  next  step  is  the  payment 
of  the  balances.  The  debtor  banks  are  required  to  pay  their  balances 
at  the  Clearing-house  on  or  before  1-2: 15  p.  m.,  and  the  creditor  banks 
to  receive  them  on  or  before  1 :  30  p.  m.  The  manager  gives  a  receipt 
to  each  of  the  debtor  banks  paying  balances  and  receives  one  from  the 
creditor  banks.  Balances  must  be  paid  either  in  coin  or  in  such  other 
currency  as  the  laws  of  the  United  States  require,  or  in  such  certifi- 
cates as  shall  be  authorized  by  the  Clearing-house  Association,  except 
that  sums  less  than  $1,000  may  be  paid  in  bills  of  the  debtor  bank. 
vShould  any  bank  fail  to  pay  the  balance  due  from  it  at  the  proper  hour, 
the  amount  of  such  balance  must  be  immediately  furnished  to  the 
Clearing-house  by  the  several  banks  in  proportion  to  their  respective 
balances  against  the  defaulting  bank  resulting  from  the  exchanges  of 
that  day,  and  the  manager  makes  requisition  accordingly.  The 
amotmts  so  furnished  to  the  Clearing-house  constitute  claims  on  the 
part  of  the  responding  banks  respectively  against  the  defaulting  bank. 
Any  such  responding  bank  may  cancel  its  exchanges  of  the  day  with 
the  defaulting  bank  by  tendering  repayment  to  the  debtor  bank  of  the 
amount,  if  any,  of  the  checks  and  other  items  received  by  it  (the 
creditor  bank)  through  the  exchanges  of  the  day  at  the  Clearing- 
house, from  or  on  account  of  such  defaulting  bank,  and  receiving  in 
return  all  the  checks  and  other  items  delivered  to  the  defaulting  bank. 
If  the  defaulting  bank  shall  fail  to  return  such  checks,  the  creditor 
bank  may  notify  its  depositors  and  customers  from  whom  said  checks 
and  items  were  received  of  the  non-payment  and  detention  of  such 
checks,  which  notification  shall  be  equivalent  to  the  return  of  such 
checks  and  items  to  depositors  of  the  same,  and  the  amounts  thereof 
may  be  charged  to  their  respective  accounts,  it  being  understood  that 
the  banks  receive  such  checks  and  items  payable  by  other  banks  for 
collection  and  as  agents  only.  Errors  in  the  exchanges  and  claims 
arising  from  the  return  of  checks  or  otherwise  must  be  adjusted  be- 
tween the  banks  directly  and  not  through  the  Clearing-house,  and 
checks  not  good  must  be  returned  at  or  before  1  o'clock. 

The  New  York  Clearing-house, — the  first  in  this  country — had  been 
in  operation  nearly  two  years,  and  its  usefulness  had  been  fully  demon- 
strated before  steps  were  taken  to  establish  a  siinilar  institution  in  Bos- 
ton. x\  meeting  of  the  representatives  of  the  Boston  banks  to  consider 
the  expediency  of  establishing  a  clearing-house,  was  held  at  the  rooms 
of  the  Merchants'  Bank  on   Thursday,  September  27,  1855.     Franklin 


382  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Haven,  president  of  the  Merchants'  Bank,  was  chosen  president  of  this 
meeting  and  William  Thomas,  of  the  Webster  Bank,  secretary.  The 
president  read  a  paper  prepared  by  Waldo  Flint,  president  of  the  Eagle 
Bank,  in  favor  of  the  establishment  of  the  clearing-house,  which  docu- 
ment had  been  approved  by  twenty  of  the  Boston  banks,  representing 
more  than  two-thirds  of  the  banking  capital  of  the  city.  A  committee 
of  eight  was  thereupon  appointed  to  carry  out  the  objects  named  in 
this  paper.  This  committee  was  compo.sed  of  the  following  gentlemen : 
Andrew  T.  Hall  of  the  Tremont  Bank,  Waldo  Flint  of  the  Eagle  Bank, 
Benjamin  E.  Bates  of  the  Bank  of  Commerce,  Thomas  Lamb  of  the 
New  England  Bank,  Almon  D.  Hodges  of  the  Washington  Bank, 
George  W.  Thayer  of  the  Exchange  Bank,  Franklin  Haven  of  the  Mer- 
chants' Bank,  and  Daniel  Denney  of  the  Hamilton  Bank. 

As  one  of  the  obvious  effects  of  establishing  a  system  of  daily  settle- 
ments between  the  banks  w^ould  be  to  compel  the  less  conservative  in- 
stituti<ms  to  curtail  their  operations,  some  opposition  was  developed  to 
the  change.  It  was  urged  that  the  money  market  was  already  strin- 
gent and  the  rates  of  interest  high  and  that  the  clearing-house,  by 
bringing  bank  transactions  to  a  strict  daily  specie  test,  would  restrict 
loans  and  increase  the  stringency.  To  this  it  was  answered  that  the 
tightness  of  the  market  was  due  to  the  encouragement  given  to  specu- 
lation by  some  of  the  banks  and  that  the  conservative  influence  of  the 
clearing-house  settlements  was  just  the  thing  needed  to  remedy  the 
evil.  The  opposition  proved  of  no  avail.  The  committee  appointed 
September  27  proceeded  with  their  work  and  prepared  a  constitution 
and  rules  for  the  Clearing-house,  which  were  presented,  adopted  and 
signed  at  a  meeting  of  bank  ofificers  held  at  the  Merchants'  Bank  on 
January,  15,  185M.  At  this  meeting  Franklin  Haven  was  chosen  chair- 
man of  the  association  and  William  Thomas  secretary.  A  Clearing- 
house Committee  was  also  chosen  as  follows:  Andrew^  T.  Hall,  Tre- 
mont Bank ;  Waldo  Flint,  Eagle  Bank ;  Thomas  Lamb,  New  England 
Bank;  Altnon  D.  Hodges,  Washington  Bank;  Benjamin  E.  Bates,  Bank 
of  Commerce.      Henry  B.  Graves  was  chosen  manager. 

Rooms  were  engaged  on  the  third  floor  of  the  Granite  Building,  forin- 
erly  owned  by  the  New  England  Bank,  at  the  corner  of  vState  and 
Kilby  streets.  The  site  with  other  adjoining  land  is  now  covered  by 
the  "  Exchange  Building,"  so  called.  The  clearings  were  made  in  this 
room  until  the  association  removed  to  its  present  more  cominodious 
and  convenient  quarters  at  (W;  State  street  on  October  22,  1883.  Of 
the  oritrinal  officers  Franklin  Haven  is  the  sole  survivor. 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE. 


383 


The  Clearino--house  commenced  operations  March  20,  1850.  The 
following  banks,  twenty-nine  in  number, — the  constituent  members  of 
the  association — participated  in  the  first  day's  clearings : 


Massachusetts  Bank, 

Union 

Boston 

State 

New  England 

Tremont 

Columbian 

Eagle 

City 

Washington 

North 

Atlantic 

Merchants' 

Traders' 

Hamilton 


Market  Bank, 
Granite 

(now  Second  National) 
Atlas  Bank, 

Shoe  and  Leather  Bank, 
Shawmut  ' ' 

Exchange  ' ' 

Bank  of  Commerce, 
Bank  of  North  America, 
Faneuil  Hall  Bank, 
Webster 
Eliot 
Howard 
Suffolk 
Blackstone 


The  exchanges  on  the  first  day  amounted  to  $2,780,000,  and  the  bal- 
ances to  $384,000.  The  heaviest  exchanges  ever  made  in  any  day  were 
$31,321,877  on  July  2,  1880.  The  lightest  exchanges  were  $1,377,017 
on  May  27,  1862.  The  largest  balances  resulting  from  any  one  dav's 
transactions  were  $4,077,438  on  July  2,  1889.  The  smallest  balances 
in  any  one  day  were  $150,877  on  August  15,  1850. 

In  June,  ISoO,  the  Globe,  National  and  Maverick  Banks  joined  the 
association.  The  Freemans  and  Boylston  became  members  June  1, 
1857;  the  Hide  and  Leather  in  May,  1858;  the  Bank  of  Mutual  Re- 
demption in  October,  1858;  the  Bank  of  the  Metropolis  in  November, 
1858;  the  Safety  Fund  (now  First  National)  in  February,  1850;  the  Re- 
vere May  10,  1859;  the  Bank  of  the  Republic  February  5,  1860;  the 
Continental  and  Mount  Vernon  November  14,  1860;  the  Third  National 
June  1,  1864;  the  Everett  National  and  National  Security  April  1,  1868; 
the  Broadway  National  in  February,  1870 ;  the  National  Bank  of  the 
Commonwealth  in  June,  1871;  the  Central  National  in  May,  1873;  the 
Manufacturers'  National  in  July,  1873;  the  Fourth  National  in  July, 
1875;  the  Metropolitan  in  August,  1875;  the  Merchandise  in  November, 
1875;  the  Lincoln  in  1883;  the  Mechanics'  and  Commercial  in  1888. 
The  Globe  National  and  Maverick  Banks  were  represented  in  the 
original  organization,  but  did  not  perfect  their  membership  until  later. 
The  Mechanics'  Bank  was  expected  to  join  as  number  thirty,  but  did 
not  actually  enter  until  1888,  when  it  came  as  in  number  fifty-five,  the 


384  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

original  number  thirty  reserved  by  it  never  having  been  used.  The 
Bank  of  the  Metropolis,  number  thirty-eight,  ceased  to  be  a  member 
and  discontinued  business  as  a  corporation  in  1863,  the  proprietor,  S. 
A.  Way,  contintiing  as  a  private  bank  under  the  old  name.  The  Mav- 
erick Bank,  number  thirty-five,  failed  and  was  expelled  from  the  asso- 
ciation November  2,  1891.  This  is  the  first  and  only  failure  that  has 
ever  occurred  among  the  banks  associated  in  the  Boston  Clearing- 
house. Great  care  has  generally  been  exercised  in  admitting  banks  to 
the  privileges  of  the  association. 

In  1876  A.  I.  Benyon,  who  had  been  cashier  and  then  president  of 
the  Exchange  Bank,  was  removed  from  the  presidency  of  this  bank  be- 
cause of  alleged  irregularities  if  not  criminal  practices.  Public  (mer- 
cantile and  business)  opinion  at  the  time  was  considerably  divided  as  to 
the  degree  of  his  moral  culpability ;  at  any  rate,  there  were  enough  who 
had  confidence  in  Mr.  Benyon,  to  enable  him  and  others  within  about  a 
year,  on  November  12,  1877,  to  establish  the  Pacific  National  Bank,  of 
which  he  was  president.  The  Clearing-house  Association  refused  first 
in  1877  and  again  in  1878  to  admit  this  bank  into  its  membership,  and 
the  Pacific  was  obliged  to  clear  through  another  bank.  Although  this 
action  was  said  by  many  to  be  because  of  ill-advised  personal  feeling 
against  Mr.  Benyon,  it  was  fully  justified  by  the  result,  as  the  bank 
suspended  in  November,  1881.  The  bank  (its  affairs  having  been  partial- 
ly adjusted)  resumed  business  March  18,  1882,  but  was  for  the  third 
time  refused  admission  to  the  Clearing-house  and  continued  only  initil 
May  20,  1882,  about  three  months,  when  its  complete  failure  brought 
ruin  to  a  number  of  well  known  persons.  The  examinations  that  fol- 
lowed developed  the  rascality  of  Benyon,  who  was  thenceforth  a  fugi- 
tive from  justice;  but  the  effect  of  the  failure  upon  the  business  com- 
munity in  general  was  said  to  have  been  by  no  means  as  serious  as  it 
would  have  been,  had  not  the  action  of  the  Clearing-house  kept  this 
bank  from  ever  obtaining  the  status  of  the  other  banks,  by  allowing  it 
to  come  into  the  association. 

The  names  and  numbers  of  the  present  members  of  the  Clearing- 
house (June,  181»;>)  are  as  follows: 

When  Established. 

1.  Massachusetts  National  Bank 1T84 

2.  National  Union  "       1792 

3.  Old  Boston  National  "       1803 

4.  State  National  "       1811 

5.  New  England  National      "        1813 

C.  Tremont  "  "       1814 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE. 


385 


Columbian 


When  Established. 
National  Bank   1822 


y.   National  Eagle 
9.   National  City 

10.  Washington  National 

11.  North 

12.  Atlantic 

13.  Merchants 

14.  Traders' 

15.  Hamilton 

16.  Market 

17.  Second 

18.  Atlas 

19.  Shoe  and  LeatherNational 

20.  Shawmut  ' ' 

21.  National  Exchange 
22 
23 


24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
31. 
32. 
33. 
34. 
36. 
37. 
39. 
40. 
41. 
42. 
43. 
44. 
45. 


1822 

1822 

1825 

1825 

1825 

1831 

1831 

1832 

1832 

(Granite) 1833 

1834 

1836 

1836 

1847 

National  Bank  of  Commerce 1850 

National  Bank  of  North  America 1850 


Faneuil  Hall  National  Bank 1851 

National  AVebster  Bank 1853 

Eliot  National  "      1853 

Howard    "  "      1853 

Suffolk      "  "      1818 

Globe        "  "      1824 

Freeman's  National  Bank 1836 

Boylston  "  "       1845 

Blackstone         "  "      1851 

Boston  "  "       1853 

National  Hide  and  Leather  Bank 1858 

National  Bank  of  Redemption 1858 

First  National  Bank  (Safety  Fund) 1858 

National  Revere  Bank 1859 

National  Bank  of  the  Republic 1860 

Continental  National  Bank 1860 


Mount  Vernon    ' ' 

Third 

Everett  " 

46.  National  Security 

47.  Broadway  National 
48. 
49. 
50. 

51.  Fourth 

52.  Metropolitan 

53.  Winthrop 

54.  Lincoln 

55.  Mechanics' 

56.  Commercial 
49 


1860 

1864 

1865 

1868 

1853 

National  Bank  of  the  Common-wealth 1871 

Central  National  Bank 1873 

Manufacturers'  National  Bank 1873 

"     1875 

"     1875 

"     (Merchandise) 1875 

"  1883 

"  1836 

"  1888 


386 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


The  whole  number  of  different  banks  that  have  belonged  to  the 
Clearing-house  since  its  organization  has  been  fifty-five,  and  the  pres- 
ent number  is  fifty-three,  with  a  capital  of  $52,700,000. 

Besides  the  banks  belonging  to  the  Clearing-house  forty-two  other 
banks  and  trust  companies  effect  their  exchanges  through  members  of 
the  Clearing-house,  so  that  its  transactions  now  (April,  180;3)  include 
the  exchanges  of  ninety-three  banks  with  a  capital  of  about  $045,000. 00. 
The  banks  outside  thus  availing  themselves  of  the  Clearing-house,  their 
location  and  clearing  agents  are  as  follows: 

Charles  River  National  Bank,  _ .  .Cambridge, "] 


Clearing  Agent. 


Monument 
Cambridgeport 
Bunker  Hill 
Randolph 
First  Ward 


National  Exchange  Bank. 


.Charlestown,  V 
.  _ .  Cambridge,  j 
.  .Charlestown,.  .Second  National  Bank. 

^    '  '-  National  Hide  and  Leather  Bank. 
.East  Boston,  ) 


Shoe  and  I^eather  National  Bank. 


Bay  State  Trust  Co. , Boston,  i^      ,       ..  .  at  ^-        i  t>      i 

^^  -^    ^      ,       ,  ^       /^  ,,         ■  jNIerchants  National  Bank. 

New  England  Trust  Co. , . i 

Mt.  Wollaston  National  Bank, Quincy,  ^ 

Massachusetts  Loan  and  Trust  Co.,  .Boston,  !    ^     .        ,  r,      ,     r  <-i     /--  in 

^.,     .        ,  _      ,  T^       1  ^        V  National  Bank  of  the  CommonAvealth. 

Home  National  Bank,    Brockton ,  ( 

Dedham    "  "         Dedham.  J 

International  Trust  Co. , Boston,.. Shawm ut  National  Bank. 

Rockland  National  Bank, Roxbury,  ^ 

First  "  "       West  Newton,  i 

BlueHill  "  "      Milton,^ 

Natick  "  "        Natick,j 

First  National  Bank, Chelsea,  ] 

First  "  "       Cambridge, 

Cambridge  National  Bank, "  [ 

Lechmere  "  "       " 

First  "  "        Maiden, 

People's  "  "       Roxbury, 

First  "  "       SouthWeymouth, 

National  Granite  "       Quincy, 

Union  Market  National  Bank,  ..Watei'town, 

Waltham  "  "       Waltham, 

Brockton  "  "       Brockton ,  1 

Winnisimmet  "  "       Chelsea,  | 

National  City  "       ._  Cambridge, 

American  Loan  and  Trust  Co., Boston,  | 

State  Street  Safe  Dep.  and  Trust  Co.,      "        J 

Brookline  National  Bank, Brookline,  / 

Newton         "  " Newton,  i 

Boston  Safe  Deposit  and  Trust  Co.,. Boston, 

3toneham  National  Bank, Stoneham, 

First  "  "       Woburn, 


J- National  Bank  of  Redemption. 


.Fourth  National  Bank. 
.  Boston         "  " 


Third  National  Bank. 


First  National  Bank. 


National  Bank  of  the  Republic. 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE. 


387 


Union  Safe  Deposit  Vaults, Boston, . 

South  End  National  Bank, " 

Old  Colony  Trust  Co,, 

Mattapan  Deposit  and  Trust  Co.,  _  South    " 
Melrose  National  Bank, Melrose, . 


.National  Union  Bank. 
_  Globe  National       " 
.National  Bank  of  Commerce. 
.Tremont  National  Bank. 
.National  City  " 


Private  banks  were  not  formerly  admitted  to  the  privileges  of  the 
association,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  these  privileges  being  restrict- 
ed to  incorporated  banks.  The  only  exception  ever  made  until  recent- 
ly was  in  the  case  of  Way,  Warren  &  Co. ,  doing  business  under  the 
name  of  the  Bank  of  the  Metropolis,  which,  having  formerly  been  a 
member,  was  allowed  in  1800  to  clear  through  the  Hide  and  Leather 
National  Bank. 

The  Clearing-house  had  been  established  only  about  a  year  and  a 
half  when  the  financial  crisis  of  1857  furnished  an  additional  demon- 
stration of  its  necessity  and  usefulness.  Many  of  the  banks  of  New 
York  city  suspended  specie  payments  October  13,  1857,  and  the  residue 
with  those  of  Boston  suspended  October  14.  On  this  latter  date  the 
Clearing-house  Committee  met  and  resolved  to  recommend  to  the  as- 
sociated banks  as  an  aid  in  effecting  their  daily  settleiuents  that  the 
bills  of  any  of  the  associated  banks  be  received  in  liquidation  of  their 
daily  balances,  instead  of  specie,  within  the  following  limits : 

For  banks  having  capital  of  S  300,000  or  under,  not  exceeding  §  20,000 


500,000 

560,000 

600,000 

700,000 

750,000 

900,000 

1,000,000 

1,250,000 

1,500,000 

1,800,000 

2,000,000 

4,000,000 


Suffolk. 


25,000 
28,000 
30,000 
32,000 
34,000 
36,000 
40,000 
45,000 
50,000 
60,000 
60,000 
100,000 
100,000 


Any  excess  of  balances  above  these  figures  was  to  be  paid  in  specie 
as  usual.  The  notes  so  received  in  settlement  of  balances  were  to  be 
sent  to  the  Clearing-house  with  the  exchanges  of  the  next  day,  and  the 
committee  was  to  have  the  right  lo  call  upon  any  bank  for  satisfactory 
collateral  security  to  secure  the  payment  of  its  bills  so  received,  these 
bills  being  so  received  and  held  at  the  joint  risk  of  the  associated  banks 


388  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  their  respective  capitals.  The  interest 
on  the  notes  so  paid  in  was  to  be  settled  daily  in  the  payment  of  bal- 
ances. An  agreement  enibodying  these  recommendations  was  drawn 
up  and  signed  by  the  banks.  This  measure  produced  at  once  a  favor- 
able effect  in  enabling  the  banks  to  extend  a  degree  of  aid  and  accom- 
modation to  their  customers  which  they  could  not  otherwise  have  done. 
The  moral  effect  of  such  a  step  in  checking  the  panic  was  also  impor- 
tant. The  results  were  most  satisfactory  and  fully  met  the  expecta- 
tions of  its  projectors.  The  Clearing-house  report  of  1858  says:  "  By 
no  other  form  or  association  among  the  banks  could  such  a  spirit  of 
harmony  and  concert  of  action  have  been  inspired  and  kept  in  being  as 
that  which  grew  out  and  resulted  from  our  present  clearing-house  sys- 
tem, and  under  which  we  feel  confident  much  evil  has  been  averted 
that  otherwise  must  have  been  felt  in  our  business  circles." 

For  the  purpose  of  avoiding  the  inconvenience  and  risk  of  handling 
coin  in  paying  balances,  the  Clearing-house  early  in  its  history  adopted 
the  policy  of  making  one  of  its  members  a  depository  to  receive  coin 
from  the  other  inembers  and  issue  clearing-house  certificates  against  it 
to  be  used  in  settling  the  daily  balances.  The  Merchants'  Bank  was 
selected  as  this  depository  of  coin,  and  it  had  at  the  time  of  the  annual 
meeting,  March21,  1800,  issued  certificates  to  the  amount  of  $14,590,500, 
of  which  $11,750,000  had  been  redeemed,  leaving  $3,840,000  in  circula- 
tion, as  compared  with  $3,100,000,  March  31,  1859,  and  $3,425,000, 
March  31,  1858.  The  great  financial  changes  wrought  by  the  war,  in- 
cluding the  disappearance  of  coin  from  circulation  and  the  establish- 
ment of  a  legal  tender  paper  currency,  made  the  further  use  of  coin 
certificates  needless  and  impracticable,  and  they  ceased  to  be  issued. 
Their  place  was  subsequently  supplied  by  United  States  certificates  of 
deposit  issued  pursuant  to  Act  of  Congress,  approved  June  8,  1872,  in 
denominations  of  not  less  than  $10,000,  and  expressly  made  available 
for  the  payment  of  Clearing-house  balances,  and  also  as  a  part  of  the 
reserve  of  national  banking  associations. 

In  1879,  after  the  resumption  of  specie  payments,  the  Merchants' 
National  Bank  was  again  selected  as  a  depository  of  coin,  and  issued 
Clearing-house  certificates  for  paying  balances,  first  in  denominations  of 
$5,000  and  later  of  $1,000.  October  19,  1881,  it  declined  to  act  longer 
as  a  depository. 

Soon  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  the  value  of  our  clearing- 
house machinery  became  specially  manifest,  as  it  enabled  the  banks  to 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE.  m% 

combine  their  resources  for  the  purpose  of  assisting-  the  government,  to 
which  the  associated  banks  of  the  three  cities  of  New  York,  Boston  and 
Philadelphia  in  1861  advanced  $150,000,000  in  three  amounts  of 
$50,000,000  each,  taking  in  return  obligations  which  they  distributed 
among  the  people.  This  was  done  during  the  early  months  of  the 
war  and  before  the  government  had  succeeded  in  getting-  its  financial 
arrangements  adjusted  to  the  tremendous  efforts  it  was  compelled  to 
make.  But  for  this  timely  relief  the  government  would  have  been 
well  nigh  paralyzed  for  want  of  funds  on  the  very  threshold  of  the 
war.  Throughout  the  great  struggle  the  clearing-house  machinery 
gave  strength  and  regularity  to  the  nation's  financial  operations,  which 
were  strikingly  in  contrast  with  the  conditions  prevailing  during  the 
war  of  1812,  when  no  such  bulwark  to  our  financial  system  existed. 

The  value  of  union  and  organization  among  the  banks  in  the  Clear- 
ing-house was  strikingly  illustrated  during  the  financial  crisis  of  1873. 
The  storm,  which  culminated  at  New  York  on  September  18,  1873,  in 
the  failure  of  J.  Cooke  &  Company  and  other  large  banking-houses, 
did  not  begin  to  produce  serious  disturbances  in  the  mone}^  market  of 
Boston  until  the  latter  part  of  September,  when  a  steady  drain  of 
greenbacks,  in  payment  of  checks  from  New  York  and  other  cities,  set 
in,  which  threatened  speedily  to  exhaust  the  bank  reserves.  With  a  view 
to  the  highest  utilization  of  their  resources,  a  meeting  of  the  presidents 
of  the  banks  of  Boston  was  held  at  the  Clearing--house  on  vSaturday 
afternoon,  September  27,  1873,  at  which  every  bank  in  the  city  was 
represented.  After  some  discussion  the  following  resolutions  were 
unanimously  adopted : 

Whereas,  the  banks  in  all  the  large  cities  in  the  United  States  have  deemed  it 
prudent  and  expedient  to  suspend  currency  payment  for  large  amounts,  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  the  Boston  banks,  as  a  precautionary  measure  for  themselves  and 
the  mercantile  community,  and  to  prevent  the  consequent  drain  of  currency  from 
them,  do,  from  this  date  and  until  further  notice,  adopt  the  same  measure. 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  by  the  chair  who  shall  have  the 
power  to  issue  loan  certificates  to  the  amount  of  §10,000,000  upon  substantially  the 
same  basis  as  they  are  issued  by  the  banks  of  New  York  city. 

In  accordance  with  the  last  resolution,  the  chair  appointed  Messrs. 
Franklin  Haven,  George  C.  Richardson,  Benjamin  E.  Bates,  Thomas 
Lamb,  A.  I.  Benyon,  and  James  H.  Beal  as  a  committee  to  issue  these 
certificates.  By  Tuesday,  September  30,  the  certificates,  which  were  in 
denominations  of  $5,000  and  $10,000,  began  to  be  issued.      Each  bank 


390  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

desiring  them  was  required  to  deliver  to  the  committee  acceptable 
securities,  for  which  it  received  in  certificates  75  per  cent,  of  the  face 
value  of  the  securities  less  the  interest,  which  was  paid  for  sixty  days  in 
advance  at  the  rate  of  7yV  per  cent,  per  annum.  The  banks  had  the 
privilege  of  taking  up  these  certificates  previous  to  December  1,  if  they 
desired.  Each  bank  that  received  the  certificates  was  obliged  to  guar- 
antee the  committee  jointly  and'severally  against  any  loss  that  might 
arise  from  a  change  in  the  market  value  of  the  securities  held  by  them 
as  collateral  for  the  loan  certificate  issued  to  such  bank,  and  in  case  of 
depreciation  in  the  value  of  the  securities,  to  furnish  additional  or  other 
securities  satisfactory  to  the  committee.  For  the  further  protection  of 
their  reserves  the  banks  also  adopted  the  practice,  which  continued  to 
a  greater  or  less  degree  for  nearly  two  months,  of  paying  all  checks 
through  the  Clearing-house,  and  one  individual  from  the  country  notic- 
ing the  inscription  on  his  check  "  Payable  only  through  the  Clearing- 
house," actually  went  to  the  Clearing-house  to  get  his  check  cashed. 
The  total  number  of  certificates  issued  to  October  20  had  reached 
$4,800,000,  by  which  time  currency  which  had  been  previously  hoarded 
had  begun  to  return  to  the  ordinary  channels  of  circulation.  The 
measures  adopted  by  the  associated  banks  proved  highly  successful  in 
protecting  their  reserves  and  in  enabling  them  to  extend  the  necessary 
assistance  to  the  mercantile  community.  Their  reserve  of  legal  tenders, 
which  was  $0,010,300  for  the  week  ending  vSeptember  15,  and  $8,182,- 
700  the  week  following,  reached  its  minimun  in  the  week  ending  Oc- 
tober 20,  when  it  was  $7,850,900,  showing  a  loss  as  compared  with 
September  15  of  $1,105,400.  The  recovery  was  rapid,  and  by  the  week 
ending,  November  3,  the  reserve  had  more  than  recovered  its  former 
figures  and  stood  at  $0,045,400. 

The  carrying  out  of  these  arrangements  involved  much  labor  in  the 
calculation  of  so  much  interest  and  the  adjustment  of  it  as  between  the 
different  banks.  At  the  end  of  the  term  for  which  the  certificates  were 
issued,  an  extension  of  those  outstanding  (then  about  $5,000,000),  was 
authorized  for  the  further  period  of  sixty  days,  but  it  was  not  found 
necessary  to  use  this  privilege  to  the  full  extent,  and  before  the  end  of 
December  the  banks  had  begun  to  take  up  and  cancel  their  certificates. 
Notice  was  issued  that  interest  would  cease  on  the  certificates  after 
Monday,  December  29.  The  legal  tender  reserve  of  the  banks  for  the 
week  ending  December  15,  was  $10,780,000,  and  on  the  18th  of  Decem- 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE.  391 

ber,  for  the  first  time  after  the  issue  of  the  certificates  commenced,  the 
banks  made  their  settlements  wholly  in  greenbacks. 

During  a  portion  of  this  period  a  remarkable  condition  of  things  ex- 
isted. The  banks  had  suspended  currency  payments,  and  loans  of  cur- 
rency often  commanded  two  per  cent,  interest  per  month.  Yet  bank 
notes  resting  upon  the  credit  of  the  government  were  everywhere  re- 
ceived on  a  par  with  the  legal  tender  currency,  thus  affording  an  illus- 
tration of  one  of  the  great  benefits  of  the  national  banking  system. 
During  this  period  legal  tenders  and  national  bank  notes  were  alike 
hard  to  obtain,  and  frequently  commanded  a  premium  of  two  or  three 
per  cent.  The  currency  of  the  mercantile  community  for  all  large 
amounts  consisted  for  a  considerable  time  almost  wholl}'  of  certified 
checks,  payable  only  through  the  Clearing-house.  Without  the  strength 
and  confidence  inspired  by  the  union  of  the  banks  in  the  Clearing- 
house, such  a  circulating  medium  could  never  have  obtained  the  credit 
which  enabled  it  to  perform  for  so  long  a  period  the  functions  of 
money. 

During  the  severe  stringency  prevailing  in  the  autumn  of  1890,  simi- 
lar loan  certificates  were  again  issued.  On  the  17th  day  of  November, 
1890,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Clearing-house  Association  the  following  reso- 
lution was  unanimously  adopted. 

Resolved^  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  by  the  chair,  of  which  committee 
the  chairman  shall  also  be  a  member,  to  receive  froin  banks,  members  of  the  associa- 
tion, bills  receivable  and  other  securities,  to  he  approved  by  said  committee,  who 
.shall  be  authorized  to  issue  therefor  to  such  depositing  banks,  loan  certificates,  bear- 
ing interest  at  seven  and  three-tenths  per  cent,  per  annum,  and  such  loan  certificates 
shall  not  be  in  excess  of  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  market  valtie  of  the  securities  or 
bills  receivable  so  dei^osited,  and  such  certificates  shall  be  received  and  jsaid  in  set- 
tlement of  balances  at  the  Clearing-house. 

Resolved,  That  anj-  loss  arising  from  the  issue  of  loan  certificates  shall  be  borne  by 
the  banks  comprising  the  Clearing-house  Association  jjro  rata,  according  to  the  aver- 
age daily  amount  which  each  bank  shall  have  sent  to  the  Clearing-house  during  the 
preceding  year. 

It  was  also  voted  that  this  resolution  shall  be  ratified  by  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  respective  banks  belonging  to  the  association,  and  a 
certified  copy  of  such  consent  delivered  to  the  chairman  of  the  loan 
committee. 

The  form  of  the  loan  certificates  issued  under  the  resolution  alluded 
to  was  as  follows: 


39'^ 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


< 

O 
Q 

Q 

< 

xn 
O 

e 


fe 


No 


$5,000. 


LOAN  GOIflMIITEE  OF  THE  BOSTON  GLEflRING-HOUSE  flWIHTION. 


Boston, i8g- . 

This  certifies  that  the National  Bank  has  deposited 

with  this  committee  securities  in  accordance  with  the  proceedings 
of  a  meeting  of  the  association  held  November  17,  1890,  upon 
which  this  certificate  is  issued. 

This  certificate  will  be  received  in  payment  of  balances  at  the 
Clearing-house  for  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars  from  any  mem- 
ber of  the  Clearing-house  Association. 

On  surrender  of  this  certificate  by  the  depositing  bank  above 
named,  the  committee  will  indorse  the  amount  as  a  payment  on 
the  obligation  of  said  bank  held  by  them,  and  surrender  a  propor- 
tionate share  of  the  collateral  securities  held. 


$5,000. 


Conwiittee. 


Any  bank  desiring-  these  loan  eertificatcs  was  reqiirred  to  deposit  the 
necessary  security  and  also  to  execiUe  and  deliver  an  oblig-ation  in  the 
following  form : 

The National  Bank  has  this  day  received  of loan  committee 

of  the  Boston  Clearing-house  Association  loan  certificates  issued  by  said  committee 
in  pursuance  of  a  vote  of  said  association,  passed  November  17,  1890,  to  the  amount 

of thousand  dollars,  and  has  deposited  with  said  committee  the  securities,  a 

statement  whereof  is  hereto  annexed,  and  the  said bank  received  said 

loan  certificates  on  the  terms  set  forth  in  said  vote,  and  agrees  to  pay  the  amount  of 
said  certificate  with  interest  thereon  as  provided  in  said  vote. 

The  loan  certificates  authorized  by  the  foregoing-  resolution  were  first 
issued  (m  No\^ember  1!),  1890,  and  the  last  were  issued  on  December  6, 
181)0,  at  which  latter  date  the  issue  had  reached  its  maximum  of  $5,- 
0(55,000.  The  last  of  the  issue  was  withdrawn  from  circulation  on  Jan- 
uary G,  1891. 

In  the  latter  part  of  October,  1891,  it  coming  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
Clearing-house  Committee  that  the  Maverick  Bank,  belonging  to  the 
association,  was  not  transacting  business  in  accordance  with  sound  bu.si- 
ness  principles,  they  called  a  ineeting  of  the  association,  held  Novem- 
ber 2,  1891,  at  which  the  bank  was  expelled  from  membership  in  the 


£..^2^ucn^i^ 


Bu-i 


BOSTON  CLEARIXG-HOUSE.  393 

association.  The  comptroller  of  the  currency,  being  informed  of  the 
condition  of  affairs,  sent  to  the  bank  examiner  to  close  the  bank,  which 
was  done  Monday  morning,  November  2. 

The  Clearing-house  Committee  made  the  following  statement : 

Boston,  Nov.  3,  1891. 
The  National  Bank  examiner,  acting  under  the  instructions  of  the  comptroller  of 
the  currency,  has  closed  the  Maverick  Bank. 

The  Clearing-house  Committee  of  the  Boston  banks  has  called  a  meeting  of  the 
members  of  the  Clearing-house  at  9.30  .\.  m.  this  morning  to  take  action  on  a  proposi- 
tion recommended  b}'  the  committee,  that  all  the  banks  composing  the  association 
unite  in  making  advances  in  cash  to  the  depositors  of  the  Maverick  Bank. 

The  object  of  making  these  advances  is  to  relieve  the  temporary  embarrassment  of 
the  depositors. 

Thos.  p.  Beal. 
Frederic  Haver,  jr. 
Albert  S.  Newman. 
Franklin  Pierce. 
Moses  Williaas. 

Clearing-house  Cominiitee. 

Chairman  Beal  of  the  committee  was  appointed  receiver. 

The  Clearing-house  Association  voted  to  allow  each  Maverick  Bank 
depositor  a  certain  per  cent,  of  the  money  he  had  on  deposit  in  that 
bank,  on  condition  that  he  would  leave  his  book  as  security  that  he 
had  the  amount  of  money  in  the  bank,  after  it  had  been  certified  by  the 
bank. 

The  moral  effect  of  the  action  of  the  association  was  to  greatly  di- 
minish and  allay  popular  excitement  and  mental  distixrbance. 

The  importance  of  the  Clearing-house  Association  in  sustaining  both 
public  and  private  credit  was  again  demonstrated  in  a  meeting  of  the 
associated  banks  held  on  Monday,  April  24,  1893,  to  consider  what 
action  the  Clearing-house  would  take  in  reference  to  sustaining  the 
United  vStates  government  in  its  policy  of  maintaining  gold  payments 
for  treasury  notes.  At  this  meeting  George  Ripley  of  the  Hide  and 
Leather  National  Bank  presided,  and  every  bank  was  represented.  The 
following  resolution  was  presented  and  upon  a  roll-call  unanimously 
adopted : 

The  associated  banks  of  Boston,  relying  upon  the  ability  and  determination  of 
the  government  to  maintain  gold  payments,  hereby  tender  the  secretary  of  the 
treasury  one-half  of  the  gold  reserve  now  held  by  them  in  exchange  for  legal  tender 
notes,  and  the  Clearing-house  Committee  is  hereby  directed  to  carry  out  the  terms  of 
this  resolution. 
50 


394  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

This  action,  the  first  of  its  kind  taken  by  any  clearing--house  associa- 
tion in  this  country,  is  a  matter  of  no  small  importance,  and  must  be 
reckoned  as  one  of  the  most  patriotic  and  praiseworthy  steps  ever 
taken  by  the  association. 

For  about  three  months  past,  from  June  to  September,  ISDo,  the 
country  has  been  passing-  through  a  financial  ordeal  more  nearly  re- 
sembling- that  of  1873  than  anything  that  has  been  witnessed  for  twenty 
years.  Indeed  the  conditions  have  been  in  many  respects  similar  to 
those  then  prevailing.  Currency  payments,  owing  to  general  distrust 
and  consequent  hoarding-  of  currency,  have  been  partially  suspended, 
and  currency  has  been  at  a  premium  of  two  to  three  per  cent. 

The  banks  of  Boston  have  successfully  met  this  crisis  by  resorting  to 
the  expedients  employed  in  1873  and  1890.  Loan  certificates  have 
been  issued  on  a  pledge  of  securities  to  the  amount  of  $11,445,000,  thus 
enabling  the  banks  to  extend  accommodations  to  their  customers  to  a 
much  larger  extent  than  would  otherwise  have  been  possible, — another 
illustration  of  the  very  great  value  and  utility  of  our  clearing-house 
machinery. 

The  issue  of  certificates  began  about  July  1,  and  the  amounts  out- 
standing, as  shown  by  successive  statements  of  the  associated  banks  of 
Boston,  have  been  as  follows : 

July      1 $3,680,000  Aug.   1!) 10,940,000 

8 4,555,000        "        20 11,445,000 

15 5,575,000  Sept.  2 11,435,000 

22 5,575,000    "    9 11,305,000 

29 8,565,000        "        16 11,260,000 

Aug.     5 10,090,000        "        23 8,055,000 

12 10,350,000 

The  issue  reached  its  maximum  August  "iO.  The  acute  stage  of  the 
crisis  is  now  apparently  past,  and  the  banks  are  rapidly  surrendering 
their  certificates,  over  $3,000,000  having  been  withdrawn  within  the 
last  week  covered  by  the  above  statement. 

The  Clearing-house  Association  has  had  four  presidents,  as  follows: 
Franklin  Haven,  1850-5!),  three  years;  Daniel  Denny,  1859-71,  twelve 
years;  James  H.  Beal,  1871-88,  eighteen  years;  George  Ripley,  1888  to 
date,  five  years. 

Its  first  secretary  was  William  Thomas,  who  held  th'e  office  three 
^rears  to  March  31,  1859,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Charles  G.  Nazro, 
who  held  the  position  eleven  years  until  March  31,  1870.      He  was  sue- 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE.  395 

ceeded  by  Henry  B.  Grove,  then  manager,  since  which  time  the  offices 
of  secretary  and  manager  have  been  combined  in  the  same  person.  Air. 
Snelling  succeeded  Mr.  Grove  on  the  death  of  the  latter  in  1877.  The 
following  named  bankers  have  served  as  members  of  the  Clearing-house 
Committee: 

Andrew  T.  Hall,  18o6-7-2,  sixteen  j^ears;  Waldo  Flint,  1856-57; 
Thomas  Lamb,  1856-83,  twentj'-seven  years;  A.  D.  Hodges,  1856-79, 
twentj^-three  years;  Benjamin  E.  Bates,  1856-78,  twenty-two  years;  J. 
Amory  Davis,  1857-66,  nine  years;  S.  H.  Walley,  1866-78,  twelve 
3'ears;  John  Cummings,  1872-86,  fourteen  years;  H.  A.  Rice,  1878-81, 
three  years;  A.  W.  Stetson,  1878-83,  five  years;  Wm.  Perkins,  1879-83, 
four  years;  Geo.  Whitney,  1881-84,  three  years;  R.  E.  Demmon,  1883- 
88,  five  years;  C.  O.  Billings,  1883-88,  five  years;  C.  A.  Vialle,  1883-86, 
three  years;  S.  A.  Carlton,  1884-85;  Geo.  Ripley,  1886-88;  G.  vS.  Bull- 
ens,  1886-90,  four  years;  W.  S.  Blanchard,  1887-91,  four  years ;  T.  N. 
Hart,  1888-90;  T.  P.  Beal,  1888-92,  four  years;  A.  L.  Newman,  1889- 
93,  four  years;  Moses  Williams,  1890-93;  Phineas  Pierce,  1891-93; 
Franklin  Haven,  jr.,  1891-93;  John  Carr,  1892-93;  vS.  N.  Aldrich,  1893. 
The  Clearing-house  has  but  two  managers,  Henry  B.  Grove,  whose 
term  of  service  extended  from  the  organization  of  the  Clearing-house 
in  1856  to  his  death  in  April,  1877,  a  period  of  twenty-one  years.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Nathaniel  G.  Snelling,  who  had  been  assistant 
manager  from  1861  to  1877,  and  who  still  continues  in  service  as  man- 
ager, having  been  officiall}'  connected  with  the  Clearing-house  for  about 
thirty-two  years.  The  assistant  managers  have  been  Nathaniel  G. 
Snelling,  1861-77 ;  Fred  S.  Hodges,  1877-79 ;  C.  W.  Esterbrook,  1879- 
85;  Charles  A.  Ruggles,  1885-93.  Eben  vStaniford  has  served  as  clerk 
from  the  organization  of  the  Clearing-house  in  1856  to  the  present  time 
— a  period  of  thirty-seven  years,  being  the  longest  term  of  service  of 
any  person  ever  connected  with  the  association. 

The  present  officers  of  the  association,  elected  March  31,  1893,  are 
as  follows:  President,  George  Ripley  of  the  National  Hide  and  Leather 
Bank ;  secretary  and  manager,  Nathaniel  G.  Snelling;  assistant  manager, 
Charles  A.  Ruggles ;  clerk,  Eben  vStaniford ;  Clearing-house  committee : 
Phineas  Pierce,  Moses  Williams,  Franklin  Haven,  jr.,  John  Carr,  S.  N. 
Aldrich. 

The  expenses  of  the  Clearing-house  amount  to  about  $18,000  annually, 
as  compared  with  about  $10,000  in  1877-78,  and  $13,000  in  1867-68, 
when  the  exchanges  were  less  than  two  billions,  as  compared  with  up- 
wards of  five  billions  during  the  last  year.    In  either  case  the  expenses 


896 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


constitute  an  almost  infinitesimal  fraction  of  one  per  cent,  of  the  tran- 
sactions effected. 

The  regular  clearing--house  year  ends  March  31,  but  the  following- 
table  shows  the  number  and  capital  of  the  banks  associated,  and  the 
clearings  and  balances  by  calender  years,  which  for  some  purposes  is 
more  convenient : 


Calendar 
Year. 


1856  (9mos.). 

1857 

1858 

1859 

1860 

1861 

1862 

1863 

1864 

1865 

1866 

1867 

1868 

1869 

1870 

1871 

1872 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877   

1878 

1879 

1880 

1881 

1882 

•  1883 

1884 

1885 

1886 

1887 


1889  _ 
1890. 
1891. 
1892. 


o  c  o 


1S93  (5  mos.). 


32 
34 
37 
39 
42 
42 
42 
41 
42 
42 
42 
42 
44 
44 
45 
46 
46 
48 
48 
51 
51 
51 
51 
51 
51 
51 
52 
52 
52 


54 
54 
54 
53 
53 


Capital  at 
End  of  Year. 


$30,760,000 
31,560,000 
33,303,000 
35,931,700 
38,231,700 
88,231,700 
38,231,700 
38,031,700 
38,812,100 
41,900,000 
41,900,000 
41,900,000 
42,300,000 
47,350,000 
47,350,000 
48,050.000 
48,350,000 
49,350,000 
50,050,000 
51,350,000 
51,350,000 
51,850,000 
50,300,000 
49,550,000 
49,550,000 
50,000,000 
50,000,000 
50,600,000 
50,500,000 
50,500,000 
50,500,000 
50,500,000 
51,200,000 
51,600,000 
51.400,000 
52,700,000 
52,700,000 


Exchanges 


1,057, 
1,395, 
1,175, 
1,443, 
1,52S, 
1.213, 
91 '2, 
1,120, 
2,3(i5, 
2,341, 
2,262, 
l,S()(i, 
2,007, 
2,124, 
2,147, 
2,392, 
2,622, 
2,667, 
2,501, 
2,502, 
2,283, 
2,336, 
2,215, 
2,674, 
3,320, 
4,233, 
3,636, 
3,515, 
3,243, 
3,483, 
4,095, 
4,387 
4,427 
4,772 
5,139 
4,753 
5,005 


358,154 

344  685 
832,000 
750,000 
424.000 
91S,0()0 
i(9H,000 
,S39,000 

:is4,(i(iO 

,SS<.),0(10 
939,930 
200,S,S(i 
(i.SS,940 
213,630 
492,884 
345,566 
319,417 
477,740 
094,148 
594,359 
729,198 
197,949 
655,502 
429,602 
:',43,106 
260,201 
373,805 
747,083 
327,658 
134,891 
215,231 
,754,275 
,357,070 
,597,843 
,878,745 
,340,087 
,389,685 


$101,779,836,690 
2,100,965,128 


77,576,284 
121,160,094 
111,198,000 
128,594,0(10 
133,190,000 
119,002,298 
134,331,295 
202,624,396 
253,980,682 
279,284,873 
262,159,773 
229,903,997 
244,512,213 
235,189,430 
244,164,149 
285,251,990 
300,380,161 
302,604,053 
303,066,619 
326,579,927 
319,629,049 
317.550,446 
312,375,482 
365,821,134 
424,429,921 
522,899,724 
461,540,425 
433,651,493 
431,268,183 
456,232,458 
496,051,964 
504.510,550 
520,648,556 
547,888,963 
552,867,294 
521,249,322 
566,147,604 


12,049,506,802 

226,508,300 


,5  "3  "K 


7.3 
8.7 
9.5 
8.9 
8.7 
9.8 
14.7 
11.8 
10.7 
11.9 
11.6 
12.3 
12.1 
11.1 
11.4 
12.4 
11.5 
11.3 
12.1 
13.0 
14.0 
13.6 
14.1 
13.7 
12.8 
12.1 
12.6 
12.3 
13,2 
13.1 
12.1 
11.4 
11.7 
11.4 
10.7 
10.9 
11.3 


11.8 


BOSTON  CLEARING-HOUSE.  397 

When  it  is  stated  that  the  annual  exchanges  of  the  Boston  Clearing-- 
house  amount  to  nearly  three  times  the  total  annual  foreign  commerce 
of  the  United  wStates,  and  that  the  total  exchanges  to  date  represent 
about  fifty-five  times  the  annual  aggregate  of  the  nation's  imports  and 
exports,  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  important  place  which  this  in- 
stitution occupies  in  the  commercial  world. 


SAVINGS  BANKS. 


The  saving's  bank  system  of  Massachusetts  really  commenced  in 
1816,  when  the  Legislature  chartered  the  Provident  Institution  for 
Saving's  in  the  town  of  Boston.  Since  then,  vmder  the  fostering  care 
of  the  State  government,  the  idea  has  grown  and  spread,  so  that  at  the 
present  time  there  are  in  the  State  one  hixndred  and  eighty-four  sav- 
ings banks  and  institutions  for  savings,  with  combined  assets  of  $415,- 
898,159.44,  which  if  divided  among  the  people  of  the  Commonwealth, 
on  the  basis  of  the  United  States  census  of  1890,  would  give  to  each 
person  a  sum  exceeding  $185.  This  accumulation  is  a  vast  sum  and 
enters  largely  into  the  construction  and  basis  of  the  financial  interests 
of  the  State.  It  is  the  result  of  the  good  management  of  these  institu- 
tions under  the  guidance  and  control  of  the  vState  government,  a  con- 
trol which  has  sought  to  keep  the  investments  as  near  to  absolute 
safety  as  is  within  its  power.  Such  has  been  the  fidelity  shown  in 
their  management  that  of  the  hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars  de- 
posited in  these  banks  since  181(3,  but  one-seventh  of  one  per  cent,  has 
been  lost  from  failure  and  discontinuance  of  banks.  The  increase  in 
the  deposits  of  all  the  banks  of  the  Commonwealth  in  189-2  over  1891 
was  $23,493,470.54,  the  largest  for  any  year  in  the  history  of  the  banks 
except  1870  and  1871.  The  increase  in  number  of  deposits  was  20G,- 
545,  and  in  the  amount  deposited  $9,130,099.07.  This  result  is  very 
gratifying,  for  there  is  no  institution  that  can  care  for  the  savings  of 
the  poor  man  with  greater  safety,  with  more  intelligence,  and  so  little 
expense,  and  at  the  same  time  earn  a  greater  return  on  the  deposit  con- 
sistent with  safety.  It  is  worthy  of  note,  in  this  connection,  that 
though  the  assets  of  the  savings  banks  are  $415,898,159. 14,  the  expense 
of  investing  and  caring  for  this  vast  sum  is  only  $930,829.59,  or  less 
than  one-quarter  of  one  per  cent. 

The  following  account  of  the  Provident  Institution  for  Savings,  as 
well  as  the  deductions  from  a  valuable  experience  and  close  observa- 
tion of  the  savings  bank  system,  both  in  the  United  States  and  abroad, 
was  written  bv  Col.  Henrv  Lee: 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  309 

PROVIDENT  INSTITUTION  FOR  SAVINGS. 

' '  The  first  savings  bank  in  this  country  to  do  business  was  the  Phila- 
delphia vSavings  Fund  Association,  in  November,  1810;  it  started  before 
it  was  incorporated. 

"  On  the  13th  of  December,  1816,  the  Provident  Institution  for  vSav- 
ings was  incorjDorated.  The  forty-eight  persons  i  named  in  the  act  of 
incorporation  included  the  lieutenant-governor,  the  United  States 
marshal,  two  judges,  four  lawyers,  three  clergymen,  thirty-two  mer- 
chants and  tradesmen  and  five  mechanics,  some  of  them  eminent,  all 
of  them  respectable  citizens. 

"The  first  officers  were  William  Phillips  (lieutenant-governor),  presi- 
dent; James  Prince  (United  States  marshal),  treasurer;  and  James 
Savage  (lawyer),  secretar^^ 

"  There  is  a  tradition  that  the  bank  was  founded  partly  at  the  urgent 
request  of  good  Bishop  (afterwards  Cardinal)  Cheverus,  ^  that  his 
people  (as  he  called  his  flock)  might  have  a  place  of  deposit  and  so  not 
spend  or  lose  their  little  savings,  and  that  a  few  years  later,  also  at  his 
request,  the  partial  withholding  of  earnings  and  five  years'  surplus 
dividends  were  adopted  to  induce  these  same  people  to  keep,  as  well  as 
to  put  their  money  into  the  bank. 

"Founded  as  a  charity  by  thoughtful,  conscientious,  disinterested 
men,  it  has  steadily  developed  for  seventy-seven  years  from  901  ac- 
counts at  the  end  of  1810,  with  a  deposit  of  $70,000,  to  00,000  accounts 
at  the  end  of  1802,  with  a  deposit  of  $35,500,000,  and  during  this  period 
not  the  loss  of  a  dollar  by  dishonesty.  The  average  deposit  at  present 
is  $388.      The  range  is  from  the  minimum  received,  $1,  to  the  maximum 

1  The  names  of  these  incorporators  were  as  follows:  Hon.  William  Phillips,  John  Phillips, 
Samuel  Parkman,  James  Perkins,  Thomas  Daws,  John  Lowell,  Russell  Sturgis,  Jonathan  Hunne- 
well,  Josiah  Quincy,  John  D.  Williams,  Thomas  K.  Jones,  Richard  Sullivan,  Redford  Webster, 
William  Little,  Samuel  Snelling,  Jesse  Putman.  Rev.  Thomas  Baldwin,  D.D.,  Rev.  William  E. 
Channing,  Rev.  Charles  Lowell,  William  MacKay,  EUsha  Tichnor,  Jonathan  Amory,  jr.,  Samuel 
H.  Walley,  John  L.  Sullivan,  John  Bellows,  Joseph  Coolidge,  jr.,  John  Richards,  Ozias  Goodwin, 
John  Dorr,  vSamuel  May,  Gedney  King,  William  Ropes,  Andrew  Ritchie,  Edward  Tuckerman,  jr., 
William  Harris,  David  Greenough,  Thomas  Motley,  Benjamin  Smith,  David  W.  Child,  Gideon 
Snow,  Edward  Craft,  Jacob  Hiler,  Johnathan  Phillips,  William  Cochran,  Nathaniel  G.  Snelling, 
Lewis  Tappan  and  James  Savage. 

-  Bishop  John  de  Cheverus  arrived  in  Boston  in  October,  1796,  at  which  time  there  was  but  one 
Catholic  priest  in  the  city,  and  but  few  adherents  of  the  Catholic  faith.  A  inan  of  scholarly  attain- 
ments, of  kind  and  lovable  ways,  he  drew  around  him  men  of  all  shades  of  religious  beliefs,  and 
exerted  a  wide  influence  for  good.  In  1808  he  was  appointed  Bishop  of  Boston,  and  after  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century  of  earnest  and  effective  work  he  was  recalled  to  France  in  1823  and  made 
Bishop  of  Montauban.  He  died  in  1836,  a  short  time  after  having  been  created  a  cardinal  arch- 
bishop. 


400  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

received,  $1,000,  and  from  the  minimum  drawing  interest,  $3,  to  the 
maximum,  $1,G00. 

"The  bank,  in  starting-,  paid  five  per  cent,  per  annum  on  its  deposits; 
later  the  rate  was  reduced  to  four  per  cent.,  and  in  addition  to  this 
regular  dividend  an  extra  one  paid  every  five  years,  as  mentioned 
above,  often  amounting  to  an  additional  four  per  cen|;.,  making  an 
average  per  annum  of  from  seven  to  eight  per  cent,  to  the  depositors 
of  that  date,  if  their  money  had  lain  there  the  whole  five  years,  and 
proportionately  to  those  whose  money  had  lain  a  fraction  of  that  period. 
As  these  dividends,  tmless  called  for,  were  added  to  the  principal,  the 
depositors  received  coinpound  interest.  More  than  half  of  the  de- 
positors are  either  foreigners  or  children  of  foreigners,  the  Irish  the 
earliest  and  most  numerous,  and  after  them  the  Germans  and  repre- 
sentatives of  all  nations.  Of  late  years  dividends  and  interest  on  funds 
have  declined,  and  the  rate  has  been  reduced  to  four  per  cent.  Of  the 
amount  now  on  deposit  in  this  bank,  say  $35,590,000,  there  are  invested 
in  city  and  town  bonds,  $7,358,000;  bank  stock,  $1,287,000;  railroad 
bonds,  $3,785,000;  loans  on  mortgages  (sixty  per  cent,  loaned  on  asses- 
sors' value),  $10,601,000;  personal,  with  legal  collateral,  or  three  names 
and  collateral  (not  over  one  year  to  run),  $10,568,000;  loans  on  public 
funds,  bonds,  stocks,  $1,004,000;  real  estate  and  cash,  $987,000. 

"  The  paid  officers  are  the  treasurer,  assistant  treasurer,  and  four- 
teen clerks,  and  the  annual  expenses,  including  taxes,  average  one- 
half  per  cent,  on  the  deposits.  There  are  twelve  vice-presidents  and 
twenty-four  trustees  (in  all  thirty-six  trustees)  chosen  annually  by  the 
corporation.  There  are  about  120  members  of  the  corporation  living 
out  of  about  500  members  elected  from  the  commencement  to  the 
present  time. 

"  The  uninterrupted  success  of  this  institution  is  due  to  the  quality 
of  men  chosen  into  the  corporation,  and  from  that  into  the  board  of 
trustees,  but  more  especially  to  the  board  of  investment  elected  yearly 
by  the  trustees.  This  board,  composed  of  nine,  including  the  secre- 
tary, meet  the  treasurer  once  a  week,  receive  and  dispose  of  all  appli- 
cations for  loans,  and  decide  upon  investments,  and  the  seventy-seven 
years'  prudent,  skillful  management  of  these  vast  funds  by  unpaid 
trustees,  taken  from  the  busiest,  most  high  priced  lawyers,  merchants 
and  manufacturers,  is  one  of  the  most  creditable  chapters  in  Boston's 
history.  The  directors  of  a  manufacturing  company,  of  an  insurance 
company,  of   a  bank,  have  a  personal  interest   as  stockholders   in  the 


SAJ7XGS  BANKS.  401 

wise  conduct  of  the  business,  bi:t  the  board  of  investment  of  a  savings 
bank  are  absolutely  disinterested  in  performing  their  tedious  task. 

■  "  The  average  service  of  the  members  of  this  responsible  body  has 
been  ten  3-ears,  of  three  of  them  thirty  years;  men  whose  services  as 
trustees,  etc.,  are  in  demand  for  all  their  working  hours,  but  it  would 
be  invidious  to  single  out  any  one  of  them  for  mention  save  Mr.  James 
Savage^,  who  may  be  considered  the  founder  of  this  great  charity,  and 
who,  as  secretar}^  treasurer,  and  president,  and  above  all  as  president 
of  the  board  of  investment,  rendered  invaluable  service  for  over  forty 
3^ears.  In  the  face  of  ridicule  and  distrust,  which  deterred  many  of  the 
leading  men  from  co-operation,  and  turned  back  some  of  the  original 
undertakers,  the  project  might  have  been  abandoned  had  it  not  been  for 
his  courage  and  resolution.    He  made  the  first  deposit  of  $10  ;  he  paid  the 

'  James  Savage  was  born  in  Boston,  July  13,  1784, and  was  a  descendant  of  Major  Savage,  who,  in 
1663,  undertook  to  erect  a  barricade  in  the  harbor  for  the  security  of  the  inhabitants  against  a  fleet 
then  expected  from  Holland.  This  barricade  grew  in  less  than  forty  years  to  Long  Wharf. 
Major  Savage  is  buried  in  King's  Chapel  burying  ground.  Major  Savage's  first  wife  was  Faith, 
daughter  of  Anne  Hutchinson.  His  grandfather,  Habijah  Savage,  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard 
College  in  1695.  He  held  many  civil  and  military  positions.  His  father  was  Habijah  Savage,  a 
merchant,  who  married  Miss  Tudor.  In  1795  James  Savage  received  a  Franklin  medal,  and  sub- 
sequently continued  his  education  at  the  Derby  Academy,  in  Hingham,  and  the  Washington 
Academy,  at  Machias,  Me.  He  entered  Harvard  College,  and  was  graduated  in  1803.  He 
received  the  degree  of  A.M.  in  1S06,  delivered  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  oration  in  1812,  and 
the  degree  of  LL.D.  was  conferred  upon  him  in  1841.  After  the  completion  of  his 
collegiate  course  he  studied  law  with  Chief  Justice  Parker,  Samuel  Dexter  and  William 
Sullivan,  and  became  a  member  of  the  Suffolk  bar  in  1807.  After  the  organization  of  the 
Provident  Institution  for  Savings,  in  w^hich  he  was  a  foremost  spirit,  he  w^as  connected  with  it  in 
an  official  capacity,  until  the  infirmities  of  old  age  had  impaired  his  faculties.  July  4,  1811,  he  de- 
livered the  oration  before  the  city  authorities.  In  1820  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional 
Convention  ;  iBz^  and  1825,  a  member  of  the  Common  Council ;  1826,  a  State  senator;  1827-28,  an 
alderman.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Boston  Athenaeum,  and  one  of  the  editors  of  The 
Month'y  Antliology,  and  for  many  years  one  of  the  contributors  to  The  North.  American  Review,  and  to 
the  .Vc7t'  England  Magazitie.  He  was  for  more  than  sixty  years  a  member,  and  for  fourteen  years 
the  president  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  and  honorary  membership  of  many  literary 
and  historical  societies  at  home  and  abroad  was  conferred  upon  him.  Winthrop's  "  History  of 
New  England,  with  notes,"  and  a  "  Genealogical  Dictionary  of  the  First  Settlers  of  New  England," 
are  his  literary  monuments.  He  traveled  extensively  in  Europe  and  the  West  Indies.  During  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  he  proved  a  generous,  high-minded  and  patriotic  citizen  ;  but  the  death  of 
his  only  son,  Col.  James  Savage  (October  22,  1862),  who  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  at  the 
battle  of  Cedar  Mountain,  proved  a  severe  blow^.  One  of  the  last  occasions  on  which  he  spoke  in 
public  was  in  1864,  when  the  death  of  Jared  Sparks  was  announced  to  the  Massachusetts  Histor- 
ical Society.  He  died  March  8,  1873.  Hon.  George  S.  Hillard  has  said  of  him  :  "  Mr  Savage's 
literary  labors  were  given  to  the  early  history  of  New  England,  wherein  in  accuracy  and  extent  of 
knowledge  he  had  no  rival.  And  in  his  own  person  he  was  an  illustration  of  the  saying,  ^  abeunt 
stadia  in  mores, ^  for  his  character  seemed  to  have  been  moulded,  in  a  measure,  on  his  studies.  He 
was  eminently  a  New  England  product  and  the  flavor  of  the  soil  was  recognized  in  all  his  life  and 
acts.  He  took  from  the  Puritan  fathers  of  New  England  all  that  made  them  admirable,  and  re- 
jected all  that  made  them  unlovable.  He  had  their  religious  faith,  their  inflexible  sense  of  duty, 
their  heroic  spirit,  their  purity  of  life  ;  but  he  had  not  their  narrowness,  their  austerity,  or  their 
bigotry." 

51 


402 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


first  extra  dividend  for  five  years  out  of  his  own  pocket,  to  be  refunded 
when  it  could  be  without  disturbing  the  investments.  His  faith,  his 
g'ood  sense,  his  aggressive  honesty,  his  independence,  combined  to  es- 
tablish and  maintain  the  bank  upon  its  proper  basis,  so  that  thrcnigh 
all  these  years  it  has  been  conducted  strictly  as  a  charity  to  tlie  poor 
and  helpless;  security,  rather  than  profits,  aimed  at. 

"  I  insert  here  the  names  of  all  who  have  served  as  members  of  the 
Board  of  Investment,  with  period  of  service : 


Years. 

Thomas  L.  Winthrop,  lieut.  gov., 15 

John  Dorr, 18 

Samuel  Snelling, 11 

Thomas  W.  Ward, G 

James  Prince, 1 

James  Savage, 37 

Benjamin  Guild, 14 

John  C.  Gray, 11 

Charles  C.  Parsons, 5 

John  A.  Lowell, 16 

Edward  Brooks, 11 

Samuel  Dorr, 4 

Peter  Wainwright, 35 

Thomas  B.  Wales, 11 

Ozias  Goodwin, 12 

William  Parsons, 1 

John  Lamson, 11 

Nathan  Rice, 4 

George  Howe, 16 

Peter  R.  Dalton, 7 

Nathaniel  H.  Emmons, 27 

William  Perkins, 29 

Benjamin  Thaxter, 12 

George  H.  Kuhn, 20 

"  vSome  banks  having  allowed,  and  even  courted  deposits  of  many 
thousands,  either  to  swell  their  assets,  or  to  oblige  influential  custom- 
ers, a  law  was  passed  in  187G,  limiting  deposits  to  $1,000  each,  a  limit 
self-imposed  by  the  Provident  Institution  from  the  beginning. 

"The  withholding  of  a  portion  of  the  income  not  only  served  to 
check  withdrawals  in  hope  of  an  extra  dividend  every  five  years, 
but  it  also  furnished  a  reserve  fund  to  meet  losses.  But  as  most  banks 
did  not  adopt  this  practice,  and  as  those  which  did  were  periodically 
left  destitute,  the  Legislature  recognizing  this  normal  condition,  and 
the  need  of  a  permanent  reserve  to  guard  against  insolvency  in   the 


Years. 

H.  H.   Hunnewell 6 

Edward  Wigglesworth, 16 

Francis  B.  Crowninshield, 16 

James  M.  Beebe, .14 

Joseph  Whitney, 5 

J.  Huntington  Wolcott, 4 

William  W.  Tucker, 7 

James  S.  Amory, 3 

William  S.  Dexter,  (still  serving) 18 

Augustus  Lowell,  (still  serving) 18 

George  P.  Upham, 8 

George  Higginson,   13 

David  R.  Whitney,  6 

Arthur  T.  Lyman, 2 

Israel  G.  Whitney,  (still  serving) 14 

Charles  U.  Cotting,  (still  serving) 14 

George  A.  Gardner, 6 

Edward  I.  Browne, 8 

Charles  W.  Amory,  (still  seiwing). 10 

Channing  Clapp,   ..  4 

Louis  Curtis,  (still  serving) 3 

Robert  H.  Stevenson,  (still  serving) 2 

Henry  Whitman,  (still  serving) 2 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  403 

event  of  a  run  i;pon  the  banks,  decreed  that  from  one-eighth  per  cent,  to 
one-fonrth  per  cent,  on  the  deposit  should  be  set  aside  annually  for  a 
reserve  fund.  Since  1S7G,  when  this  law  was  passed  and  from  one- 
eighth  per  cent,  to  one-fourth  per  cent,  of  the  earnings  per  annum  added 
each  year  to  the  reserve,  no  five  years'  extra  dividends  have  been  de- 
clared by  the  bank. 

"Unscrupulous  persons  have  imposed  upon  the  bank  by  opening 
several  accounts  as  trustees  and  subsequently  withdrawing  the  deposits 
without  the  concurrence  of  the  persons  interested.  The  doubt  as  to  the 
existence  of  these  beneficiaries  has  led  to  a  law  requiring  the  trvistees 
to  give  their  names,  but  it  would  be  safer  to  insist  upon  the  presence 
of  both  beneficiary  and  trustee  when  the  money  is  deposited  and  when 
withdrawn. 

"The  accolmts  are  balanced  every  six  months,  and  are  audited  and 
the  assets  examined  every  twelve  months  for  the  board  of  investment 
by  a  sworn  and  accomplished  auditor,  who  is  changed  every  two  years, 
and  also  by  the  bank  examiners  and  by  a  committee  of  the  corporation. 

"The  enormous  amount  of  $393,000,000  deposited  in  the  savings 
banks  in  this  State  December  31,  1892,  might  lead  one  to  suspect  that 
the  law  limiting  the  individual  deposit  had  been  to  some  extent  evaded. 
But  the  increase  in  the  aggregate  deposits,  while  irregular,  ranging 
from  one-half  per  cent.  1870-77,  to  twenty  per  cent.  1852-53,  has  been 
uninterrupted,  averaging  from  1834  to  1894  (I  assume  the  rate  of  prog- 
ress from  1892  to  1894,  a  period  of  sixty  years),  fourteen  per  cent,  per 
annum. 

"The  very  small  addition  to  the  deposits  from  December,  187G,  to 
December,  1877,  of  only  one-half  per  cent.,  may  perhaps  be  ascribed  to 
the  law  enacted  in  187G  fixing  the  maximum  at  $1,000  each,  and  the 
consequent  withdrawal  of  the  large  sums  dropped  by  persons  who 
shamefully  misused  these  charitable  institutions.  The  ratio  of  increase 
of  deposits  from  1864  to  1874  was  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  per 
cent.  ;  from  1874  to  1884,  twenty-one  per  cent.  This  reduction  is  due 
to  a  diversion  of  savings  from  the  banks  to  the  endowment  orders,  so 
called. 

"What  limit,  if  any,  shall  be  fixed  upon  the  total  in  any  one  bank 
has  never  yet  been  determined.  The  views  of  the  trustees  of  the  Prov- 
ident Institution  have  been  expanding  since  Mr.  Savage  said  '  that  if 
ever  the  bank  should  have  $10,000,000  on  deposit  it  would  be  time  to 
close  the  doors,'  until  now  they  have  over  $35,000,000,  and  stand  ready 
to  receive  more. 


404  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

"If  the  banks  go  on  receiving  deposits,  two  questions  arise:  first, 
whether  the  business  of  considering  and  making  investments  and  regu- 
lating the  policy  of  the  bank  will  not  occupy  the  whole  time  of  the 
board  of  investment  and  involve  their  being  compensated;  second, 
whether  the  increased  assets  can  be  satisfactorily  invested  without  ex- 
tending the  list  of  possible  investments. 

"  Up  to  this  time  the  board  adheres  to  the  present  circumscription 
of  investments,  and  anticipates  no  diffici:lty  in  investing  what  moneys 
they  receive. 

"  x\ll  legislation  should  be  based  uj^on  the  understanding  of  the 
original  intention  of  the  founders  of  this  great  charity.  As  savings 
banks  have  been  long  established  in  Great  Britain,  and  as  the  whole 
subject  has  been  very  frequently  discussed  and  very  thoroughly  investi- 
gated from  1817  to  1<SU;3,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  recount  briefly  their 
experience  and  their  conclusions  derived  from  that  experience. 

"Security  rather  than  a  high  Kate  of  interest  is  chiefly  regarded 
by  the  class  for  whom  savings  banks  were  instituted,  and  interest 
rather  than  security  by  those  for  whom  they  were  not  instituted,  has 
been  constantly  urged  by  those  entitled  to  know,  and  abundantly 
proved  by  the  increase  of  deposits  of  the  former  and  the  withdrawal  of 
the  deposits  of  the  latter  class  under  the  gradual  reduction  of  the  rate 
of  interest  from  foin-  and  one-half  per  cent,  in  1S17  to  three  per  cent, 
in  18G1,  when  the  complete  security  provided  by  the  post-oihce  savings 
banks,  then  established  by  Mr.  Gladstone,  but  allowing  only  two  and 
one-half  per  cent,  interest,  rapidly  depleted  the  old  savings  banks  with 
their  higher  dividends  but  imperfect  security. 

"In  December,  1874,  there  were  5,008  post-office  banks  with  3,045,- 
000  depositors  and  ^23,158,000  deposits. 

"  The  experience  in  England,  as  well  as  in  France,  Germany,  Hol- 
land and  Switzerland,  has  further  demonstrated  that  the  millions  de- 
posited in  savings  banks  prudently  invested  will  not,  year  by  year, 
yield  a  higher  income  than  the  best  government  securities,  and  that  as 
the  deposits,  and  consequently  the  investment,  increases,  the  difficulty 
increases,  and  that  the  security  of  the  principal  is  in  inverse  ratio  to 
the  interest. 

"An  investigation  into  the  workings  of  savings  banks  in  Great 
Britain  for  forty  years  revealed  a  loss  to  the  government,  who  received 
the  deposits  of  the  savings  banks,  of  $22,000,000  on  a  payment  of 
$192,000,000,  or  about  twelve  per  cent. — about  one-third  per  cent,  per 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  405 

annum — a  portion  of  which  was  incurred  by  loss  of  interest  on  a  neces- 
sary cash  balance,  on  funds  not  at  once  invested,  but  principally  by  an 
invariable  loss  on  the  sales  and  purchases  of  consols ;  and  an  analysis 
of  the  records  of  our  savings  banks  would  confirm  this  experience,  for, 
as  by  their  fundamental  conditions  savings  banks  are  bound  to  receive 
and  repa}-  deposits  at  the  will  of  the  depositors,  it  is  obvious  that  the 
immediate  or  almost  immediate  investment  of  deposits  as  they  are  re- 
ceived entail  the  frequent  purchase  of  stock  at  high  prices  in  prosperous 
times,  when  deposits  are  pouring  in,  and  that  immediate  repayments 
of  deposits  on  demand  must,  conversely,  involve  the  frequent  sale  of 
stock  at  low  prices  in  times  of  depression,  when  deposits  fall  off  and 
withdrawals  are  numerous.  The  expense  of  conducting  the  banks — 
rent  and  salaries,  etc. — which  in  England  is  defrayed  by  the  one-quarter 
per  cent,  difference  in  rate  of  interest  allowed  by  the  government  to 
the  banks  and  that  allowed  by  the  banks  to  the  depositors,  would  here 
have  to  be  taken  from  the  interest  earned,  and  reduce  still  further  the 
amount  credited  to  the  depositors. 

"  This  loss  incident  to  the  average  transactions  of  savings  banks  is 
especially  and  wantonly  aggravated,  not  by  those  who  from  time  to 
time  deposit  their  surplus  earnings  only  to  be  withdrawn  in  case  of 
absolute  necessity,  but  by  those  who  abuse  this  charity  by  temporarily 
depositing  lai'ge  sums  in  several  banks  when  interest  is  low  and  stocks 
high,  and  withdrawing  as  soon  as  the  rise  of  inoney  and  the  decline  in 
stocks  allow  of  a  more  profitable  investment. 

' '  To  prevent  this  abuse  of  savings  banks,  imposing  extra  work  and 
responsibility  upon  unpaid  benevolent  trustees,  and  entailing  certain 
loss  of  assets,  no  person  is  allowed  to  deposit  in  more  than  one  bank  in 
Great  Britain,  under  pain  of  forfeiting  his  deposit,  and  to  prevent 
fraudulent  trusts,  no  person  making  a  deposit  as  trustee  can  withdraw 
such  deposit  except  in  the  presence  of  and  with  the  receipt  of  the  other 
party.  To  lessen  the  loss  consequent  upon  immediate  withdrawals  and 
immediate  conversion  of  stocks  into  cash  in  times  of  depression,  notice , 
is  demanded  proportionate  to  the  amount  to  be  withdrawn. 

"These  are  wise  precautions,  tending  to  limit  the  privileges  of  sav- 
ings banks  to  those  who  need  them,  and  tending  to  secure  to  those  who 
withdraw  and  to  those  who  leave  their  deposits,  repayment  of  principal 
and  interest;  but  there  still  remains  the  fact  that  savings  banks  are 
peculiarly  exposed  to  losses  without  compensating  gains. 

"The  tariff  of  an  insurance  company — fire,  life  or  marine — is  ad- 
justed so  as  to  leave  a  profit  on  an  average  of  gains  and  losses,  founded 


40G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

upon  the  statistics  of  many  years;  the  vaUie  of  their  investments  is  not 
affected  by  fire  or  death  or  disasters  by  sea,  and  yet  the  fire  companies 
with  all  their  accumulated  profits  could  not  withstand  a  conflagration, 
nor  could  the  life  companies  endure  a  prolong-ed  visitation  of  the 
cholera.  Much  less  could  any  savings  bank,  without  any  accumulated 
profits,  and  whose  range  of  investments,  necessarily  limited,  and  forced 
upon  the  market  when  money  is  tight,  declining  rapidly  with  every 
sale,  cash  any  considerable  portion  of  its  deposits,  principal  and  interest, 
and  at  the  same  time  guarantee  principal  and  interest  to  the  remaining 
depositors,  unless  a  considerable  reserve  fund  be  accumulated  out  of 
the  interest  received. 

"  A  surplus  or  reserve  fund  is  needed  to  guard  against  insolvency 
from  the  fluctuations  of  values  and  the  normal  conditions  of  a  savings 
banks,  without  anticipating  any  prolonged  panic  which  might  exhaust 
any  reserve  the  banks  would  deem  reasonable,  and  drive  the  savings 
banks  to  suspend,  as  did  some  of  those  in  Holland  a  few  years  ago, 
owing  to  the  great  decline  in  government  stocks;  or  to  demand  an  ex- 
tension, as  in  France  in  1848. 

"  We  must  legislate  for  the  good  of  the  whole,  not  for  individuals, 
and  a  large  reserve  is  essential  for  the  safety  of  the  whole  body  of.de- 
positors. 

"  The  maximtfm  deposit  upon  which  interest  is  allowed  abroad  ranges 
from  $200  in  the  French  to  $750  in  the  English  banks.  Here  it  has 
gradually  run  up  from  $500  to  $1,000,  and  while  the  latter  limit  seems 
unnecessarily  large,  if  a  low  rate  of  annual  dividends  is  insisted  upon 
and  fraudulent  trusts  prevented,  the  prowlers  who  prey  upon  this 
charity  mav  be  driven  away  and  this  advanced  limit  only  availed  of  by 
persons  who  deserve  the  privilege.  In  New  York  one  rate  of  interest 
is  allowed  on  all  sums  not  exceeding  $500,  one  per  cent,  less  on  surplus 
over  $500  and  up  to  $1,000,  and  one  per  cent,  less  on  the  excess  over 
$1,000. 

"The  defalcations  in  the  savings  banks  in  Great  Britain  from  1844 
to  1857  amounted  to  $1,330,000,  of  which  the  depositors  lost  about  one- 
half,  the  balance  was  made  up  by  government  and  the  trustees,  but  the 
distrust  and  recklessness  caused  by  these  frequent  and  wide-spread 
frauds  was  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  pecuniary  loss.  As  the  most 
eft'ectual  safeguard  against  malversation,  it  was  enacted  that  not  less 
than  two  persons,  being  trustees,  managers,  or  paid  officers  employed 
for  this  specific  purpose,  shall  be  present  on  all   occasions  of  public 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  407 

business  and  be  parties  to  every  transaction  of  deposit  and  repayment 
so  as  to  form  a  double  check  on  eveiy  cash  payment,  and  this  pre- 
caution, practiced  in  many  of  our  savings  banks,  should  be  enforced  in 
all  of  them. 

"  The  responsibility  of  trustees  has  been  the  subject  of  much  discus- 
sion and  legislation  in  England,  where  their  function  is  limited  to 
superintendence  and  to  the  faithful  transfer  of  the  ftmds  to  and  from 
the  Government  Commission,  and  not  extended,  as  here,  to  their 
judicious  investment.  At  one  time  trustees  were  made  pecuniarily 
liable  to  a  limited  extent,  but  at  present,  as  in  1828,  they  are  only 
accountable  for  wilful  neglect  or  default. 

"The  savings  banks  in  Great  Britain  are  subject  to  frequent  unap- 
prized  audits  and  inspections,  a  process  more  simple  and  practicable 
there  than  here,  because  limited  to  the  accounts  and  cash,  the  funds 
being,  as  I  have  stated,  in  the  cvistody  of  a  government  commission, 
but  all  the  more  important  here  as  including  the  value  of  investments, 
and  perhaps  practicable  if  a  board  of  at  least  three  upright  and  com- 
petent commissioners  are  selected  and  adequately  compensated  for  the 
service. 

"An  inspection  and  comparison  of  the  books  of  depositors  with  the 
bank  ledgers  has  been  urged  as  the  only  thorough  inode  of  testing  the 
accuracy  and  verity  of  the  entries,  but  although  most  desirable  it  was 
found  to  be  impracticable  except  in  very  small  banks.  A  uniform 
system  of  bookkeeping  is  insisted  upon  in  England,  and  should  be 
prescribed  here,  in  the  interest  of  the  banks,  the  inspectors  and  de- 
positors." 

William  Phillips,  the  first  president  of  the  Provident  Institution  for 
Savings,  was  succeeded  by  Gardiner  Greene.  The  presidents  succeed- 
ing the  latter  in  order  of  service  have  been  as  follows :  Jonathan  Phil- 
lips, Peter  C.  Brooks,  William  Appleton,  James  Savage,  Francis  C. 
Lowell,  John  A.  Lowell,  James  S.  Amory,  William  Perkins  and  Col. 
Henry  Lee,  the  last  named  having  served  since  1887.  James  Prince 
continued  as  treasurer  until  his  death,  February  14,  1821.  His  suc- 
cessors, with  time  of  service,  have  been  Elisha  Tichnor,  four  months ; 
Gardiner  Greene,  three  years;  James  Savage,  fourteen  years  and  six 
months;  P.  Wainwright,  thirty-five  years,  and  C.  J.  Morrill,  the  present 
treasurer,  with  nineteen  years  of  service.  The  secretaries  to  the  board 
of  investment  who  followed  ^Ir.  Savage,  the  first  official  in  that  capa- 
city, have  been  James  Bowdoin,  Benjamin  Guild,  Robert  C.  Winthrop, 


408 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


William  Parsons,  Edward  Wig'glesworth,  Amos  A.  Lawrence,  Charles 
Brown,  William  T.  Andrews,  Henry  Lee,  Francis  E.  Parker,  William 
S.  Dexter,  Edward  I.  Browne  and  Henry  Parkman,  the  last  named 
having-  served  since  1882. 

The  following-  figures,  compiled  from  the  records  of  the  bank,  will 
show  the  growth  of  the  Provident  Institution  for  Savings  from  July, 
1817,  to  the  same  month  of  1893: 


Open 

Amount 

Open 

Amount 

Accounts. 

Due  Depositors. 

Accounts. 

Due  Depositors. 

1817,  July- . 



..%        20,038.00 

1856,  July. 

...  28,384  - 

...$  5,454,413.74 

1818. 

... 

106,080.19 

1857, 

...  29,177  . 

...  5,913,399.18 

181!>, 



187,315.92 

1858, 

....  28,239  . 

...  5,793,758.50 

1820, 



304,956.19 

1859, 

...  30,039  - 

...  6,812,819.09 

1821, 



481,839.57 

1860, 

....  31,594  _ 

...  6,805,848.08 

1822, 

610,459.48 

1861, 

....  30,803  - 

...  6,809,061.14 

1828, 

... 

503,540.15 

1862, 

....  30,468  . 

.-   6,861,466.94 

1824, 

... 

570,675.88 

1863, 

....  82,678  . 

...  7,605,720.55 

1825, 

... 

(578,854.08 

1864, 

....  32,998  . 

...  8,076,809.35 

182(5, 

715,485.67 

1865, 

....    31,883  . 

...  7,922,731.34 

1827, 

... 

792,817.28 

18(56, 

....  81,524  . 

...  7,986,417.24 

1828, 

879,365.07 

1867, 

....  32,443  . 

...  8,615,562.41 

1829, 

...  7,032  . 

947,594.53 

18(58, 

....  31,758  . 

...  9,251,278.51 

1880, 

...  7,744  .. 

-.  1,055.489.84 

1S(59, 

....  32,406  . 

...  10,236,844.91 

1831, 

...  8,(578  _. 

..  1,227,267.47 

1870, 

....  82,996  . 

...  11,165,988.21 

1832, 

...  9,742  .. 

..  1,441,932.92 

1871, 

....  83.394  . 

...  12,019,434.40 

1838, 

...  10,790  .. 

.-  1,618,492.18 

1872, 

84  222 

...  13,222,257.81 

1834, 

...  11,495  ._ 

..  1,686,202.17 

1873, 

....  32,830  . 

...  12,887,157.15 

1885, 

...  12,425  .. 

..  1,860,075.25 

1874, 

81,863  . 

...  12,881,540.41 

188(5, 

...  18,303  -. 

..  2,036,287.08 

1875, 

....  82,948  . 

...  13,780,509.16 

1887, 

...  12,874  .- 

..  2,010,876.81 

1876, 

....  88,789  - 

...  16,561,819.56 

1888, 

...  12,960  .- 

_-  1,966,307.91 

1877, 

....  42,631  . 

...  18,619,916.04 

188$), 

...  13,751  .. 

..  2,101,981.77 

1878, 

....  44,808  - 

...  18,428,911.44 

1840, 

...  13,7(50  .. 

.-  2,148,823.91 

1879. 

....  49,261  - 

...  19,682,488.28 

1841, 

...  14,9(51  .. 

..  2,387,918.61 

1880, 

56,519  . 

...  22,488,946.14 

1842, 

...  15,025  .. 

_.  2,8(50,212.41 

1881, 

61,051  _ 

...  28,9(32,55(J.56 

1848, 

...  15,328  .. 

..  2,887,356.61 

1882, 

....  63,480  . 

...  24,416,963.87 

1844, 

...  17,71(5  .. 

..  2,735,598.09 

1883, 

....  65,327  . 

...  24,880,037.45 

1845, 

.  _.  19,007  _. 

..  8,023,742.08 

1884, 

....  67.542  . 

...  25,410,954.50 

184(5, 

...  19,295  ._ 

.  .  8,098,295.70 

1885, 

....  69,228  _ 

...  26,027,344.88 

1847, 

...  20,245  .. 

_.  8,802,510.85 

1886, 

....  70,777  . 

...  26,548,208.29 

1848, 

...  21,339  -. 

..  8,886.3(n.30 

1887, 

....  72,938  . 

...  27,120,8(5(5.35 

1849, 

...  20,393»._ 

..  8,2(59,927.77 

1888, 

...  74,151  _ 

...  27,848,444.87 

1850, 

...  21,347  .. 

_.  8,466,747.92 

1889, 

...  76,580  . 

...  28,470,738.94 

1851, 

...  28,812  ._ 

__  8,916,026.50 

1890. 

....  80,059  . 

...  29,834,768.29 

1852, 

...  24,552  ._ 

..  4,279,619.48 

1891, 

....  82,701  . 

...  30,895,566.47 

1853, 

...  27,252  .. 

..  5,032,579.55 

1892, 

....  86,952  _ 

...  32,733,864.53 

1854, 

...  28,867  .. 

..  5,388,864.78 

1898, 

....  89,401  . 

...  34,160,482.39 

1855, 

...  27,441  .. 

..  5,140,673.63 

SAVINGS  BANKS.  409 

INSTITUTION  FOR  SAVINGS  IN  ROXBURY. 

The  Institution  for  vSavings  in  Roxbury  and  Its  Vicinit}^  was  incor- 
porated February  22,  1825.  The  persons  named  in  the  act  of  incorpo- 
ration were  Nathaniel  Dorr,  Charles  Davis,  Jonathan  Dorr,  Isaac  Dorr, 
John  Lemist,  Enoch  Bartlett,  Eliphalet  Potter,  John  Bartlett,  wSamuel 
J.  Gardner,  Joseph  Curtis,  Ralph  Haskins,  vSamuel  Guild,  Samuel 
Dog-g-ett,  John  Prince,  David  S.  Greenough,  Ebenezer  Crafts,  vStedman 
Williams,  Benjamin  Weld,  William  H.  Spooner,  Benjamin  Billings  and 
Jonathan  Richards.  David  S.  Greenough  was  chosen  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  bank  and  John  Bartlett  treasurer.  The  first  board  of 
trustees  was  composed  of  A.  A.  S.  Dearborn,  Nathaniel  Dorr,  John 
Lemist,  Edward  Bartlett,  Samuel  G.  Gardner,  Ralph  Haskins,  Benja- 
min Billings.  Ebenezer  Seaver,  Joseph  Harrington,  Samuel  Guild, 
Samuel  Doggett,  Ebenezer  Crafts,  Benjamin  Weld,  William  N. 
Spooner,  Henry  Gardner,  Jonathan  Richards,  David  A.  vSimmons, 
Sherman  Leland  and  Jonathan  Richards. 

Following  will  be  found  the  names  of  all  wIkj  have  served  as  presi- 
dents of  this  institution  from  the  beginning  to  the  present  time  with 
period  of  service: 

David  S.  Greenough 1825  to  1820. 

John  Lowell, 1826   "  1834. 

Nathaniel  Curtis 1834   "  1838. 

John  B.  Jones 1838   "  1854. 

Samuel  Guild 1854  "  1862. 

Almon  D.  Hodges 1862   "  1877. 

Moses  H.  Day 1877   "  1880. 

Arthur  W.   Tufts 1880   "  1892. 

John   D.    Williams 1892  to  present  time. 

The  treasurers  have  been  as  follows: 

John  Bartlett 1825  to  1829. 

P.  G.    Robbins 1829   "  1833. 

Charles  Hukling 1833   "  1834. 

D.  A.   Sigourney 1834   "  1843. 

William  Whiting 1843   "  1867. 

Edward  Richards 1867  to  present  time. 

The  present  officers  of  the  bank  not  already  named  are  Jonathr.n 
French,    Walter    H.    Cowing,    and    Augustus    Richardson,    vice-prcsi- 


410  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

dents;  Robert  G.  Molineaux,  assistant  treasurer;  and  Jonathan  French, 
John  T.  Ellis,  William  H.  Brockett,  Augustus  Richardson,  Phineas  B. 
Smith,  Alonzo  W.  Folsom,  Louis  Arnold,  John  D.  Williams,  Samuel 
Little,  Danforth  C.  Hodges,  W.  F.  Day,  Solomon  A.  Bolster,  Walter 
H.  Cowing,  Atherton  T.  Brown,  and  John  G.  Stetson,  trustees. 

The  condition  of  this  bank,  as  reported  October  31,  1802,  was  as 
follows : 

ASSETS. 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule %  91,076.48 

Loans  on  public  funds 55,  TOO.  00 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 210,067.09 

Loan  on  bank  stock 3,000.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 1 640, 500. 00 

Loan  on  railroad  stocks 50,000.00 

Railroad  notes 475,000.00 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure 2(i7. 26 

Loans  on  real  estate 1,790,890.51 

Loans  on  personal  security. l,9]0,:5O().0O 

Loans  to  counties,  cities  or  towns  (notes) 282,000.00 

Deposits  in  banks,  on  interest 219,076.62 

Cash  on  hand 37,483  24 

Total §5,766,021. 15 

UAHILIIIKS. 

Deposits $5,528,889.20 

Guaranty   fund 207,500.00 

Interest  account 29, 631. 95 

Total $5, 760,021 . 1 5 

The  number  of  open  accounts  at  date  of  foregoing  report  was  14,317. 
The  amount  of  deposits  for  the  year  ending  at  that  time  was  $l,o()(),- 
829,00,  representing  17,029  deposits.  During  this  same  period, 
$1,109,869,22  was  paid  out  to  depositors. 

WARREN  INSTITUTION  FOR  SAVINGS. 

The  Warren  Institution  for  vSavings  stands  twelfth  among  the  184 
savings  banks  of  the  wState  in  years,  it  having  been  chartered  in  1829.  It 
is  the  eighth  as  regards  the  total  amount  of  its  deposits,  and  it  can  also 
be  said  of  the  Warren  Institution  for  vSavings  that  it  has  never  closed 
its  doors  to  depositors,  and  never,  since  it  was  incorporated,  passed  a 
semi-annual  dividend  or  called  in  a  loan,  except  for  breach  of  its  condi- 
tions on  the  part  of  the  borrower.     Its  management  from  the  beginning 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  411 

has  been  conservative,  so  much  so,  that  at  times  it  has  been  termed 
"old  fogy,  "but  the  history  of  the  institution  shows  the  wisdom  of  this 
careful  management  of  its  finances,  and  among  the  savings  banks  of  the 
State  none  is  considered  more  safe  or  substantial  than  the  Warren  In- 
stitution for  Savings,  of  Charlestown.  Many  of  our  prominent  citizens 
have  been  connected  with  it  since  it  was  chartered,  and  are  to-day,  their 
counsel  so  shaping  its  affairs  as  to  promise  a  long  continuance  of  the 
able  management  of  the  past  and  present. 

Warren  Institution  for  vSavings  was  organized  in  1829,  and  was  the 
first  savings  bank  established  in  Charlestown.  There  are  in  existence 
to-day  in  the  State  but  eleven  savings  banks  whose  charters  antedate 
that  of  the  Warren,  and  they  are  the  Provident  of  Boston,  established 
ISIO;  vSalem  vSavings  Bank,  established  1818;  Newburyport  Savings 
Bank,  established  1820;  Roxbury  Savings  Bank,  established  1825;  New 
Bedford  Savings  Bank,  established  1825;  Lynn  Institution  for  Savings, 
established  1826;  Springfield  Institution  for  vSavings,  established  1827; 
Worcester  Counts  Institution  for  Savings,  established  1828;  Provident 
Institution  for  vSalisbury  and  Amesbury,  established  1828 ;  Fall  River 
Savings  Bank,  established  1828 ;  and  Plymouth  vSavings  Bank,  estab- 
lished 1828. 

The  act  incorporating  the  Warren  Institution  for  vSavings  was  passed 
by  the  House  of  Representatives  February  20,  1829,  and  received  the 
signature  of  Governor  Levi  Lincoln  the  following  day.  In  the  act 
the  names  of  the  incorporators  are  given  as  follows:  David  vStetson, 
John  vSweetser,  Loammi  Kendall,  Elisha  L.  Phelps,  Joseph  Hunnewell, 
John  M.  Robertson,  Lot  Pool,  James  K.  Frothingham,  Henry  Jacques, 
vSimeon  Flint,  Edward  Adams,  Joseph  Carter,  Thomas  Pike,  Reuben 
Hunt,  John  Gregory,  Benjamin  Brintnall,  and  Benjamin  Whipple. 

April  28,  1829,  the  first  election  of  officers  was  held,  which  resulted 
as  follows:  President,  Timothy  Walker;  vice-presidents,  Isaac  Warren, 
Chester  Adams,  Abraham  R.  Thompson,  Thomas  Kettell,  David  Dev- 
ens,  James  K.  Frothingham;  trustees,  David  Stetson,  Reuben  Hunt, 
David  Fosdick,  Geo.  Bartlett,  John  vSoley,  Oliver  Holden,  John  Harris, 
Benjamin  Whipple,  Thomas  J.  Goodwin,  Henry  Jacques,  Isaac  Mead, 
Leonard  M.  Parker;  treasurer,  Thomas  Marshall;  secretary,  John  J. 
Fisk. 

In  the  sixty-three  years  that  have  elapsed  since  the  first  board  of  of- 
ficers assumed  the  direction  of  the  affairs  of  this  institution,  many 
changes  have  taken  place.      Of  the  first  board  not  one  is  alive  to-day, 


412  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

neither  is  there  a  single  survivor  of  the  incorporators,  or  of  any  of  the 
members  of  the  institution  admitted  prior  to  183!).  In  1830  there  were 
admitted  to  membership  James  Dana,  James  Adams,  Charles  Thomp- 
son, William  Tufts,  Edward  Lawrence,  Richard  Frothingham,  Henry 
K.  Frothingham ;  the  last  named  is  the  only  one  of  these  now  living. 

Timothy  Walker,  the  first  president,  held  office  until  1835,  and  was 
succeeded  by  John  Skinner,  who  held  the  office  until  IS-tO.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Benjamin  Thompson,  who  held  the  office  until  1813. 
Chester  Adams  held  the  office  from  1813  to  1850,  and  Nathan  A.  Tufts 
from  1850  to  1855.  In  1855  James  Adams  was  elected  president,  and 
he  held  the  office  a  quarter  of  a  century,  until  his  death  in  1880.  Tim- 
othy T.  Sawyer,  the  present  incumbent  of  the  office  of  president,  was 
elected  Mr.  Adams's  successor  in  1880,  he  having  been  a  member  of  the 
institution  since  184(!. 

The  first  treasurer  of  the  institution,  Thomas  Marshall,  held  the  of- 
fice imtil  1813,  and  was  succeeded  by  Henry  Jacc|ues,  who  was  treas- 
urer four  years — until  1847.  vSamuel  P.  vSkilton  next  held  the  office 
three  years,  1847,  '48  and  '49,  and  Henry  L.  Jacques  in  1849.  '50  and  '5L 
He  was  succeeded  by  Joseph  F.  Tufts,  who  held  the  office  in  1851,  '52, 
'53  and  '54,  and  next  came  John  Skilton,  who  held  the  office  eleven 
years,  from  1854  to  1805.  In  1805  (icorge  F.  Tufts  was  elected  treas- 
urer, and  he  still  occupies  that  position. 

The  first  secretary  of  the  institution,  John  J.  Fisk,  held  the  office  ten 
years,  from  1829  to  1839,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Thomas  Browne,  jr., 
who  held  the  office  in  1839,  '40,  '41  and  '12.  Henry  Jacques  then  held 
the  office  one  year,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  James  K.  Frothingham, 
who  held  the  office  from  1813  to  1804.  Geo.  F.  Tufts  then  held  the  of- 
fice one  year,  1804  to  '05,  and  then  being  elected  treasurer  to  succeed 
John  vSkilton,  Geo.  wS.  Poole  was  elected  secretary,  and  he  now  holds  the 
office,  to  which  he  was  elected  in  1805. 

The  following  table,  giving  the  number  of  depositors  and  the  total 
amoimt  of  deposits  at  intervals  of  five  years  since  the  institution  was 
incorporated,  goes  to  show  the  gradual  increase  of  the  business  since 
the  first  year  of  its  existence : 

Full  Amount 
Depositors.  of  Deposits. 

1830 133  %        6,19(5.29 

1835 711  83,101.41 

1840 999  142,170.62 

1845 1,275  188,160.94 

1850 1,040  285,780.91 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  413 

Full  Amount 
Depositors.  of  Deposits. 

1855 3,028  610,948.57 

1860 4,261  1,210,412.43 

1865 5,749  1,601,525.85 

1870 ■ 7,975  2,726,978.27 

1875 10,803  3,959,616.76 

1880 11,279  4,232,927.15 

1885 14,172  5,776,491.49 

1890 16,288  6,908,853.52 

1892 17, 660  7, 933. 086. 68 

The  following-  statement,  .submitted  to  the  board  of  trii.stees,  Octo- 
ber 1,  1892,  shows  the  present  condition  of  the  institution: 

DR. 

Mortgages . §3,686.500.00 

Bank  stocks 204,700.00 

Cities  and  towns 1,109,830.00 

U.  S.  bonds 250,000.00 

Railroad  bonds 550,000.00 

Individual  loans  with  collateral 1,825,450.00 

Real  estate 50,000.00 

Cash 247,773.24 

Expense  account 8,833.44 

Total 87,933.086.68 

CR. 

Deposits 87,345.942.02 

Guaranty  fund 379,000.00 

Interest  account 97,558.04 

Profit  and  loss 109,380.06 

Rents 1,206.56 

Total 87,933,086.68 

The  present  membership  of  the  Warren  Institution  for  Saving's  is 
106,  and  its  officers  are  as  follows,  the  date  against  each  name  denot- 
ing the  year  he  became  a  member  of  the  institution :  President,  Tim- 
othy T.  Sawyer,  1846 ;  vice-presidents,  Henry  K.  Frothingham,  1839 ; 
George  Hyde,  1846;  Henry  Lyon,  1846;  John  Stowell,  1861;  Isaac  P. 
T.  Edmands,  1868;  Nahum  Chapin,  1866;  trustees,  Thomas  R.  B.  Ed- 
mands,  1868;  John  vS.  Whiting,  1871;  Charles  E.  Daniels,  1866;  Nel- 
son Bartlett,  1875;  John  Turner,  1880;  Charles  F.  Fairbanks,  1868; 
Thomas  G.  Frothingham,  1870;  Everett  Torrey,  1868;  Charles  R. 
Lawrence,    1875;  William  R.    Austin,    1886;  Nathan   F.    Tufts,    1875; 


414  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Henry  H.  Chandler,  1870;  treasurer,  George  F.  Tufts;  secretary, 
George  S.   Poole. 

The  present  board  of  investment,  which  has,  subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  board  of  trustees,  the  entire  charge  of  the  finances  of  the  institu- 
tion, consists  of  Timothy  T.  Sawyer,  John  vStowell,  Nahum  Chapin, 
Thoinas  R.  B.  Edmands,  Nelson  Bartlett,  John  Turner,  Charles  F. 
Fairbanks. 

The  membership  of  the  institution  is  not  restricted  to  depositors, 
section  2  of  article  I  of  the  by-laws  reading  as  follows:  "  Any  citizen 
of  this  State  may  be  elected  b}"  ballot  a  member  of  the  corporation  at 
the  annual  meeting,  the  name  of  such  person  having  been  proposed  in 
writing  to  the  secretary  by  a  member  of  the  corporation  one  month 
previous  to  such  meeting;  and  any  person  may  cease  to  be  a  member 
by  filing  a  written  notice  of  his  intention  so  to  do  with  the  treasurer 
three  months  at  least  before  such  meeting.  No  person  shall  continue 
to  be  a  member  after  removing  from  the  vState,  or  becoming  an  officer 
in  another  such  corporation." 

The  following  incident  goes  to  illustrate  the  benefit  of  savings  banks 
and  the  rapidity  with  which  deposits  will  increase  if  allowed  to  remain 
undisturbed.  December  15,  1830,  there  was  deposited  in  the  Warren 
Institution  for  Savings  by  a  person  the  sum  of  $12.  Since  that  time 
it  has  remained  undisturbed,  the  depositor  neither  adding  to  it  or  with- 
drawing any  portion  of  the  deposit.  The  interest  has  been  compounded 
semi-annually,  and  to-day  there  stands  to  the  credit  of  this  depositor 
the  handsome  sum  of  $383.70. 

Hon.  Timothy  T.  Sawyer,  the  president  of  the  Warren  Institution 
for  Savings,  is  a  native  of  Charlestown,  where  he  has  always  lived  since 
his  birth,  January  7,  1817.  He  was  educated  in  its  public  schools,  after 
leaving  which  he  entered  the  employ  of  an  uncle  who  carried  on  the 
hardware  and  ship  chandlery  business  in  Boston,  and  afterwards  car- 
ried on  the  business  himself  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1842  he  em- 
barked in  the  ice  business  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Gage,  Hittenger 
&  Company,  afterwards  Gage,  Sawyer  &  Company.  He  remained  in 
this  business  until  1800,  and  then  withdrew  from  active  mercantile 
pursuits.  Mr.  Sawyer  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  matters 
calculated  to  promote  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  his  native  place, 
and  has  been  called  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  fill  many  places  of  public 
trust.  When  Charlestown  w^as  a  town  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Assessors,  of  the  Committee  on  Finance,  and  for  several  years  a  mem- 


SAVnVGS  BANKS.  415 

ber  of  the  School  Committee.  After  Charlestown  became  a  city  he 
served  several  terms  in  the  Common  Council  and  was  elected  president 
of  that  body  in  1854,  but  declined  the  honor.  In  December,  1854,  he 
he  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city,  and  served  in  1855,  '56  and  '57.  He 
has  also  represented  the  city  in  both  branches  of  the  Legislature.  He 
was  chairman  of  the  School  Committee' nine  years,  commencing  in  1855. 
He  was  president  of  the  Mystic  Water  Board  for  several  ^^-ears  previous 
to  annexation,  and  after  the  cities  of  Charlestown  and  Boston  were 
joined  he  held  the  office  until  the  M^^stic  and  Cochituate  Water  Boards 
were  joined  and  made  the  Boston  Water  Board,  when  he  was  appointed 
chairman  of  that  board  and  held  the  office  three  years.  He  was  pre- 
viously appointed  a  member  of  the  Boston  Fire  Commission  and  held 
the  office  three  years,  and  in  1882  he  was  again  appointed  a  member  of 
the  Boston  Water  Board  by  Mayor  Green,  and  held  the  office  one  year. 

Mr.  vSawyer  was  largely  instrumental  in  establishing  the  Charlestown 
Public  Library,  which  was  opened  in  January,  1SG2,  in  the  upper  story 
of  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  Warren  Institution  for  Savings. 
He  was  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  librar}'  from  the  date 
of  its  organization  until  1873,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  city 
of  Boston.  Mr.  Sawyer  retains  a  lively  interest  in  the  library  and  visits 
it  frequently.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Charlestown  Training- 
field  School  Association,  in  which  organization  he  still  takes  much 
interest.  His  connection  with  the  Warren  Institution  for  wSavings  dates 
from  184G.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  for  thirty- 
seven  years  and  of  the  board  of  investment  thirty-four  years,  of  which 
board  he  is  now  chairman,  by  virtue  of  his  office  of  president,  to  which 
he  was  chosen  in  1880,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  James 
Adams,  who  devoted  twenty-five  years  of  his  life  to  promoting  the 
prosperity  of  the  institution. 

The  late  ]vlr.  Nathan  A.  Tufts  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees 
twenty-nine  years ;  Mr.  James  Adams  forty  years ;  Mr.  Edward  Law- 
rence forty-two  years. 

George  F.  Tufts,  the  treasurer  of  the  institution,  is  also  a  native  of 
Charlestown.  In  early  life  he  was  for  some  3"ears  in  the  employ  of 
Lane,  Lamson  &  Company  of  Boston,  French  goods  importers,  and 
afterwards  with  Jaines  Hunnewell  in  the  Sandwich  Island  trade.  In 
1855  Mr.  Tufts  visited  the  islands  and  made  a  trip  round  the  world 
with  the  son  of  Captain  Charles  Brewer  (Charles  Brewer  &  Company). 
He  has  occupied  his  present  position  of  treasurer  for  twenty-seven 
years. 


416  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

George  8.  Poole,  the  secretary,  is  a  brother  of  William  F.  Poole,  the 
disting-uished  librarian,  formerly  of  the  Boston  Athenaeum,  now  the 
Newbur}^  Library  of  Chicago.  George  vS.  Poole  came  to  Charlestown 
from  Peabody,  Mass.,  in  lS(il,  and  was  the  first  librarian  of  the  Charles- 
town  Public  Library.  While  holding  this  position  he  was  appointed 
an  assistant  in  the  Congressional  Libraiy,  Washington,  and  served 
there  two  years  until  his  election  to  the  office  he  now  fills  in  the  bank, 
and  which  he  has  held  for  twenty-seven  years. 

THE  SUFFOLK  SAVINGS  BANK  FOR  SEAMEN  AND  OTHERS. 

The  original  title  of  this  bank  was  The  vSaving  Banks  for  Seamen  in 
Boston,  under  which  it  was  granted  a  charter  by  the  Legislature  March 
7,  18;)o.  It  was  the  last  bank  incorporated  prior  to  the  passage  of  a 
general  law  relating  to  savings  banks,  and  it  is  a  peculiar  fact  that  the 
word  "bank  "  appears  for  the  first  time  in  connection  with  corporations 
of  this  character  in  its  title,  all  previous  charters  having  been  granted 
to  savings  institutions.  The  first  officers  of  the  bank  were:  Pliny  Cut- 
ler, president ;  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  vice-president ;  Thomas  K.  Davis, 
secretary;  wSamuel  H.  Walley,  jr.,  treasurer;  George  Hallet,  William 
W.  Stone,  George  W.  Crockett,  James  Means,  Josiah  W.  Blake,  Charles 
Scudder,  Peleg  Churchill,  Charles  H.  Brown,  William  B.  Reynolds, 
Benjamin  Seaver,  William  Worthington,  Benjamin  Rich,  Thomas  Vose, 
William  Goddard,  Alfred  Richardson,  Enoch  Train,  William  Sturgis, 
Thomas  Motley^  Newton  Willey,  Lot  Wheelwright,  Nathaniel  Dana, 
William  W.  Motley,  Phincas  Sprague,  and  Henry  K.  May,  managers. 

The  original  object  of  this  bank  was  "  to  afford  greater  facilities  and 
inducements  for  a  safe  and  profitable  investment  of  the  earnings  of  sea- 
men and  others  connected  with  a  sea-faring  life,"  and  its  first  books  is- 
sued to  depositors  bore  upon  the  outside  a  device  in  which  the  words 
"Sailors'  Rights"  were  prominent,  and  stated  that  the  office  was  in 
"Commercial  street  adjoining  the  Market  Bank  opposite  the  east  end 
of  Market  House,"  a  location  evidently  .selected  for  this  class  of  depos- 
itors. '  But  it  was  soon  seen  that  the  restriction  of  receiving  deposits 
only  from  such  persons,  and  which  was  actually  a  part  of  its  charter, 
was  to  materially  limit  the  scope  of  its  usefulness,  and  as  arly  as  May, 
1833,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  petition  the  Legislature  for  such 
an  amendment  as  would  allow  it  "to  receive  money  from  all  persons." 
The  difficulty  was  removed,  hov^'ever,  without  special  legislation,  for  in 
1834  a  general  law  was  passed  regulating  all  the  savings  banks  in  the 


SAVINGS   BANKS.  417 

Commonwealth,  and  for  the  first  time  placing  them  under  public  super- 
vision. It  has  from  that  time  to  the  present  received  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  deposits  made  by  sea-faring  persons,  but  with  the  gradual 
decline  of  shipping  the  amounts  have  been  materially  reduced,  until 
now  these  sums  form  but  a  small  per  centage  of  the  total  accumula- 
lations.  The  present  title  of  the  bank  was  secured  by  a  legislative  act 
approved  March  1,  1842. 

The  following  includes  the  names  of  the  principal  officers  of  this  bank 
from  its  incorporation  to  the  present  time,  and  gives  the  date  of  elec- 
tions and  period  of  service  of  each :  President,  Pliny  Cutler,  April  8, 
1833,  to  April  9,  1839;  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  April  9,  1839,  to  April  8,  1844; 
Thomas  Lamb,  April  8,  1844,  to  April  7,  1885;  William  Endicott,  jr., 
April  8,.  1885,  to  the  present.  Vice-presidents:  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  April 
8,  1833,  to  April  9,  1839;  William  H.  Boardman,  April  9,  1839,  to  April 
10,  1843;  Henry  Edwards,  April  10,  1843,  to  April  12,  1847;  Benjamin 
Seaver,  April  12,  1847,  to  April  8,  1856 ;  Samuel  H.  Walley,  April  8, 
1856,  to  April  9,  1878;  Isaac  Thacher,  April  9,  1878,  to  April  10,  1883; 
William  Endicott,  jr.,  April  10,  1883,  to  April  7,  1885;  Edward  W. 
Hooper,  April  7,  1885,  to  the  present.  vSecretaries :  Thomas  K.  Davis, 
April  8,  1833,  to  April  9,  1839;  Charles  Henry  Parker,  April  9,  1839,  to 
April  10,  1866;  George  N.  Macy,  April  10,  1866,  to  April  13,  1875; 
Herbert  Magoun,  April  13,  1875,  to  the  present.  Treasurers:  Samuel 
H.  Walley,  April  8,  1833,  to  April  8,  1853;  Charles  Henry  Parker, 
April  5,  1853,  to  the  present.  Herbert  Magoun  has  served  as  vice- 
treasurer  since  November  19,  1875. 

While  the  foregoing  gives  the  term  of  office  of  each  individual  in  the- 
several  capacities  named,  it  does  not  in  many  cases  show  the  length  of 
time  that  such  persons  were  or  have  been  connected  with  the  bank. 
Pliny  Cutler,  its  first  president,  was  connected  with  the  bank  in  an  of- 
ficial capacity  for  nineteen  years.  Thomas  Lamb,  for  forty-one  years 
its  president,  served  altogether  for  fifty-one  years  as  an  officer.  vSam- 
uel  H.  Walley  served  for  forty-four  years.  Charles  Henry  Parker,  its 
present  treasurer,  has  been  connected  with  the  bank  for  fifty-three 
3"ears,  while  among  the  trustees  or  managers  George  Wm.  Bond  served 
for  fifty  years,  and  William  Perkins  for  thirty-eight  years.  Charles  G. 
Nazro,  the  oldest  trustee  in  point  of  service,  has  served  for  forty-five 
years,  while  there  are  many  whose  terms  of  office  as  trustee  range  from 
twenty-five  to  forty  years. 

53 


418  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  Suffolk  vSavings  Bank  has  been  one  of  the  conspicuously  success- 
ful institutions  of  its  kind  in  Massachusetts.  The  total  amounts  stand- 
ing to  the  credit  of  its  depositors,  divided  into  periods  of  ten  years  com- 
mencing with  the  30th  day  of  October,  1841,  are  as  follows:  1841, 
$261,677.39;  1851,  $1,108,262.67;  1861,  $2,812,942.93;  1871,  $6,167,- 
723.17;  1881,  $15,009,648  25;  1891,  24,835,468.74.  These  figures  indi- 
cate a  surprisingly  rapid  growth,  which  is  still  more  made  plain  from 
the  fact  that  while  the  growth  of  all  the  savings  banks  throughout  the 
State,  taken  collectively  during  the  past  fifty-years,  has  been  about 
5,500  per  cent.,  that  of  the  Suffolk  vSavings  Bank  has  been  about  9,500 
per  cent.,  an  indisputable  evidence  that  it  has  received  its  full  measure 
of  public  appreciation. 

The  following  report  made  October  31,  1892,  shows  the  condition  of 
this  bank  at  that  time  to  have  been  as  follows: 

ASSETS. 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule §3, 628, 638. 09 

Loan  on  public  funds : 10,000.00 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 620,225.00 

Loans  on  bank  stock 46,000.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 4,396,852. 96 

Railroad  notes 475,000. 00 

Real  estate  (for  banking  purposes) 180,000.00 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure >. 26, 689. 13 

Loans  on  real  estate 8,747,000.53 

Loans  on  personal  security 7,042,475.03 

Loans  to  counties,  cities  or  towns  (notes) 566,600.00 

Deposits  in  banks,  on  interest 1,519,489,88 

Deposits  in  banks,  not  on  interest 5.866.98 

Expense  account 3, 132. 08 

Cash  on  hand 200,890.05 

Total §27,468,859. 73 

LIABILrriES. 

Deposits §26,517,023.38 

Guaranty  fund '    715,230.08 

Profit  and  loss  account 209, 163.57 

Suspense  account 27,442.70 

Total $27,468,859. 73 

The  total  number  of  open  accounts  at  date  of  foregoing  report  was 
59,703.  The  deposits  for  the  year  ending  at  that  time  amounted  to 
$5,556,253.00,  and  the  sum  paid  out  to  depositors  during  the  same 
period  amounted  to  $4,843,192.75. 


SAIYNGS  BANKS.  419 

EAST  BOSTON  SAVINGS  BANK, 

The  East  Boston  Savings  Bank  was  organized  on  October  4,  184.S. 
The  first  board  of  trustees  was  composed  of  Samuel  W.  Hall,  Benjamin 
Lawson,  James  Cunningham,  Eb.enezer  Atkins,  Henry  Brevoort,  George 
W.  Brown,  Phineas  M.  Crane,  Thomas  D.  Dermond,  William  C.  Ford, 
Samuel  Hall,  Richard  Humphrey,  Daniel  D.  Kelly,  Donald  McKay, 
Mark  Geogins,  Stephen  Locke,  John  Pierce,  William  R.  Lovejoy, 
Joseph  Robbins,  Noah  Sturtevant,  George  Sturtevant,  Richard  Soule, 
jr.,  William  Fittyplace,  and  O.  M.  Tufts.  James  Cunningham  was  the 
first  president  of  the  bank.  Succeeding  him  was  Ebenezer  Atkins,  then 
Samuel  Hall,  next  Phineas  M.  Crane,  the  latter  being  elected  in  1868! 
Mr.  Crane  was  followed  by  the  present  president,  George  T.  wSampson. 
Mr.  Sampson  has  been  a  trustee  of  the  bank  since  1865,  and  his  counsel 
and  earnest  efforts  have  always  been  directed  toward  promoting  the 
success  of  the  institution.  Albert  Bowker  served  as  treasurer  and  sec- 
retary from  the  organization  of  the  bank  until  April,  1880,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  present  incumbent,  William  B.  Pigeon.  Mr.  Pigeon 
has  been  with  the  bank  since  1870,  beginning  as  clerk  and  earning  his 
promotion  by  efficient  service.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  Pigeon,  the  well 
known  sparmaker,  and  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  East  Boston.  The 
board  of  investment  for  1802  is  composed  of  John  Thompson  (also  vice- 
president),  Nathaniel  M.  Jewett,  William  B.  Pigeon,  Ebenezer  M.  Mc- 
Pherson,  George  L.  Thorndike,  Rufus  Cushman,  and  Robert  Crosbie. 
The  trustees  for  189"2  are  as  follows:  George  T.  Sampson,  Henry 
Pigeon,  Frederick  Pease,  xVlbert  Bowker,  Henry  B.  Hill,  John  Thomp- 
son, Nathaniel  M.  Jewett,  Rufus  Cushman,  William  B.  Pigeon,  Will- 
iam H.  Grainger,  Ebenezer  M.  McPherson,  James  Smith,  George  L. 
Thorndike,  Robert  Crosbie,  Emery  D.  Leighton,  Randall  J.  Elder, 
James  L.  Walsh,  Wesley  A.  Gove,  William  Waters,  jr.,  Joseph  W.  Rob- 
bins,  James  Frame,  F.  A.  Woodbury,  Peter  Morrison,  T.  B.  Grimes, 
and  G.  H.  Libby. 

The  bank  has  remained  at  the  same  location  in  Maverick  Square, 
East  Boston,  ever  since  its  organization. 

The  following  statement  shows  the  condition  of  the  bank  on  October 
12,  1892. 

ASSETS, 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule §  236,000.00 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 266,480.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 134,500.00 

Real  estate  (for  banking  purposes). 19,953. 74 


420  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure 6,515. 53 

Loans  on  real  estate 1,365,904.00 

Loans  on  personal  security 504,600.00 

Deposit  in  bank,  on  interest 57,581.28 

Expense  account 2,484.26 

Cash  on  hand 2,307.09 

Total §2, 596, 325. 90 

I.IAIIIIJTIES. 

Deposits $2,415,246.98 

Guaranty  fund 105,744.83 

Interest  account 24,356.37 

Profit  and  loss  accotmt 50, 977. 72 


Total $2,596,325.90 

BOSTON  FIVE  CENTS  SAVlNCrS  BANK. 

The  Boston  Five  Cents  vSaving's  Bank  was  incorporated  April  7, 
1854,  the  persons  named  in  the  act  of  incorporation  being-  Edward  Ed- 
munds, Rollin  H.  Neale,  B.  T.  Lorino-,  John  E.  Thayer,  George  W. 
Crockett,  Benjamin  Bangs,  James  Lawrence,  William  Beals,  Nathaniel 
Thayer,  Tolman  Willey,  George  W.  Chipman,  Charles  Hndson,  Henry 
Andrews,  Charles  C.  Barry,  George  W.  Warren,  (jcorge  Allen  Otis, 
William  P.  Mason,  Anson  Burlingame  and  Phineas  Stowe.  The  pres- 
ent officers  of  the  bank  are  as  follows:  Alonzo  H.  Evans,  president; 
William  Claflin,  Edward  Edmunds,  Roland  Worthington,  William  O. 
Grover,  James  A.  Woolson  and  vS.  R.  Payson,  vice-presidents;  Curtis 
C.  Nichols,  treasurer;  J.  C.  Holmes,  assistant  treasurer;  Edward  Ed- 
munds, clerk  of  the  corporation.  The  trustees  are:  Roland  Worthing- 
ton, William  O.  Grover,  J.  H.  Cannell,  James  A.  Woolson,  E.  C.  Fitz, 
Rufus  S.  Frost,  Alonzo  H.  Evans,  Samuel  R.  Payson,  William  Claflin, 
Nathaniel  N.  Thayer,  Henry  F.  Coe,  William  A.  Tower,  Oliver  Ames, 
S.  A.  Carlton,  William  R.  Dupee,  W.  P.  Tilton,  Leander  Beal,  Edward 
Edmunds,  E.  S.  Converse,  C.  C.  Nichols,  A.  H.  Davenport,  George 
Hutchinson,  Wilmot  R.  Evans,  Albert  A.  Pope,  and  D.  Webster  King. 
The  president  of  the  bank,  Alonzo  H.  Evans,  was  treasurer  from  the 
organization  of  the  bank  to  1874,  when,  upon  the  retirement  of  Paul 
Adams,  he  became  president.  He  is  one  of  the  best  known  financiers 
and  bankers  of  Boston,  and  is  a  director  of  the  Winthrop  National 
Bank. 


SAVmOS  BANICS.  421 

The  following-  report  made  to  the  saving  bank  commissioners,  Oc- 
tober ;)1,  1(S92,  shows  the  condition  of  the  bank  at  that  time: 

ASSETS. 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule $2,888,151.50 

Loans  on  public  funds 160,498.2;:? 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 688,400.00 

Loans  on  bank  stock 92,200.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 389. 685. 00 

Loan  on  railroad  bonds 1,500.00 

Loan  on  railroad  stocks 100,000.00 

Railroad  notes 100,000.00 

Real  estate  (for  banking  purposes) 195,000.00 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure 1,300.00 

Loans  on  real  estate 8,863,358.35 

Loans  on  personal  security 5,981 ,  100.00 

Loans  to  counties,  cities  and  towns  (notes) 149,925. 00 

Deposits  in  banks,  on  interest 1,283,139.33 

Expense  account  .. 729. 78 

Cash  on  hand 23,883.55 

Total $20,918,870.74 

LIABILITIES. 

Deposits $19,520,989.74 

Guaranty  fund 847,377.30 

Interest  account 39,875.52 

Profit  and  loss  account 470,584. 72 

Premium  account 35,502.85 

Suspense   account 1.527.13 

Rent  accoimt 3, 013.48 

Total 820,918,870.74 

The  number  of  open  accounts  at  date  of  foregoing  report  was  130,- 
548.       There  was  deposited    during    the    year   preceding    the    report, 

$5,809,882,86. 

CHARLESTOWN  FIVE  CENTS  SAVINGS  BANK. 

The  Charlestown  Five  Cents  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  April  7, 
1854.  The  present  president  of  the  bank,  Amos  Stone,  took  an  active 
and  leading-  part  in  its  organization,  and  was  elected  one  of  its  trustees 
and  its  first  treasurer,  holding  the  latter  position  until  1887,  when  he 
was  elected  to  his  present  position,  succeeding  his  brother,  P.  J.  Stone, 
who  had  been  president  from  the  incorporation  of  the  bank.  Mr.  vStone 
has  been  a  prominent   factor  in   the   political  and  financial   history  of 


432  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Charlestown.  When  Charlestown  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1847) 
he  was  elected  its  first  city  treasurer  and  collector  of  taxes,  which  office 
he  held  for  eight  years.  In  the  fall  of  1855  he  was  elected  treasurer  of 
the  county  of  Middlesex,  and  held  that  office  for  thirty  years,  until 
January  1,  1S8G,  when  he  declined  a  re-election.  For  more  than  ten 
years  he,  as  treasurer,  with  the  assistance  of  the  president,  performed 
all  the  labor  of  the  bank  without  any  compensation.  The  bank 
has  proved  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  successful  in  the  Com- 
monwealth, the  result  largely  of  Mr.  Stone's  efforts  in  its  behalf. 
A.  M.  Andrews  is  treasurer  of  the  bank  and  Benjamin  F.  vStacey  clerk 
of  the  corporation.  The  committee  charged  with  the  investment  of  its 
funds  is  composed  of  George  S.  Pendergast,  Francis  Hall,  Emrie  B. 
Stetson,  Augustus  W.  wStover,  and  Amos  Stone. 

The  present  condition  of  the  bank  is  shown  by  the  following  report 
made  October  31,  1892: 

ASSETS. 

Loan  on  public  funds %      8,000.00 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 740,200.00 

Loans  on  bank  stock 16,300.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 447,500.00 

Loans  on  railroad  bonds 32,000.00 

Loan  on  railroad  stocks 79,500.00 

Real  estate  (for  banking  purposes) 70,000.00 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure 40,900.00 

Loans  on  real  estate 2,074,775.00 

Loans  on  personal  security 1,482,650.00 

Deposits  in  banks,  on  interest 105,013.42 

Cash  on  hand 3,424.98 

Total $5,101,263.40 

I.IABIIJTIES. 

Deposits §4,779,546.09 

Guaranty  fund 230, 000. 00 

Profit  and  loss  account 91,717.31 

Total §5,101,263.40 

FRANKLIN    SAVINGS    BANK. 

The  Franklin  vSavings  Bank  of  the  city  of  Boston  was  incorporated 
March  15,  18G1,  with  thirty-six  directors,  of  whom  but  two  are  now 
connected  with  the  bank,  one  being  the  present  president  of  the  bank, 
Frederick   W.    Lincoln.      The    first    president    of    this    institution   was 


"'5'  "-v^-  a  rutol'.^ 


z> 


SAlVAraS  BANKS.  423 

Osym  Brewster,  who  remained  at  its  head  for  twent3'-six  vears.  Henry 
Whittemore  served  as  treasurer  for  twenty-five  years.  Frederick  W. 
Lincoln,  the  present  president,  elected  in  January,  1889,  has  served  for 
seven  years  as  ma3^or  of  Boston,  including  the  years  from  1858  to  1861, 
and  from  1863  to  1867.  He  is  manager  of  the  Boston  Storage  Ware- 
house Company;  a  director  of  the  Continental  National  Bank,  and  the 
Boston  Safe  Deposit  and  Trust  Company,  while  many  of  the  other 
officials  of  the  bank  are  closely  connected  with  the  management  of 
national  banks  in  Boston.  Ebenezer  Alexander  has  been  treasurer 
since  July,  1886,  and  George  A.  Fisher  has  been  clerk  since  January, 
1887.  The  board  of  trustees  for  1892  is  composed  of  the  following 
gentlemen:  Alexander  Wadsworth,  Thomas  Gaffield,  William  H.  Bald- 
win, James  B.  Richardson,  Thomas  J.  Whidden,  Stephen  M.  Crosby, 
M.  P.  Kennard,  John  C.  Haynes,  John  J.  Haley,  Charles  M.  Seaver, 
S.  B.  Stebbins,  James  Longley,  Otis  Norcross,  D.  R.  Emerson,  George 
H.  Eager,  Curtis  Guild,  Abraham  Avery,  O.  H.  Davenport,  Joseph 
vSawyer,  Albert  E.  Pillsbury,  William  H.  Learnard,  Francis  H.  Has- 
tings, James  P.  Tolman,  William  B.  Rice,  George  C.  Appleton,  William 
H.  Emery,  J.  E.  Whitney,  Arthur  Hobart,  Joseph  A.  Brown,  Jacob  A. 
Dresser,  F.  W.  Lincoln,  jr.,  George  V.  Leverett,  John  Avery,  Warren 
vS.  Dame,  Wm.  H.  Leatherbee,  Samuel  N.  Brown,  George  H.  Phelps, 
Charles  B.  Cumings,  James  Arthur  Jacobs,  Charles  F.  Curtis,  Henry 
S.  Shaw,  S.  H.  Williams,  jr. 

This  bank  for  seventeen  years  was  located  at  52  Boylston  street,  but 
in  April,  1893,  was  removed  to  the  new  building  erected  by  the  bank 
at  6  Park  Square.  This  is  a  six-story  office  structure,  which,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  counting  room  and  offices  of  the  bank  on  the  ground  floor, 
contains  thirty-five  offices,  and  is  one  of  the  best  arranged  bank  and 
office  buildings  in  Boston. 

The  following  report  shows  the  condition  of  this  bank  October  31, 
1892 : 

ASSETS. 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule S    658,000.00 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 364, 578. 62 

Loans  on  bank  stock 7, 200. 00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 347,000. 00 

Loans  on  railroad  stocks 75,000.00 

Real  estate  (for  banking  purposes) 157,539. 60 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure 19,75L55 

Loans  on  real  estate 4,180,817.36 

Loans  on  personal  security 1,850,475.00 


424  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Loans  to  counties,  cities  or  towns  (notes) 70,000.00 

Deposits  in  banks,  on  interest 442,738,18 

Expense  account -  -  6, 103. 69 

Real  estate  income  account 013.84 

Suspense  account 256.49 

Cash  on  hand 13,380. 86 

Total 18, 193,450. 19 

LIABILITIES. 

Deposits 17,861,089.61 

Guaranty  fund 220, 000. 00 

Interest  account 77, 505. 78 

Profit  and  loss  account 34,854.80 

Total $8,193,450.19 

For  the  year  ending  at  date  of  foregoing-  report  there  were  received 
in  deposits  |1, 855, 345. 53,  representing  14,900  deposits;  $1,407,610.13 
were  paid  to  11,440  depositors  during  the  same  ]:)eriod.  The  number 
of  open  accounts  at  date  of  report  was  10,183. 

BRIGHTON    FIVE    CENTS    SAVINGS    BANK. 

The  Brighton  Five  Cents  vSavings  Bank  was  incorporated  March  2(), 
18G1,  the  incorporators  named  in  the  act  being  Charles  Noyes,  R.  H. 
(ircen,  H.  H.  Larnard,  David  Collins,  J.  F.  Taylor,  James  vStetson, 
vSamucl  Bigelow,  H.  W.  Jordan,  W.  W.  Warren,  James  Dana,  William 
Warren,  George  H.  Brooks,  Jolm  Ruggles  and  Theodore  Matchctt. 
The  officers  for  1892  are  as  follows:  N.  Warren  Sanborn,  president; 
Benjamin  M.  Fiske,  vice-president ;  George  E.  Brock,  clerk  and  treas- 
urer. The  trustees  are  N.  Warren  vSanborn,  Benjamin  M.  Fiske,  vSeth 
J.  Thomas,  W.  F.  Warreu,  G.  A.  Fuller,  J.  A.  Hathaway,  J.  S.  Dunck- 
lee,  P.  Molcy,  S.  N.  Davenport,  F.  G.  Newhall,  G.  F.  Parker  aud 
George  E.  Brock.  The  condition  of  the  l)ank  is  shown  by  the  following 
report  made  October  31,  1892: 

ASSETS. 

Public  funds  as  per  .schedule %  28,562.50 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 36,735.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 88, 658. 75 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure 7, 373. 46 

Loans  on  real  estate 266,038.09 

Loans  on  personal  security 15,000.00 

Deposits  in  banks,  on  intei'est 7,077.89 

Expense  account 785. 92 


SAJYIVGS  BANKS.  425 

Furniture  and  fixtures 940.00 

Cash  on  hand 1,509.61 

Total §453_  081. 22 

LIABILITIES. 

Deposits $433,325.71 

Guaranty  fund 10,500.00 

Interest  account 6,582.81 

Profit  and  loss  account  1,988.29 

Rent  account 284,41 

Total 1452,681.23 

SOUTH  BOSTON  SAVINGS  BANK. 

The  South  Boston  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  on  March  3,  1863, 
and  organized  July  28,  of  the  same  year,  with  the  following  officers : 
Henry  Souther,  president;  D.  M.  B.  Thaxter,  treasurer;  Benjamin 
Dean,  Benjamin  F.  Bayley,  Henry  A.  Drake,  Hiram  Emery,  Eben 
Jackson,  Samuel  Leeds,  Harrison  Loring,  Zibeon  Southard,  Samuel  S. 
R.  Spinney,  Alpheus  M.  Stetson,  D.  McB.  Thaxter,  M.D.,  Lewis  C. 
Whiton,  Joseph  Whiton,  Joseph  Winsor,  Thomas  Leavitt,  and  Albert 
J.  Wright,  trustees.  Henry  vSouther  served  as  president  from  1863  to 
1800;  Frederick  McKerson,  1869  to  1877;  George  E.  Alden,  1877  to 
1881;  Thomas  Hills,  1884  to  present  time.  The  treasurers  have  been: 
D.  McB.  Thaxter,  from  1863  to  1874;  George  W.  Ellis,  1874  to  1884; 
and  Edward  H.  Barton,  1884  to  present  time.  Benjamin  Dean,  who 
has  served  as  vice-president  since  1870,  was  at  the  time  of  the  incorpo- 
ration of  this  bank  a  member  of  the  city  government  and  of  the  lower 
house  of  the  Legislature,  and  since  that  date  has  been  a  member  of  the 
State  Senate  and  of  Congress.  Mr.  Drake  served  for  many  years  on 
the  School  Committee.  The  Drake  School-house  was  named  for  him. 
Messrs.  Emery,  Jackson,  Leeds,  Spinney,  and  Whiton  have  served  as 
aldermen  of  Boston,  and  Messrs.  Southard  and  Leavitt  as  representa- 
tives in  the  Legislature.  Mr.  Nickerson  was  one  of  the  early  directors 
of  the  Lhiion  Pacific  Railroad,  and  has  been  upon  boards  of  manage- 
ment of  vSouth  Boston  banks.  Mr.  Alden  served  as  president  during 
the  panic  era,  and  by  his  careful  and  wise  management  safely  carried 
the  bank  through  this  rough  financial  period.  Mr.  Hills  was  a  member 
of  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives  in  1860,  1861  and  1805, 
and  was  elected  an  assessor  of  Boston  in  April,  18G5,  and  since  1807  has 
been  chairman  of  the  board. 

54 


426  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  South  Boston  Savings  Bank  is  located  in  the  midst  of  a  popula- 
tion of  wage  earners,  and  has  been  of  great  service  to  the  community. 
At  the  annual  meeting  in  Januar}',  ISO'i,  the  deposits  amounted  to 
$2,500,01!),  and  assets  $2,695,490.  It  had  at  this  time  18,992  open  ac- 
counts. During  the  preceding  years  it  had  18,879  deposits,  amounting 
to  $759,141,  and  payments  were  made  to  11,471  depositors,  amounting 
to  $661,392.  vSemi-annual  dividends  of  two  per  cent,  have  been  reg- 
ularly declared  for  many  years  past. 

The  assets  of  this  bank,  October  31,  18'.»2,  were  $2,943,868.12,  amount 
of  deposits  $2,756,866.83,  total  number  of  accounts  14,842,  amount  of 
deposits  for  year  ending  at  date  named  $832,940.22,  number  of  deposits 
for  same  period  20,669.  Payments  were  made  during  the  year  to  11,- 
952  depositors,  representing  a  sum  of  $709,557.75. 

THE  ELIOT  FIVE  CENTS  SAVINGS  BANK. 

The  Eliot  Five  Cents  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  February  4, 
1864.  It  commenced  operation  imder  the  following  officers :  President: 
W.  S.  Leland;  vice-presidents,  Ira  Allen,  Henr}^  Bartlett,  Rev.  John 
O.  Means,  Theodore  Otis,  Rev.  George  Putnam,  and  Joseph  vS.  Ropes; 
.secretary,  George  H.  Monroe;  treasurer,  Charles  R.  Washburn;  trus- 
tees, James  E.  Adams,  Calvin  Allen,  Thomas  Bagnall,  Joseph  N. 
Brewer,  Gottlieb  F.  Burkhardt,  John  Backup,  Nelson  Curtis,  George 
Curtis,  Joseph  W.  Dudley,  Henry  Guild,  Ivory  Harmon,  Charles  Hick- 
ling,  Alonzo  Josselyn,  John  B.  Kettell,  Alvah  Kittredge,  George  Lewis, 
John  F.  Newton,  William  Newsomc,  James  Ritchie,  vShubaeUT.  Rogers, 
William  Seaver,  Charles  Stearns,  Joseph  W.  Tucker,  and  Charles  Whit- 
tier. 

William  S.  Leland  was  president  until  his  death  in  ISC.l).  He  was 
succeeded  by  Henry  Bartlett,  who  died  in  1872,  and  was  followed  by 
William  C.  Appleton,  who  continued  to  hold  the  position  until  his  resig- 
nation, x\pril  i;},  188(5.  John  Carr,  the  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank,  was  chosen  Mr.  Appleton 's  successor,  and  has  since  served  in 
this  capacity.  He  is  also  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Bos- 
ton. 

Charles  R.  Washburn,  the  first  treasurer  of  this  institution,  served 
until  his  resignation,  July  6,  1868.  He  was  succeeded  by  George  C. 
Leach,  who  held  the  position  until  his  death  on  July  30,  1889,  after 
which  the  present  treasurer,  Frank  E.  Granger,  was  chosen.  Mr. 
Granger  has  been  in  the  service  of  the  bank  for  twenty-one  years. 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  437 

George  H.  Monroe,  the  first  secretary,  resigned  April  13,  1800,  and 
was  succeeded  by  John  F.  Newton,  who  has  continued  to  serve  in  this 
capacity  up  to  the  present  time. 

The  other  officers  of  the  bank,  serving  at  the  present  time,  are: 
Vice-presidents,  Ivory  Harmon,  and  Charles  Whittier;  trustees:  John 
Backiip,  Judson  Baldwin,  L.  W.  Morse,  Gorham  Rogers,  F.  O  White, 
George  S.  Curtis,  Isaac  Y.  Chubback,  Ivory  Harmon,  John  Carr,  wS.  B. 
Hopkins,  Charles  Whittier,  William  O.  Curtis,  Joseph  Houghton,  Tim- 
othy Smith,  William  wS.  Leland,  Francis  A.  White,  Edward  G.  Morse, 
Henry  ^I.  Harmon,  G.  C.  George,  John  F.  Newton,  Frederick  Guild, 
and  Walter  R.  Means. 

The  following  report,  made  October  31,  18'.)2,  shows  the  present  con- 
dition of  this  bank: 

ASSETS. 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule §    276,000.00 

Loans  on  public  funds 23,000.00 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 57,200.00 

Loans, on  bank  stock 1,500.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 334,500.00 

Loans  on  railroad  bonds 27,000.00 

Loans  on  real  estate 1,326,511,45 

Loans  on  personal  security 930,000.00 

Loans  to  counties,  cities  or  towns  (notes) 30,000.00 

Deposit  in  bank,  on  interest 99,985.64 

Deposit  in  bank,  not  on  interest 5,000.00 

Expense  account 572. 59 

Short  on  surplus  account 183. 79 

Cash  on  hand 7,220.63 

Total §3,118,674.10 

LIABILITIES. 

Deposits 83,009,546.09 

Guaranty  fund ---        75,596.16 

Interest  account 1,057.20 

Profit  and  loss  account 27, 174. 74 

Tax  account . 4,000.00 

Suspense  account 1,299.91 

Total 83,118,674.10 

The  number  of  open  accounts  at  date  of  the  above  report  was  9, 042, 
the  deposits  for  the  year  ending  at  time  named  were  $803,583.43. 


428  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

BOSTON  PENNY  SAVINGS  BANK. 

The  Boston  Penny  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  April  6,  1864. 
The  incorporators  named  in  the  act  were  Amos  B.  Merrill,  Edward  A. 
Raymond,  Pliny  Nickerson,  Alden  Speare,  Moses  Kimball,  Albert  J. 
Wright,  R.  K.  Potter,  Zibeon  Southard,  John  P.  Robinson,  George  H. 
Davis,  Job  A.  Turner,  Joseph  F.  Paul,  Jesse  Holbrook,  A.  A.  Ranney, 
C.  A.  Richards,  Judah  Sears,  Hiram  Emery,  Benjamin  Smith,  Charles 
G.  Greene,  Francis  J.  Parker,  William  Brigham,  Stephen  Smith,  Will- 
iam Fox  Richardson,  George  Eaton  and  Joseph  T.  Bailey.  The  officers 
of  the  bank  for  1892  are  as  follows:  George  W.  Pope,  president;  Pliny 
Nickerson.  Nathan  Crowell,  J.  A.  Paige,  John  vSweetser,  Asa  H.  Caton, 
W.  A.  Rust,  J.  Q.  A.  Brackett,  Frederick  Allen,  Richard  Leeds,  J.  H. 
Hathorne,  John  J.  McNutt  and  Dexter  N.  Richards,  vice-presidents; 
Henry  R.  Reynolds,  treasurer  and  clerk  of  the  corporation.  The 
trustees  are  John  Goldthwait,  Frank  B.  Thayer,  J.  A.  Pray,  T.  N. 
Hart,  J.  D.  Morton,  E.  P.  Wilbur,  Charles  L.  Damrcll,  B.  F.  Rollins, 
H.  S.  Potter,  Henry  R.  Beal,  George  Nowell,  Francis  H.  Williams,  F. 
K.  Piper,  Silas  W.  Loomis,  A.  H.  Higgins,  James  D.  McLellan,  Charles 
H.  Crump,  Franklin  Crosby,  M.  Everett  Ware,  J.  L.  Whiting,  Charles 
C.  Harvey,  Joseph  H.  Goodspeed,  George  B.  Woodward  and  James  L. 
Pope. 

The  condition  of  the  bank  is  shown  b}-  the   following  report  made 
October  ;51,   18!)2: 

AS.SETS. 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule %  82,580.50 

Loans  on  bank  stock 5, 500. 00 

Real  estate  (for  banking  purposes) 115,000.00 

Loans  on  real  estate 800,070.55 

Loans  on  personal  securitj^ 471,000.00 

Deposit  in  bank,  on  interest. 08,080.82 

Expense  account 4(5;}.  75 

Cash  on  hand 13,349.96 

Total $1 ,562,001.58 

U.A.BnjTIES. 

Deposits $1,508,616.57 

Guaranty  fund 41,141.56 

Interest  account 12,243.45 

Total $1 .562,001.58 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  429 

UNIOX   INSTITUTION   FOR   SAVINGS. 

A  charter  for  the  Union  Institution  for  Savings  was  granted  to  Moses 
B.  Williams,  Patrick  Donahoe,  John  C.  Crowley  and  their  associates 
February  8,  1805.  The  bank  commenced  business  on  May  1,  1865,  at 
No.  328  Washington  street,  and  in  August,  1870,  removed  to  the  stone 
structure  erected  for  its  use  on  the  corner  of  Chauncey  and  Bedford 
streets.  Later  on  it  removed  to  corner  of  Washington  street  and  Hay- 
ward  Place,  remaining  in  this  location  until  a  few  months  ago,  when  it 
removed  to  its  present  location,  comer  of  Tremont  and  La  Grange 
streets.  This  savings  institution  was  largely  the  outgrowth  of  the 
Catholic  element  in  Boston,  being  strongly  advocated  by  Right  Rev. 
John  B.  Fitzpatrick,  Very  Rev.  J.  J.  Williams,  the  present  archbishop 
of  Boston,  and  Rev.  John  AIcElroy.  At  the  time  of  its  inception  it  was 
difficult  to  obtain  loans  on  Catholic  church  property  from  the  savings 
banks  of  the  city,  whose  depositors  were  to  a  large  extent  Irish 
Roinan  Catholics.  This  institution  broke  down  the  existing  prejudice 
against  such  loans,  and  at  the  present  time  they  are  eagerly  taken  and 
considered  among  the  safest  investments.  The  Union  Savings  Bank 
has  been  managed  with  care  and  ability,  and  during  the  great  run  on 
savings  banks  which  occurred  some  years  ago  it  proved  to  be  one  of  the 
strongest  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  State.  The  original  vice-presi- 
dents of  the  bank  were  Patrick  Donahoe,  Wm.  H.  Thorndike,  Rev. 
James  Fittore,  Daniel  vS.  Lamdon,  Michael  Doherty,  Joshua  D.  Ball, 
William  I.  Bowditch,  Rev.  George  F.  Harkins,  John  Conlon  and  R. 
Geo.  A.  Hamilton;  trustees,  R.  R.  S.  Andros,  J.  G.  Blake,  T.  Camp- 
bell, Hugh  Carey,  James  Collins,  M.  H.  Gleason,  Ambrose  Kohler, 
Joseph  A.  Lafrome,  Francis  McLaughlin,  Theo.  Metcalf,  William 
Murray,  Hugh  O'Brien,  William  S.  Pelletier,  John  H.  Fallon,  Samuel 
Tuckerman,  Thomas  J.  Lee,  Moses  B.  Williams  and  Robert  H.  Waters. 
John  C.  Crowley,  the  first  president  of  the  bank,  continued  in  that 
office  until  1880,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Hon.  Hugh  O'Brien,  who 
has  since  served  in  this  capacity.  ]\Ir.  Hugh  O'Brien  was  mayor  of 
Boston  for  four  years,  and  is  now  chairman  of  the  Board  of  ^Survey  of 
the  city.  George  C.  Emery  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1880  had  been 
connected  with  the  bank  as  treasurer  from  its  organization.  He  was 
succeeded  by  William  S.  Pelletier,  one  of  the  original  organizers  of  the 
bank,  who  still  holds  the  position.  Joseph  D.  Fallon  has  been  vice- 
president  since  since  18TT.  The  present  trustees  are  John  G.  Blake, 
Henry  Canning,  Michael  M.  Cunniff,  John  Curtin,  James  G.  Davis,  C. 


430  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

F.  Driscoll,  William  A.  Dunn,  Joseph  D.  Fallon,  John  E.  Fitzj^erald, 
M.  F.  Gavin,  C.  P.  Harkins,  Thomas  B.  Fitz,  Edmund  Readon,  P.  H. 
Kendricken,  John  ]\I.  Maguire,  John  J.  Mundo,  Owen  Nawn,  Hugh 
O'Brien,  William  S.  Pclletier,  W.  J.  Porter,  P.  F.  vSullivan,  Joseph 
Walker,  Michael  J.  Ward  and  N.  M.  Williams. 

The  condition  of  this  bank  for  the  year  closing-  October  31,  1892,  was 
as  follows : 

ASSK'IS. 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule %    3ir),()()().00 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedule 188,549.50 

Loans  on  bank  stock 43,000.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 228,800.00 

Loan  on  railroad  bonds 50,000.00 

Real  estate  (for  banking  purposes)  _ 175,000.00 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure 42,888.48 

Loans  on  real  estate 2,101,110.00 

Loans  on  personal  security 1 ,292,000.00 

Loans  on  depositors'  books 250. 00 

Deposits  in  banks,  on  interest 190,666.61 

Cashon.hand 12,510.29 

Total -. §54,629,224.83 

I.IAUII.niES. 

Deposits $4,330,759.85 

Guaranty  fund -  -      138,600. 00 

Interest  account 85,799.24 

Profit  and  loss  account 78,537.35 

Suspense  accoi:nt 112.00 

Mortgage  and  interest  suspense 416.39 

Total $4,629,224.88 

The  total  number  of  open  accounts  at  the  date  of  the  foregoing  report 
was  10,0(i3.  The  amount  of  deposits  for  the  year  was  $1,060,292.21, 
and  during  the  same  period  $041,342.29  was  paid  out  to  depositors. 

HOME    SAVINGS    BANK. 

The  Home  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  March  17,  18G9,  and 
opened  for  business  February  1,  18T0,  with  Henry  Smith  as  president 
and  E.  O.  Rockwood  as  treasurer.  The  present  president  of  the  bank, 
Charles  H.  Allen,  has  filled  that  position  since  1880,  and  is  also  presi- 
dent of  the  Central  National  Bank,  a  trustee  of  the  Boston  Sinking 
Fund,  and  prominent  as  a  financier  and  executor  of  important  trusts. 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  431 

W.  E.  Hooper,  treasurer,  was  chosen  in  1882.  He  has  been  connected 
with  the  bank  since  August,  1870.  The  trustees  of  the  bank,  repre- 
senting some  of  the  most  prominent  financiers  and  capitalists  of  Boston, 
are  as  follows:  Charles  V.  Whitten,  Louis  Weissbein,  Thomas  F. 
Temple,  "William  P.  Hunt,  Joel  Goldthwait,  Charles  W.  Bradstreet, 
Henry  D.  Hyde,  Alonzo  S.  Weed,  Albert  T.  Whiting,  Charles  M. 
Clapp,  Henry  Baldwin,  Newton  Talbot,  Weston  Lewis,  William  H. 
Thomes,  Charles  J.  Hayden,  David  W.  Farquhar,  George  L.  Damon, 
Freeman  M.  Josselyn,  James  H.  Freeland,  Henry  Frost,  George  K. 
Guild,  James  G.  Haynes,  A.  L.  Fessenden,  Rufus  G.  F.  Candage, 
Henry  C.  Morse,  Ira  G.  Hersey,  Edward  P.  Mason,  Homer  Rogers, 
Stephen  W.  Reynolds,  Edwin  Robinson,  George  A.  Fernald,  William 
G.  Benedict,  Charles  B.  Perkins,  Frederick  A.  Turner,  Henry  C.  Jack- 
son, Levi  L.  Willcutt;  investing  committee,  Charles  H.  Allen,  Newton 
Talbot,  John  W.  Leighton,  Thomas  F.  Temple,  Albert  T.  Whiting, 
Henry  C.  Jackson. 

In  October,  1891,  this  bank  had  open  accounts  with  10,000  depositors, 
and  the  amount  standing  to  their  credit  was  $4,097,248.48,  or  an  aver- 
age amount  of  $224.07  to  each  depositor,  while  its  guarantee  fund  and 
imdivided  earnings  amounted  to  $205,"013.98,  with  total  assets  of 
$4,376,438.08. 

The  condition  of  this  bank  on  October  31,  1892,  is  shown  by  the  fol- 
lowing report : 

ASSETS. 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule $    147,500.00 

Loan  on  public  funds 4,000.00 

Bank  stock  as  per  schedvile .  398,500.00 

Loans  on  bank  stock 26. 100.00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 192,300.00 

Loans  on  railroad  bonds 35,000.00 

Loans  on  railroad  stocks 106,800.00 

Railroad  notes 75,000.00 

Real  estate  b}^  foreclosure 10,025.00 

Loans  on  real  estate 2,048,270.00 

Loans  on  personal  security 1,617,657.53 

Deposits  in  banks,  on  interest 165,670.60 

Expense  account 1,238.76 

Premium  accoiint 451.50 

Tax  title  account 142. 85 

Suspense  account 27. 73 

Cash  on  hand 2,289.17 

Total 84,830,973.14 


432  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

LIABILITIES. 

Deposits $4,564,252.56 

Guaranty  fund . 194,000.00 

Interest  account 29,467.96 

Profit  and  loss  account 48,223.84 

Real  estate  income  account 28.78 

Total $4,830,978.14     , 

The  number  of  open  accoLints  at  date  of  foregoing  report  was  19,o8(). 
The  amount  deposited  during  the  year  was  $1,410,853.93,  and  during 
the  same  period  $1,128,110.31  was  withdrawn  by  14,124  depositors. 

NORTH  END  SAVINGS  BANK. 

This  institution  was  chartered  February  17,  1870,  and  c(nnmenced 
operations  with  the  following  officers:  President,  Robert  Marsh ;  vice- 
presidents,  Alonzo  M.  Giles,  Mathew  Kearney,  Thomas  Mair,  and  Clin- 
ton Viles;  clerk,  George  S.  Derby;  treasurer,  George  C.  Trumbull; 
trustees,  Henry  C.  Brooks,  William  C.  Burgess,  Michael  Carney,  Har- 
vey Carpenter,  E.  H.  Dunn,  Dennis  F.  Flagg,  H.  W.  Fuller,  Henry  R. 
Glover,  Adrin  B.  Hull,  Nathaniel  Hamilton,  Peter  Harvey,  James 
Healey,  William  A.  Holmes,  Thomas  L.  Jenks,  Samuel  P.  Langmaid, 
E.  Rollins  Morse,  George  W.  Parmenter,  Lewis  Rice,  C.  J.  F.  Sher- 
man, N.  B.  Shurtleff,  Jesse  Tirrell,  Charles  A.  Vialle,  Charles  E.  Wig- 
gins, and  William  C.  Williamson. 

The  bank  was  first  located  at  80  Union  street,  where  it  remained  un- 
til March,  1874,  when  it  was  removed  to  89  Court  street,  and  two  years 
later  to  its  present  quarters  57  Court  street. 

There  have  been  but  three  presidents  of  the  bank  :  Robert  Marsh,  Na- 
thaniel J.  Rust,  and  Thomas  L.  Jcnks,  the  latter  having  been  connected 
with  the  bank  ever  since  its  organization.  The  present  officers  of  the 
bank  are  as  follows:  President,  Thomas  L.  Jenks;  vice-presidents, 
Clinton  Viles,  Lucius  Slade,  Increase  E.  Noyes,  and  James  Wentworth 
Brown;  treasurer,  Herbert  C.  Wells;  clerk,  William  C.  Williamson; 
trustees:  Charles  G.  Burgess,  John  Henry  Coffin,  John  H.  Colby,  Will- 
iam A.  Holmes,  Andrew  J.  Lovell,  L  E.  Morrison,  L.  Foster  Morse, 
Henry  Pfaff,  Francis  Raynes,  Henry  B.  Rice,  Lsaac  B.  Rich,  Joseph  R. 
Richards,  Wallace  F.  Robinson,  William  Robinson,  Nathaniel  J.  Rust, 
William  G.  Shillaber,  Addison  Smith,  Adoniram  J.  Taylor,  James  M. 
Upton,  Frederic  L.  Walker,  J.  Otis  Wetherbee,  Charles  E.  Wiggin. 


SAVINGS  BANKS.  433 

Rare  good  judgment  has  marked  the  management  of  this  institution, 
and  its  condition,  as  shown  b}"  the  following  report,  made  October  31, 
1892,  reflects  great  credit  upon  those  entrusted  with  its  control. 

ASSETS. 

Public  funds  as  per  schedule _   .S  74,900.00 

Bank  stock  as  per  .schedule .- 140,057.00 

Loans  on  bank  stock 20,800  00 

Railroad  bonds  as  per  schedule 151,906.25 

Real  estate  by  foreclosure 8,161.27 

Loans  on  real  estate 721,418.00 

Loans  on  personal  security 264, 100. 00 

Loans  to  counties,  cities  or  towns  (notes) 20,890.00 

Loans  on  depositors'  books 157.00 

Deposits  in  bank,  on  interest 43, 000. 00 

Expense  account 2,149.28 

Suspense  account 848. 89 

Cash  on  hand 4,019. 61 

Total : $1,446,907.25 

LIABILITIES. 

Deposits §1 ,385,014. 00 

Guaranty  fund 38,350.00 

Interest  account 28,543.25 

Total 81,446.907.25 

The  total  number  of  open  accounts  at  the  time  of  the  foregoing  re- 
port was  4,320;  amount  of  deposits  for  the  year  $564,425.83,  represent- 
ing 6,191  depositors. 

WILDEY  SAVINGS  BANK. 

The  Wildey  Savings  Bank  is  a  comparatively  new  institution,  having 
been  incorporated  March  18,  1892,  and  was  the  first  savings  bank  to  be 
inaugurated  in  Boston  for  twenty-one  years.  The  officers  are:  John  J. 
Whipple,  president;  George  F.  Taft,  treasurer;  and  J.  Lawrence  Mar- 
tin, clerk.  The  first  report  of  its  condition,  made  October  31,  1892, 
seven  months  after  date  of  incorporation,  shows  the  following  facts : 

ASSETS. 

Loans  on  real  estate §40,100.00 

Loans  on  personal  security 6,800. 00 

Deposit  in  bank,  on  interest 2,914.90 

Expense   accoiint 5,644.83 

Furniture  and  fixtures 1,151.48 

Cash  on  hand 2,589.80 

Total S59, 150. 96 

55 


434 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


LIAlilLITIES. 

Deposits §55,610. 61 

Interest  account 795. 78 

Due  on  mortgage  loan 3, 744. 57 


Total $59, 1 50. 96 

Mr.  Whipple,  the  president  of  the  bank,  is  a  resident  of  Brockton, 
Mass.,  and  is  of  extended  banking-  experience,  having  been  for  ten 
years,  previous  to  the  organization  of  this  bank,  president  of  the  Brock- 
ton Savings  Bank,  of  which  he  is  still  a  trustee.  Of  the  vice-presidents 
Henry  Denver,  of  Springfield,  is  superintendent  of  the  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Company  there;  Alfred  S.  Pinkerton,  of  Worcester,  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  bar,  and  is  president  of  the  Massachusetts 
vSenate;  Edwin  L.  Pilsbury,  of  the  Charlestown  District,  is  commis- 
sioner of  public  works  of  Boston ;  George  F.  Taft  is  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Allston  Co-operative  Bank,  and  is  treasurer  of  this  bank. 
Besides  the  president  and  vice-presidents  the  board  of  trustees  includes 
Jay  B.  Crawford,  Henry  A.  Thomas,  Asa  T.  Newhall,  Hon.  John  M. 
Raymond,  Charles  Q.  Tirrell,  Francis  E.  Merriman,  Charles  A.  Mayo, 
Charles  N.  Alexander,  Alexander  B.  Bruce,  George  H.  Howard,  Har- 
vey H.  Pratt,  Dr.  Herbert  A.  Chase,  J.  Lawrence  Martin,  William  F. 
Cook,  Julius  L.  Clarke,  and  William  E.  Ford. 

The  annexed  table  will  show  the  amount  of  deposits  for  each  savings 
bank  in  Boston,  the  number  of  open  accounts,  amount  of  deposits,  and 
number  of  deposits  for  the  year  ending  October  31,  1892: 


Total  Am't 
of  deposits. 


Boston  Five  Cents  Savings  Bank... $  19,520,989.74 

Boston  Penny  Savings  Bank .,  1,508,616  57 

Brighton  Five  Cents  Savings  Bank.. 433.325-71 

Charlestown  Five  Cents  Savings  Bank '  4,779,546.09 

East  Boston  Savings  Bank 2,415,246  98 

Eliot  Five  Cents  Savings  Bank 3,009,546.09 

Franklin  .Savings  Bank 7,861,089.61 

Home  Savings  Bank 4,564-252.56 

Institution  for  Savings  in  Roxbury... 5,528,889.20 

North  End  Savings  Bank 1,385,014.00 

Provident  Institution  for  Savings... 1  31,071, o34-'5 

South  Boston  Savings  Bank 2,756,8--6.83 

Suffolk  Savings  Bank '  26,517,023.38 

Union  Institution  for  Savings ;  4,330,759.85 

Warren  Institution  for  Savings ,  7,313,844.49 

Wildey  Savings  Bank 1  55,610.61 


00^0 

;  oj  ™  o 


•^  a;  rt ' 


^  u  !«„• 
o  o  c  o, 

lu  S  a  " 

S  o  ,    V 


Total $125,051,655.86    418,780  $29,123,383.33 


130,548! 
7.39s, 
2,172 
14,726 
9,424 
9,942 

i6,i«3 
19,386: 
14.317 
4.320 
87,808; 
14,842' 
59,703 
10,063 
17,660 
291 


5,809.882.86 
433,604.21 

157,815.08 

819.575-76 

726,078.00 

803,583.43 

1,855,345-53 

1,419,853-93 

1,306,829.00 

564,425.^3 

6,598,512.39 

832.940.22 

5,556,253  0° 

1 ,060,292.21 

1,112,909.00 

65,482.88 


116,653 
10,708 
3,737 
12,788 
15.162 

11.319 
14,900 
19,014 
17,629 

6,191 
87.839 
20,669 
55,637 

9.590 

12,242 

464 


414.542 


SAVINGS  BANKS:  435 

The  aniotmt  of  deposits,  as  shown  in  the  above  table,  exceeds  the  de- 
posits for  the  preceding  year  by  over  $7,500,000,  while,  if  the  present 
amount  of  deposits  Avere  divided  among  the  people  of  Suffolk  county 
on  the  basis  of  the  census  report  of  1890,  it  would  give  to  each  and 
every  person  nearly  $260,  a  showing,  probably,  not  exceeded  by  any 
equal  population  in  any  part  of  the  United  States.  The  average  amount 
diie  depositors  is  nearh"  $300. 


TRUST  COMPANIES. 


Next  to  the  national  banks  in  the  money  market  of  Boston  stand  the 
trust  companies,  which  are  under  the  control  and  supervision  of  the 
commissioners  of  savings  banks.  This  is  a  branch  of  banking"  and  in- 
vestment which  has  developed  during  recent  years  very  rapidly  in  Bos- 
ton, and  which  has  proven  a  great  benefit  to  both  the  community  and 
the  stockholders.  The  capitalization  of  most  of  them  is  large,  and  the 
deposits  with  which  they  have  been  entrusted  form  an  imp(H-tant 
element  in  Boston's  financial  operations. 

Following  will  be  found  brief  accounts  of  each  of  these  companies, 
and  statement  of  their  financial  conditicni : 

The  Massachusetts  Hospital  Life  Insurance  Companv  was  incorpor- 
ated February  24,  1818,  and  has  a  capital  of  $500,000.  William  Minot 
is  president,  and  Abbott  Lawrence  actuary.  The  assets  of  this  com- 
pany, November  1,  1802,  were  $22,487,057.25;  deposits  $li),!)(i2, 070. 08, 
undivided  earnings  $1,137,740.41,  and  surplus  fund  $(;(),  50!).  58. 

The  Boston  Safe  Deposit  and  Trust  Company  was  incorporated  April 
13,  18(;7,  and  has  a  capital  of  $1,000,000.  The  officers  are:  Frederick 
M.  Stone,  president;  Frank  C.  Mills,  treasurer;  E.  P.  Bond,  secretary; 
Frederick  W.  Lincoln,  vSolomon  Lincoln,  James  Longley,  George  C. 
Lord,  Daniel  Needham,  Otis  Norcross,  John  Felt  Osgood,  AVilliam  E. 
Putnam,  M.  Denman  Ross,  Nathaniel  J.  Rust,  Thomas  J,  Whidden, 
Henry  S.  Shaw,  Benjamin  F.  Stevens,  Frederick  M.  vStone,  Gerard  C. 
Tobey,  and  Frank  G.  Webster,  directors.  The  assets  of  this  company, 
November  14,  1802,  were  $8,701,646.00;  deposits  $6,035,571.34;  surplus 
$800,000;  tmdivided  profits  $134,532.82. 

The  New  England  Trust  Company  was  chartered  in  April,  1860, 
and  commenced  business  in  February,  1871,  with  a  capital  of  $500, 000. 
Its  statement,  made  to  the  commissioners  of  savings  banks  in  Massa- 
chusetts, October  31,  1802,  shows  that  the  capital  stock  of  the  company 
paid  up  amounted  to  $1,000,000,  its  guarantee  fund  to  $1,000,000,  its 
undivided  profits  to   $343,611.55,    while   it  held  deposits  aggregating 


TRUST  COMPANIES.  437 

$13,867,834.50,  and  had  total  resources  in  its  banking  department  of 
$16,215,507.  In  its  trust  department  the  company  held  general  and 
special  funds  amounting  to  }|1,725,127.45,  and  had  total  assets  of 
$1,761,555.98.  A  trust  banking  business  is  transacted,  and  deposits 
may  be  made  at  an}^  time  and  interest  is  allowed  on  daily  balances  of 
$5()()  and  upwards.  The  company  is  authorized  to  receive  and  hold 
money  or  property  in  trust,  or  on  deposit  from  courts  of  law  or  equity, 
administrators,  assignees,  guardians,  trustees,  corporations  and  indi- 
viduals. It  also  acts  as  transfer  agent  for  railroads  and  other  stock 
corporations,  and  as  agent  for  the  purpose  of  issuing,  registering  or 
countersigning  bonds  and  certificates  of  stock.  William  Endicott,  jr., 
president  of  the  company  since  January,  1880,  is  of  the  dry  goods 
house  of  C.  F.  Hovey  &  Company,  president  of  the  vSuffolk  Savings 
Bank  for  Seamen  and  Others,  and  a  director  of  the  Tremont  National 
Bank  and  of  the  Massachusetts  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company.  Mr. 
David  R.  Whitney,  the  actuary,  is  also  vice-president  of  the  Provident 
Institution  for  Savings,  formerly  the  president,  and  now  a  director  of 
the  Suffolk  National,  and  of  the  Massachusetts  Hospital  Life  Insurance 
Company,  and  a  trustee  of  Mount  Auburn  Cemetery.  N.  H.  Hench- 
man, secretary  of  the  company,  has  held  that  position  from  its  organi- 
zation. C.  W.  Merrill  is  assistant  secretary.  The  vice-presidents  are 
Charles  H.  Dalton,  Charles  F.  Choate,  and  J.  Lewis  Stackpole.  Besides 
the  president  and  vice-presidents,  the  board  of  directors  includes  Amos 
W.  Stetson,  Charles  U.  Cotting,  James  J.  Storrow,  Jacob  Edwards, 
Edmund  Dwight,  John  F.  Anderson,  Alexander  Cochrane,  Nathaniel 
Thayer,  Frederick  L.  Ames,  T.  Jefferson  Coolidge,  Franklin  Haven, 
jr.,  Robert  Codman,  Henry  C.  Weston,  George  Dexter,  and  Roger 
Wolcott. 

The  Massachusetts  Loan  and  Trust  Company  was  organized  in  1870 
with  a  capital  of  $500,000,  since  increased  to  $1,000,000.  The  com- 
pany receives  money  on  deposit  subject  to  check  and  allows  interest  on 
daily  balances ;  makes  special  rates  of  interest  on  money  payable  at  a 
fixed  time ;  makes  advances  on  staple  merchandise,  foreign  or  domestic, 
on  bills  of  lading  or  warehouse  receipts,  and  under  its  charter  is 
authorized  to  receive  and  hold,  collect  and  di-sperse  money,  securities 
or  property  in  trust,  or  otherwise,  from  individuals,  executors  and 
administrators,  guardians,  trustees,  or  by  order  of  court,  or  to  act  as 
trustee  and  financial  agent  for  any  person,  societies,  corporations  or 
municipal  authority;  and  the  company  also  acts  as  trustee  under  mort- 


438  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

gages  for  railroads  and  other  corporations,  and  as  agent  for  the  pay- 
ment of  bonds,  coupons,  dividends,  etc. ,  and  as  transfer  agent  for  the 
stocks  and  bonds  of  incorporated  companies,  makes  collections  of  rents, 
coupons  and  dividends  for  depositors,  and  takes  custody  of  real  and 
personal  securities.  Its  statement,  dated  February  1,  1893,  showed  in 
addition  to  its  capital  stock  of  $1,000,000,  a  surplus  fund  of  $300,000, 
and  undivided  earnings  of  $57,170.52,  while  it  held  deposits  of  $2,063,- 
454.20,  and  had  total  resources  of  $3,442,036.98.  The  president, 
Stephen  M.  Crosby,  is  one  of  the  well  known  financiers  of  Boston,  and 
gives  to  the  affairs  of  the  company  an  administration  which  has  been 
a  leading  factor  in  promoting  its  growth.  Mr.  Frank  W.  Reynolds, 
the  treasurer,  has  also  aided  largely  in  the  prosperity  of  the  company. 
In  addition  to  these  gentlemen  the  board  of  directors  includes  Samuel 
Atherton  president  of  the  New  England  National  Bank  of  Boston ; 
Cyrus  G.  Beebe,  vSamuel  Carr,  Isaac  Fenno,  Eugene  N.  Foss,  and  Joseph 
H.  Gray,  vice-president  of  the  Bank  of  North  America;  Henry  D. 
Hyde,  Jerome  Jones,  Moses  Kimball,  Benjamin  F.  Spinney,  treasurer 
of  the  Thomson-Houston  Electric  Company;  Richard  H.  Stearns, 
and  Edward  Whitney.  The  company  is  an  approved  depository  of  the 
Commonwealth  and  a  legal  depository  for  savings  banks. 

The  International  Trust  Company  was  incorporated  in  1879,  under 
State  laws,  with  a  capital  of  $500,000,  which  was  increased  in  1892  to 
$1,000,000,  fully  paid  up.  It  conducts  a  general  banking  and  trust 
company  business,  allowing  interest  on  deposits  subject  to  check,  and 
special  rate  when  pa3'able  at  specified  dates,  its  checks  being  received 
through  the  Boston  Clearing-house.  It  also  discounts  commercial 
paper,  makes  loans  on  approved  security  or  collateral,  and  collections 
upon  points  in  the  United  States,  Canada,  and  Europe,  draws  sterling 
bills  of  exchange  on  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank,  limited,  of 
London,  England,  which  inay  be  cashed  anywhere ;  makes  cable  trans- 
fers, acts  as  fiscal  agent  for  States,  municipalities,  railroads  and  corpo- 
rations for  the  payment  of  bonds,  coupons,  dividends,  etc.,  and  is  a  legal 
depository  for  States,  municipalities,  banks,  corporations,  firms  and  in- 
dividuals, administrators,  executors,  trustees,  guardians,  and  courts  of 
law  and  equity.  The  company  also  acts  as  trustee -under  mortgages 
or  deeds  of  trust  from  railroads  and  other  corporations,  registrar'  and 
transfer  agent  of  the  stock  and  bonds  of  incorporated  companies,  etc., 
and  in  connection  with  the  business  there  is  a  trust  department,  which 
is  kept  separate  and  distinct  froin  the  general  business,  for  the  accept- 


^y:L/.i/?7Z  -  yM.^a/:i'Uuir 


TRUST  COMPANIES.  439 

ance  of  trust  inider  any  will  or  instrument  creating  a  trust,  trust  de- 
posits, and  the  care  and  management  of  property  in  this  vState.  Its 
statement  made  to  the  commissioners  of  savings  banks  in  Massachusetts, 
October  31,  1892,  showed,  in  addition  to  its  capital  of  $1,000,000,  a  sur- 
plus fund  and  undivided  profits  amounting  to  $94:2,971.17,  deposits  $5,- 
970,599.(30,  and  total  assets  of  $7,913,570.77  in  its  banking  department. 
In  its  trust  department  it  held  trust  deposits  of  $1,041,522.95,  and  had 
total  assets  $1,052,151.29.  The  handsome  eight-story  banking  building 
lately  erected  by  the  company  at  45  Milk  street,  is  one  of  the  finest 
architectural  additions  to  the  office  buildings  of  Boston,  The  president 
it  John  M.  Graham,  and  Mr.  Henry  L.  Jewett  secretary,  both  of  whom 
have  been  important  factors  in  promoting  the  success  and  increasing 
the  business  of  the  bank.  The  board  of  directors,  in  addition  to  Presi- 
dent Graham,  includes  Hon.  William  Claflin,  who  is  also  vice-president ; 
Robert  M.  Morse,  John  Hogg,  Lyman  Nichols,  A.  N.  Burbank,  John 
C.  Paige,  ex-Congressman  William  W.  Crapo,  John  P.  Spaulding,  Jo.seph 
S.  Kendall,  Hon.  Patrick  A.  Collins,  Thomas  F.  Temple,  C.  J.  H. 
Woodbury  and  Aaron  Davis  Weld. 

The  Bay  vState  Trust  Company  was  incorporated  in  November,  1887. 
It  transacts  a  general  banking  bu.siness,  and  also  acts  as  agent  and  trus- 
tee in  connection  with  financial  affairs,  trustee  on  mortgages,  and  as 
trustee  and  registrar  for  railroad  companies,  etc.,  covering  all  of  the 
fimctions  usual  to  a  regular  trust  company  and  safe  deposit  organiza- 
tion. In  the  banking  department  an  active  business  is  done,  the  re- 
sources aggregating  $1,800,200.99,  while  in  addition  to  the  capital 
stock  of  $200,000  the  company  had  at  its  last  statement,  October  1, 
1892,  accumulated  a  surplus  fund  of  $25,000,  and  undivided  earnings  of 
$5,000,  while  it  held  deposits  of  $1,548,107.71.  The  business  of  the 
company  is  reposed  in  the  hands  of  gentlemen  of  the  highest  standing 
in  the  community,  Mr.  Francis  W.  Hunnewell  being  president,  and 
Mr.  Alfred  Rodman  actuary.  President  Hunnewell  is  a  director  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad,  identified  with  other  impor- 
tant railroad  and  business  interests,  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  of  the 
capitalists  in  Boston ;  and  Mr.  Alfred  Rodman,  the  actuary  of  the  com- 
pany, who  is  in  active  charge  as  executive  manager,  has  had  a  long 
financial  experience.  Besides  these  gentlemen  the  board  of  directors 
includes  Frederick  L.  Ames,  John  F.  Anderson,  T.  Jefferson  Coolidge, 
jr.,  Charles  U.  Cotting,  George  P.  Gardner,  Franklin  Haven,  jr.,  Wal- 
ter Hunnewell,  Henry  vS.  Howe,  Abbott  Lawrence,  William  Minot,  jr., 
Lucius  M.  Sargent,  Nathaniel  Thayer  and  Stephen  M.  Weld. 


440  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  American  Loan  and  Trust  Company  was  incorporated  March  12, 
1881,  and  commenced  business,  August  20  following,  with  a  paid  up 
capital  of  $100,000,  which  has  since  been  increased  to  $1,000,000.  This 
company  receives  deposits  subject  to  check,  allowing  interest  thereon, 
and  extends  to  its  patrons  all  the  facilities  for  business  that  may  be  re- 
quired of  a  banking  corporation.  It  is  a  legal  depository  for  admin- 
istrators, executors,  assignees,  trustees,  and  guardians,  and  exercises 
all  the  privileges  permitted  by  law  to  trust  companies.  The  officers 
are:  S.  Endicott  Peabody,  president;  E.  A.  Coffin,  treasurer;  N.  W. 
Jordan,  actuary;  Oliver  Ames,  Thomas  Nickerson,  George  C.  Lord, 
Albert  A.  Pope,  Royal  E.  Robbins,  F.  Gordon  Dexter,  Frederick  L. 
Ames,  Isaac  T.  Burr,  David  P.  Kimball,  and  S.  Endicott  Peabody,  di- 
rectors. From  the  report  to  the  savings  banks  commissioners,  October 
31,  1892,  the  following  figures  are  taken:  Capital  $1,000,000;  assets 
$6,150,836.13;  deposits  $4,284,378.34;  surplus  fund  $400,000;  undi- 
vided profits  $89,333.30.  E.  A.  Coffin,  the  treasurer,  and  N.  W.  Jor- 
dan, the  actuary,  have  been  with  the  company  since  1881.  Mr.  Pea- 
body is  well  known  in  financial  circles  both  in  Boston  and  New  York. 

The  Mercantile  Loan  and  Trust  Company  was  incorporated  May  29, 
1888,  and  has  a  capital  of  $250,000.  The  officers  for  1892  are  as  fol- 
lows: Hales  W.  Suter,  president;  R.  J.  Monks,  actuary;  Silas  Peirce, 
N.  J.  Ru.st,  Hales  W.  Suter,  Amos  F.  Breed,  R.  J.  Monks,  C.  C.  G. 
Thornton,  W.  A.  Wilde,  Charles  L.  James,  C.  A.  Hopkins,  George  H. 
Bond,  A.  N.  Burbank,  H.  D.  Yerxa,  A.  D.  Foster,  and  A.  F.  Luke. 
The  condition  of  the  company,  October  31,  1892,  was  as  follows:  As- 
sets $794,618.44;  deposits  $479,847.85;  undivided  earnings  $18,851.95; 
surplus  fund  $9,406.13. 

The  Old  Colony  Trust  Company  was  organized  in  1890.  The  state- 
ment of  the  company,  dated  October  31,  1 892,  made  to  the  savings  banks 
commissioners,  showed,  that  in  addition  to  the  capital  stock  of  $1,000,- 
000  and  surplus  fund  of  $500,000,  undivided  earnings  of  $180,046.37  had 
been  accumulated,  while  the  company  held  deposits  of  $6,825,427. 78, 
and  had  total  resources  of  $8,505,474.15.  A  regular  banking  business 
is  transacted  in  all  of  its  departments,  the  approved  accounts  of  corpo- 
rations, firms,  and  individuals  being  received,  and  interest  allowed  on 
all  daily  balances  subject  to  check,  loans  made  on  acceptable  security, 
and  approved  collateral  on  time  and  demand,  and  special  attention  is 
given  to  accounts  with  ladies.  In  addition  to  the  usual  banking  de- 
partments the  company  acts  as  transfer  agent,  registrar  and  trustee 


TRUST  COMPANIES.  441 

under  mortgages,  and  also  conducts  safe  deposit  vaults,  which  afford  a 
convenient  and  secure  place  for  the  care  of  money  and  valuables.  The 
president  of  the  company  is  T.  Jefferson  Coolidge,  jr.,  who,  in  addition 
to  his  position  at  the  head  of  this  company,  is  also  a  director  of  the  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Commerce,  the  Bay  State  Trust  Company,  and  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad.  C.  S.  Tuckerman,  the  vice- 
president,  is  also  a  well  known  and  prominent  financier,  and  formerly 
connected  with  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  vSanta  Fe  Railroad.  Mr. 
George  P.  Gardner,  the  other  vice-president,  is  also  a  director  of  the 
Ba}'  State  Trust  Company;  and  Mr.  E.  A.  Phippen,  the  secretary,  is  a 
gentleman  of  extended  financial  experience.  The  board  of  directors, 
in  addition  to  the  president,  includes  Frederick  L.  Ames,  John  F.  An- 
derson, John  L.  Bremer,  Martin  Brimmer,  T.  Jefferson  Coolidge, 
George  F.  Fabyan,  George  P.  Gardner,  Francis  L.  Higginson,  Henry 
vS.  Howe,  Walter  Hunnewell,  W.  Powell  Mason,  George  von  L.  Meyer, 
Laurence  Minot,  Richard  Olney,  Henry  R.  Reed,  Lucius  ^I.  Sargent, 
Nathaniel  Thayer,  John  I.  Waterbury,  Stephen  ]\L  Weld,  and  Henry 
C.  Weston. 

The  State  Street  vSafe  Deposit  and  Trust  Coinpany  was  chartered 
April  13,  1801,  with  a  capital  of  $300,000  and  a  reserve  liability  of 
$300,000.  It  is  authorized  by  law  to  serve  as  trustee  under  will  and 
legal  depository  of  trust  funds,  and  of  money  paid  into  court,  wdiile  it 
acts  as  registrar  or  transfer  agent  of  stocks  and  bonds,  and  as  trustee 
for  railroad  and  other  corporations.  Deposits  are  also  received  subject 
to  check  and  interest  allowed,  and  exchange  is  bought  and  sold  on 
London,  Paris,  Berlin  and  other  leading  cities  of  the  continent.  Busi- 
ness is  transacted  in  the  lower  floor  of  the  Exchange  Building,  where 
are  located  the  largest  and  best  fire  and  burglar  proof  safe  deposit  vaults 
in  New  England.  The  officers  of  the  compan}^  are  Moses  Williams, 
president ;  Charles  Lowell,  treasurer  and  actuary ;  Frederic  J.  Stimp- 
son,  William  L.  Chase  and  Francis  B.  Sears,  vice-presidents.  The 
directors  are  Moses  Williams,  Edward  Atkinson,  Joseph  B.  Russell, 
Royal  E.  Robbins,  Thomas  O.  Richardson,  William  L.  Chase,  Freder- 
ick J.  Stimson,  Francis  B.  Sears  and  Eliot  C.  Clark.  The  statement 
made  by  the  officers  of  this  company  to  the  commissioners  of  savings 
banks,  October  31,  1802,  shows  that  the  paid  up  capital  amounted  to 
$300,000;  undivided  earnings,  $10,005.80;  while  it  held  deposits  aggre- 
080,002.27,  and  had  total  banking  resources  of  $1,207,050.00. 


442 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


The  Mattapan  Deposit  and  Trust  Company  was  incorporated  March 
7,  18!)1,  with  an  authorized  capital  of  $100,000,  and  commenced  busi- 
ness May  IG,  1S92.  The  officers  are  R.  J.  Monks,  president;  William 
Hidden,  jr.,  actuary;  and  W.  vS.  Fretch,  jr.,  secretary.  The  assets, 
October  ;31,  1892,  were  $384, 175. ;]7 ;  deposits,  $2(i8,042.3(i. 

The  following  table,  made  up  from  the  reports  of  the  various  trust 
companies  to  the  commissioners  of  savings  banks,  for  the  3"ear  end- 
ing, October  lU,  181)2,  shows  the  condition  of  each  institution  at  that 
time : 


Name  of  Company. 


American   Loan  and  Trust  Com- 
pany, Boston 

Bay  State  Trust  Company,   Bos- 
ton   

Boston   Safe    Deposit  and    Tru.st 
Company,   Boston 

International     Trust     Company, 
Boston 

Massachusetts   Hospital    Life   In 
surance  Company,  Boston 

Massachusetts    Loan    and    Trust 
Company,  Boston 

Mattapan  Deposit  and  Trust  Com- 
pany, South  Boston 

Mercantile  Loan  and  Trust  Com- 
pany, Boston 

New    England    Trust    Company, 
Boston 

Old  Colony  Trust  Company,  Bos- 
ton   

State    Street    Safe    Deposit    and 
Trust  Company,  Boston 


Capital. 


Surplus  or    ■,-,,..■,,< 
Guaranty     Undivided       Deposits. 
Fund.  Earnings.  ' 


1,000,000.00  $400,000.00 

200,000.00  25,000.00 

1,000,000.00  800,000.00 

1,000,000.00  800,000.00 

500,000.00  66,5gg.58 

1,000,000.00  175,000.00 

100,000.00  — 

250,000.00  9,406.13 

1,000,000.00  1,000,000.00 

r, 000. 000. 00  500,000.00 

300,000.00  — 

7,350,000  00'  $3,776,005.71 


$148,824.97 

36,728.73 

164,226.80 

142,971.17 

1,137.740-41 

80,657.12 

6,133.01 

18,851.95 

3451697-59 

180,046.37 

10,605.89 

^7, 272, 483. 01 


$4,544,970-7 

1,512,264.99 

6,299,984.11 

5,693,279.00 

19,962,670.08 

2,096,254.30 

278,042.36 

514,230.36 

13,867,834.50 

6,825,427.78 

982,491.81 


$62,577,389.56 


Trust 
Funds. 


3-533, '45-97 
1,052,151.29 


30,983.61 
1,761,555-98 


30,246.76 


$6,408,083.61 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE  IN   BOSTON, 

FROM    1(;3!>    TO    1S93, 
With  a  Ciiron'ologicai.  Takle,   and  a  Histdrv  ok  thk  Stations. 

BY 

C.   W.   Ernst,   A.  M., 
i\s"sisrAxr  Posimastek  at  Boston,   ]891-1S9:1 


Note. — The  Postal  Service  at  Boston  has  no  bibliography.  The  office  records  ap- 
pear to  have  been  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1872.  The  Massachusetts  Archives  contain 
valuable  papers  up  to  1775,  published  in  part  by  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society. 
For  1774  we  have  the  "  Collection  of  the  Statutes  relating  to  the  Post-Office, "  New 
York:  1774,  174  pp.,  and  the  "  Journal  kept  by  Hugh  Finlay  "  in  177:5-74  (Bi'ooklyn: 
1867).  A  few  papers  for  the  period  from  1775  to  1789  are  in  the  Department  of  State 
at  Washington.  From  that  time  forward  the  records  of  the  Post-Office  Department 
are  the  best  authority.  But  they  are  not  complete ;  and  after  1835  the  accounts  of  the 
Post-Offices  were  kept  by  the  Treasury.  The  period  of  the  Postal  Service  throughout 
the  country  from  1789  to  1838  is  covered  by  vol.  XV  of  the  "  American  State  Papers," 
edited  by  Lowrie  and  Franklin.  Since  then  the  annual  reports  of  the  Post-Office 
Department  are  the  chief  authority.  With  these  the  Postal  Laws  and  Regulations, 
issued  periodicalh^  since  1798,  should  be  consulted;  also  the  Statutes  at  Large,  being 
the  backbone  of  our  public  history ;  the  Official  Register,  issued  biennially  since  1817 ; 
the  lists  of  Post  Offices,  issued  at  intervals  up  to  1873 ;  and  the  Postal  Guide,  published 
by  the  Department  since  1874.  Postmaster-General  Hall  wrote  the  first  history  of 
the  Post-Office  Department;  it  was  published  in  1852  as  a  "  Report  on  Postal  Affairs," 
82  pp.  General  Corse  first  gathered  and  published  a  brief  history  of  the  Boston 
Post-Office  (see  his  Annual  Statement,  1890).  Fame  and  something  better  await  him 
that  will  write  the  true  history  of  the  American  postal  service  from  the  Neale  patent 
in  1691-2  to  the  present  time. 

The  history  of  the  Post-Office  combines  in  a  peculiar  union  a  history 
of  the  people  and  their  supreme  g'overnment.  The  Post-Office  carries 
the  secrets  of  the  people,  and  exercises  the  highest  prerogative  of  a 
sovereign  power.  Were  it  possible  to  recount  all  the  Post-Office  has 
done  in  Suffolk  County,  it  would  tell  the  business  and  personal  affairs 


444  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

of  our  people  as  n()thin<>-  else  can;  at  the  same  time  it  would  reveal  the 
political  history  of  our  g-eneral  oovernment,  and  lay  open  a  long-  and 
interesting-  chain  of  political  evolution.  For  the  Post-Office  is  simul- 
taneously the  confidential  agent  of  every  business  firm  and  private 
letter  writer,  a  vast  business  conducted  on  business  principles,  and  a 
g-overnment  institution  of  the  highest  type.  It  indicates  with  fair  pre- 
cision the  character  of  government  and  the  civilisation  of  the  people  at 
large.  And  the  work  of  postal  officers  and  clerks  is  far  more  technical 
than  is  generally  thought.  The  payment  of  letter  postage  implies  a 
contract,  for  the  due  execution  of  which  the  postal  force  is  under  heavy 
bonds  to  the  government,  and  liable  at  law  to  the  sender  or  receiver  of 
the  letter.  Nor  is  it  clear  who  watches  the  service  more  jealously — the 
government,  which  in  theory  is  omniscient  and  all-powerful,  or  the 
private  citizen  who  demands  perfection. 

During  the  greater  part  of  its  history  vSuffolk  County  has  been  a 
postal  unit,  with  one  postal  administration.  With  few  exceptions  the 
territorial  and  administrative  changes  of  the  County  have  not  touched 
the  unity  of  its  postal  service.  The  history  of  the  Boston  Post-Office  is 
almost  coextensive  with  that  of  vSuffolk  County.  And  the  salient  points 
in  this  history  are  equally  prominent  in  f>ur  history  as  a  Colony,  as  a 
Province,  and  as  a  Nation.  These  points  are  the  age  of  ship  letters 
mainly,  in  Colony  times;  the  Neale  patent  of  l(;!)l-2;  the  reign  of  the 
British  Post-Office  Act  from  1711  until  1774,  when  Franklin  was  re- 
moved from  his  office  of  American  Postmaster-General;  the  Confeder- 
ation period,  illustrated  in  the  Post-Office  Act  of  1782;  and  the  National 
period,  l)cginning  with  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  Samuel  O.sgood  as  Postmaster-General  in  17S!I.  The  history  of 
the  Post-Office  under  the  Constitution  turns  largely  upon  the  great 
Post-Office  Acts  of  I7i)2,  1825,  183G,  1845  and  1872;  but  hardly  less 
upon  a  long  line  of  honorable  Postmasters-General.  For  until  1836  the 
Postmaster  at  Boston  was  simply  the  agent  and  servant  of  the  Post- 
tnaster-General  at  Washington;  and  since  1830  the  Postmaster-General 
is  still  the  master  of  the  mails  in  Boston  and  all  Suffolk  County,  limited 
only  by  the  law  of  the  land  and  the  appropriations  voted  by  Congress. 

The  area  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Boston  Post-Office  includes  all 
Suffolk  County,  beside  the  cities  of  Cambridge  and  Somerville  in  Mid- 
dlesex County,  and  the  Town  of  Brookline  in  Norfolk  County — a  total 
of  about  sixty-three  square  miles,  with  a  population  on  June  1,  1800, 
of  007,003.      Of  these  totals  Suffolk  County  has  an  area  of  about  forty- 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICT.  445 

seven  square  miles,  with  a  population  of  484,780.  The  area  named 
excludes  the  islands  not  served  by  the  free  delivery  of  mail  matter. 
The  annual  increase  of  population  is  nearly  three  per  cent.,  but  differs 
with  the  state  of  prosperity.  The  bulk  of  the  annual  increase  is  due  to 
immigration  from  the  rural  districts  and  from  abroad.  The  present 
Pcjstal  District,  exceeded  in  area  by  that  of  Philadelphia  onlv,  was  sub- 
stantially completed  in  1875.  In  that  year  the  Postal  District  assumed 
in  a  measure  the  same  or  similar  proportions  it  had  held  from  the 
earliest  days  until  about  1810.  An  official  list  of  Post-Offices  for  1818 
mentions  those  at  Boston,  Cambridge,  Brighton,  Charlestown  and  Mil- 
ton as  established,  but  no  others  in  the  present  Postal  District.  In 
1781),  when  Washington  became  President,  the  only  Post-Offices  in  Mas- 
sachusetts were  Boston,  Salem,  Ipswich,  Newburyport,  Worcester  and 
vSpringfield,  although  the  Province  Congress  of  1775  had  ordained  that 
there  should  be  Post-Offices  also  in  Cambridge,  Georgetown,  Haverhill, 
Great  Barrington,  Sandwich,  Falmouth,  and  Plymouth,  that  at  Cam- 
bridge standing  really  for  Boston,  which  at  that  time  was  occupied  by 
British  troops.  With  the  exception  of  the  period  from  1810  to  1875, 
the  Boston  Post-Office  served,  speaking  roughly,  the  present  District. 
To  form  an  idea  of  this  Postal  District  in  the  past,  the  national  Cen- 
sus reports  should  be  used  with  some  caution,  mainly  on  account  of  the 
changes  in  Town  and  County  lines,  and  in  some  names.  In  1880  the 
population  of  the  Postal  District  was  473,580;  in  1870,  when  West  Rox- 
bury  was  still  in  Norfolk,  and  Charlestown,  like  Brighton,  in  Middle- 
sex, the  population  of  the  District  was  373,744.  In  1850,  when  Dor- 
chester and  Roxbury  were  still  in  Norfolk,  the  present  Postal  District 
had  221,093  inhabitants;  against  but  88,354  in  1830;  40,054  in  1810; 
and  25,022  in  1790.  The  Province  Census  of  1705,  sutficiently  accurate 
to  convey  a  general  idea,  reports  the  population  of  the  present  Postal 
District  at  22,769.  In  1742  Boston  alone  is  supposed  to  have  had  a 
population  of  10,382;  in  1720  about  11,000 ;  in  1075  about  4,000;  and 
when  Fairbanks  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Boston  in  1039,  the  Town 
proper  was  a  small  village,  with  one  church,  and  a  hundred  houses. 
The  church  stood  in  State  Street,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Brazer's 
Building,  and  was  a  structure  of  mud  walls  with  a  thatched  roof.  The 
foreign  element  that  has  helped  to  increase  the  present  population  has 
come  very  largely  from  the  United  Kingdom  and  British  North  Amer- 
ica. The  original  stock  was  mainly  English;  the  present  stock  is 
chieflv  British,  the  term  including;--  Ireland  and  the  Maritime  Provinces. 


44G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

One  might  add  that  the  settlement  of  New  England  was  due  to  Inde- 
pendence in  religion,  attracted  by  fish,  sustained  by  agriculture  and 
commerce,  and  made  great  by  inanufacturing,  commerce,  and  true  in- 
dustr}'.  Boston  owes  much,  also,  to  its  magnificent  harbor,  which  is 
never  icelocked.  Nor  is  it  unfair  to  add  that  the  Postal  District  of 
Boston  attracts  what  is  best  in  the  character  and  ambition  of  New  Eng- 
land, except  from  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut,  whose  tendency  is 
toward  New  York. 

The  first  Postmaster  at  Boston  was  Richard  Fairbanks,  appointed 
Nov.  5,  1(5:5!),  by  the  General  Court,  which  had  charge  of  government 
alfairs  in  the  infant  colony.  The  cjuaint  order  is  as  follows:  "For  pre- 
venting the  miscarriage  of  letters ;  and  it  is  ordered  that  notice  bee 
given  that  Richard  Ffairbanks  his  house  in  Boston  is  the  place  appointed 
for  all  letters  which  are  brought  from  beyond  the  seas,  or  arc  to  bee  sent 
thither;  are  to  bee  brought  unto,  &  he  is  to  take  care  that  they  bee  de- 
livered, or  sent  according  to  their  directions,  &  hee  is  alowed  for  every 
such  letter  a  Id  &  must  answere  all  miscarriages  through  his  owne  neg- 
lect in  this  kind;  provided  that  no  man  shalbee  compeyed  to  bring  his 
letters  thither,  except  hee  please."  Fairbanks  was  made  a  freeman  of 
the  Colony  in  10:34;  in  lO;]?  he  was  "disarmed;"  in  lt;;}7-8  he  was  al- 
lowed to  sell  "  wine  &  strong  water"  in  Boston;  in  lOo^i  he  bought  a 
house  and  six  acres  in  "  Fort  Field  "  (about  Fort  Flill),  Boston;  in  1053 
his  daughter  Constance  married  Samuel  Mattock;  and  in  1054-5  "Rich- 
ard Fairebank  "  signed  a  marriage  contract  f()r  Alice  Dynely.  He  kept 
the  most  frequented  house  in  Boston,  and  appears  to  have  had  the  con- 
fidence of  his  fellow  townsmen.  His  place  of  business  and  home  occu. 
pied  the  present  site  of  the  Advertiser  and  Globe  buildings  in  Wa.shing- 
ton  vStreet.  it  will  be  noticed  that  his  postal  duties  were  confined  to 
sea  letters;  there  was  no  occasion  for  a  domestic  mail.  In  1039  Eng- 
land had  but  a  feeble  beginning  of  a  postal  service,  and  that  was  not 
conducted  by  the  government.  The  English  Post-Office  as  a  govern- 
ment institution,  with  a  Postmaster-General,  began  in  1000.  In  1072 
New  York  ordered  a  "post  to  go  monthly  from  New  York  to  Boston," 
postage  to  be  prepaid;  but  the  order  was  not  carried  out  very  well. 

When  Richard  Fairbanks  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Boston, 
Henry  Vane  had  left  the  Colony,  William  Bradford  was  Governor  of 
Plymouth,  and  John  Winthrop  once  more  of  Massachusetts.  The 
boundary  between  the  two  colonies,  established  by  the  last  Plymouth 
patent,   was  a  straight  line  from  "  Cohasset  rivulet"  to  the  Seekonk 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  447 

river,  being'  still  the  southern  boundary  of  what  is  now  called  Norfolk 
Count}',  except  that  Hingham  and  Hull  were  not  in  Plymouth.  At 
that  time  counties  had  not  been  established  in  Massachusetts,  and 
Town  officers  were  not  yet  called  Selectmen.  Boston  extended  all  the 
way  from  Weymouth  and  Plymouth  Colony  to  Lynn ;  Braintree  was 
called  Blount  Wollaston,  or  simply  the  Mount,  which  reached  south  as 
far  as  Plymouth,  and  west  to  the  top  of  the  great  Blue  Plill,  being  a 
part  of  Boston  as  much  as  were  Brookline,  then  called  Muddy  River; 
East  Boston  (Noddle's  Island),  Breed's  Island  (Hog  Island),  Chelsea 
(Winnisimmet),  Revere  (Rumney  ]\Iarsh),  and  "Winthrop  (Pullen 
Point).  The  bulk  of  this  territory  had  been  divided  among  the  inhab- 
itants, Edmund  Quincy  having  a  generous  allotment  at  Wollaston, 
Winthrop  at  Pullen  Point,  whence  the  present  naines.  The  Book  of 
Possessions  did  not  exist.  After  the  land  had  been  given  away,  it  was 
found  necessary  to  make  some  provision  for  streets,  lanes  and  high- 
ways. What  trees  there  stood  in  Boston  proper  had  been  cut  down, 
and  fre;3h  supplies  were  taken  from  the  harbor  islands,  ^luddy  River, 
and  even  South  Boston,  which  belonged  to  the  Town  of  Dorchester. 
There  was  no  church  bell  in  Boston,  but  a  coiirt  with  jurisdiction  over 
all  Boston,  together  with  the  independent  towns  of  Roxbury,  Dor- 
chester, Weymouth  and  Hingham.  Charlestown,  also  independent, 
had  its  court  in  Cambridge.  Boston  Common  had  just  been  recog- 
nised ;  at  the  same  time  the  Town  gloried  in  a  drummer,  a  gunner  and 
a  fort.  Every  Thursday  a  market  was  held,  on  the  principles  of 
medieval  law  and  custom.  A  regular  ferry  plied  between  Boston, 
Charlestown  and  Winnisimmet. 

The  Latin  School  and  Harvard  College  were  established,  and 
Stephen  Day  had  set  up  his  printing  press.  Boston  proper  contained 
about  a  hundred  houses,  mostly  built  of  wood  or  mud  walls,  and  cov- 
ered with  thatched  roofs.  It  had  one  church.  When  Town  meetings 
were  to  be  held,  notice  was  sometiines  given  from  house  to  house.  No 
street  had  a  name,  and  most  streets  were  about  what  the  abutters 
chose  to  make  thenl.  The  constable  did  police  duty  in  daytime,  and 
watchmen  in  the  night,  there  being  great  danger  from  fire.  The  Town 
was  overrun  by  cattle,  swine  and  goats,  and  Richard  Fairbanks  was  the 
poundkeeper.  There  was  but  one  lawyer  in  the  town,  and  he  had 
been  disbarred.  Nominally  the  Town  and  the  Colony  were  a  democ- 
racy; in  truth  they  were  a  political  and  .social  aristocracv,  watching 
with  pardonable  anxiety  that  disturbing  elements  be  kept  out  of  the 


448  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

infant  settlement;  for  the  existence  of  the  colony  was  more  important 
than  the  individual  with  interesting  notions  as  to  liberty,  faith  or  gov- 
ernment. The  people  lived  by  trade,  especially  with  England;  b)' 
farming  in  Wollaston,  Muddy  River  and  Winnisimmet ;  and  by  the 
fisheries  that  had  helped  to  attract  the  original  settlers.  When  the 
Town  meeting  or  the  General  Court  were  unable  or  unwilling  to  decide 
matters,  it  was  customary  from  the  beginning  to  appoint  committees 
or  commissioners.  Fort  Hill  was  built  by  commissioners.  Richard 
Fairbanks  was  selected  to  receive  and  despatch  all  letters  that  might 
be  exchanged  between  the  people  of  the  Colony  and  of  Great  Britain. 
Perhaps  such  an  arrangement  was  proper.  When  Boston  had  a  town 
hall,  that  became  the  exchange  and  a  sort  of  informal  post-office,  for 
the  handling  of  ship  letters. 

On  January  (i,  1G73-4,  the  General  Court  of  the  Colony  passed  the 
following:  "Whereas  the  publick  occasions  of  the  country  doe  fre- 
quently require  that  messengers  be  sent  post,  and,  as  yet,  no  stated  al- 
lowance setled  in  such  cases,  it  is  ordered  by  this  Court  &  the  authority 
thereof,  that  from  henceforth  euery  person  so  sent  vpon  the  i^ublicke 
service  of  the  country  sliallbe  allowed  Ijy  the  Treasurer  after  the  rate 
of  three  pence  a  mile  to  the  place  to  which  he  is  sent,  in  money,  as  full 
sattisfaction  for  the  expence  of  horse  &  man ;  and  no  inholder  shall  take 
of  any  such  messenger  or  others  travayling  vpon  pulilicke  service  more 
than  two  shillings/  bushell  for  oates,  and  fower  pence  for  hay,  day  & 
night."  This  is  the  first  allusion  to  a  domestic  post  in  New  England; 
but  before  the  American  Post-Office  was  established  in  KiiK),  the  mer- 
chants and  others  of  Boston  caused  John  Hayward,  in  1077,  to  be  ap- 
])ointed  by  the  General  Court  for  the  place  first  held  by  Richard  Fair- 
banks. The  petitioners  complained  that  ''man_\-  times  the  Letters  im- 
ported are  throwne  upon  the  Exchg,  so  that  who  will,  may  take  them 
up;  no  person  (without  some  satisfaction)  being  willing  to  trouble  their 
houses  therewith  ;  so  that  Letters  of  great  moment  are  frequently  Lost.  " 
Hayward  was  appointed  June  1,  1077,  and,  at  his  own  request,  reap- 
pointed in  l()S(t.  He  appears  to  have  died  in  1087,  though  Sewall  states 
on  February  20,  lO'.H-'^,  "Jno  Hayward  brings  me  a  letter."  But 
Sewall  states  expressly,  "Dec.  ;i,  l(;s7.  About  10  at  night  Mr.  Jno 
Hayward  dies."  Hayward's  will  is  dated  July  S,  1087,  and  was  admit- 
ted to  probate  on  February  •2:5,  1(587-8.  He  had  two  sons,  Samuel  and 
John,  and  the  latter  may  have  continued  his  father's  work.  Hayward, 
the  Postmaster,  was  a  notary  in  good  standing.      He  had  a  house  in 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  449 

"  Condit  "  Street,  now  North  Street.  He  was  the  first  to  be  called 
"Postmaster,"  in  l(i8(),  and  his  office  the  "post-office."  In  l(;8(i  he 
took  a  rooin  in  the  town  house,  where  the  exchange  was  kept.  The 
room  was  less  than  five  by  ten  feet. 

An -Act  of  Parliament  having  settled  the  revenue  (;f  the  Post-Office 
upon  the  Duke  of  York,  an  attempt  was  made  to  establish  an  American 
Post-Office  for  the  special  benefit  of  the  Duke.  The  attempt  was  appar- 
ently confined  to  New  York.  In  1684  Sir  John  Werden  wrote  to  Gov- 
ernor Dongan:  "As  for  setting  up  Post  Houses  along  the  coast  fron\ 
Carolina  to  Nova  Scotia^  it  seemes  a  very  reasonable  thing,  and  you 
may  offer  the  priviledge  thereof  to  any  undertaker  for  ye  space  of  3  or 
5  yeares  by  way  of  farme :  reserving  wt  part  of  ye  proffit  you  thinke  fitt 
to  the  Duke  (not  less  than  one-tenth),  the  farmers  to  acct  to  ye  Duke 
either  upon  oath  or  by  inspection  into  their  bookes,  or  any  other  way 
wch  you  shall  judge  convenient  &  safe  for  the  Duke,  to  know  the  true 
value  thereof.  And  we  thinke  you  were  much  in  the  right  when  you 
asserted  that  the  Dukes  title  to  the  proffitts  of  all  Post  Offices  wthin  his 
Majts  dominions  was  not  to  be  doubted,  but  is  intended  over  all  the 
forreigne  plantations  as  well  as  in  Europe." 

The  attempt  could  not  succeed.  There  was  not  enough  correspond- 
ence along  the  line  from  Carolina  to  Nova  Scotia  to  support  a  weekly 
mail,  and  the  arrival  of  Andros  added  to  the  natural  difficulties  of  the 
proposition,  though  he  found  Post-Offices  in  the  larger  ports  from  New 
Hampshire  to  Philadelphia.  Edward  Randolph  is  thought  to  have 
acted  as  a  sort  of  Postmaster-General  for  New  England.  Boston  im- 
prisoned him  together  with  Andros,  on  June  11,  1689,  and  soon  after 
Richard  AVilkins  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Boston.  Like  his  prede- 
cessors, he  received  one  penny  for  every  letter  he  took  or  delivered. 
But  as  late  as  February  26,  1691-2,  vSewall  wrote:  "  Jno  Hayward  brings 
me  a  letter."  A  few  weeks  later  Andrew  Hamilton  was  appointed 
American  Postmaster-General.  The  Colony  period  really  ended;  the 
Province  period  began.  A  permanent  Post-Office  was  established. 
Wilkins  was  a  bookseller.  His  office  was  opposite  the  town  hall.  On 
May  31,  1690,  John  Knight,  of  Charlestown,  was  appointed  "  a  Post 
for  the  Country's  service,  as  Occasion  may  be,"  and  on  July  14  of  the 
same  year  the  General  Court  voted  "that  a  Post  be  setled  for  wSpeedy 
Intelligence  between  this  place  [Boston]  and  Road  island." 

Until  Hamilton  was  appointed  Postmaster-General,  neither  the  office 
nor  the  name  had  existed  in  America.      England  had  no  Postmaster- 

57 


450  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

General  until  the  Aet  of  KiOO  establislied  the  office.  And  Enj^land 
borrowed  the  name,  if  not  the  office,  from  the  European  continent. 
The  Netherlands  had  a  Postmaster  in  lo-to ;  the  German  Empire  had  a 
Postmaster-General  in  1G15.  But  the  Empire  took  the  term  "post" 
from  the  Erench,  who  inherited  it  directly  from  the  later  Latin;  and 
even  the  term  "master"  was  simply  a  translation  or  adaptation  of  the 
word  Maitre  applied  by  Louis  XI  to  the  chief  of  his  post  riders.  The 
term  "mail"  came  later,  also  from  the  French,  and  looks  Celtic. 
With  the  post  caine  the  newspaper,  preferentially  called  "Post,"  at 
least  in  early  days.  And  our  folk-speech  calls  a  well-informed  person 
' '  posted. "  Recent  days  have  given  us  the  ' '  poster, "  and  a  club  member 
neglecting"  to  pay  his  dues  is  "  posted."  "  Post  haste  "  is  a  term  used 
by  Ascham.  To  post  a  letter  means  to  mail  it.  Thus  a  variety  of  uses 
attaches  to  the  plain  word  that  came  to  us  from  Caesar's  positi  equitcs. 
It  came  to  us  through  England,  which  took  it  from  the  continent  oppo- 
site, and  the  people  there  inherited  it  from  classical  Rome.  But  our 
American  Post-Office,  as  a  Government  institution,  was  not  fully  estab- 
lished without  great  struggles  in  politics,  law,  and  society.  The  Bos- 
ton Post-Office  reflected  all  these  interesting  movements.  The  word 
post  was  first  applied  to  regular  post  riders,  by  the  French,  in  1487. 
In  ITO]  John  Dunton  published  the  "Post-Angel,"  a  periodical. 

The  English  Post-Office  Act  of  KJOO  authorised  the  Crown  to  grant 
the  Office  of  Postmaster-General  for  life  or  a  term  of  years  not  exceed- 
ing twenty-one,  and  the  establishment  of  Post-Offices  "in  England, 
Scotland  and  Ireland,  and  other  of  His  Majesty's  Dominions."  An 
Act  of  1085  gave  the  Post-Officc  revenue  to  the  King,  who  was  the  same 
person  that  as  Duke  of  York  had  received  this  revenue  since  KiGo.  On 
the  strength  of  this  authority  vSir  Robert  Cotton  and  Thomas  Frank- 
land  were  appointed  Postmasters-General  on  March  11,  IGliO-l,  and 
Frankland  was  in  office  as  late  as  171(5.  The  office  is  said  to  have 
yielded  the  king  some  ^"')(),()0()  a  year,  or  more.  With  a  view  to  fut- 
;ire  receipts,  a  commission  or  patent  for  America  was  given  to  Thomas 
Neale.  It  was  to  run  for  twenty-one  years,  from  Februar}'  17,  IGOl, 
to  February  17,  1712  (O.S.),  and  under  this  patent  x\ndrew  Hamilton 
was  commissioned  American  Postmaster-General  on  April  4,  1692.  He 
is  indeed  the  Father  of  the  American  Post-Office,  gratefully  remembered 
also  b}"  East  Jersey,  of  which  he  was  Governor.  Before  he  came  to  this 
country,  where  he  was  greatly  beloved,  he  was  a  merchant  at  Edin- 
burgh.     The  Andros  muddle  led   him  to  England,  where  he  received 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  451 

his  Post-Office  commission.  He  returned  forthwith  to  America,  pur- 
sued the  Post-Office  scheme  with  the  greatest  energy  and  remarkable 
success,  and  when  he  died,  on  April  2G,  1703,  he  left  the  Post-Office  in 
the  worthy  hands  of  his  son,  John  Hamilton,  who  continued  as  Post- 
master-General to  1730.  Andrew  Hamilton  made  the  first  attempt  at 
a  certain  union  and  a  certain  legislative  uniformity  between  the  col- 
onies from  New  Hampshire  to  Virginia.  His  patent  granted  a  postal 
monopoly  for  all  America  and  the  West  Indies.  His  unique  service, 
besides  establishing  a  weekly  mail  between  Piscataqua  (Portsmouth), 
N.  H.,  and  Philadelphia,  consisted  in  getting  each  colon)'  to  pass  a 
postal  act  in  harmon}^  with  every  other,  and  in  obtaining  subsidies. 

Virginia  fixed  the  rate  of  postage  at  3c/.  a  letter  up  to  eighty  miles, 
and  Xy'zd.  beyond.  New  York  helped  liberally;  in  1094  it  voted  a 
subsid}'  of  ;^50  for  three  3'ears.  New  Hampshire  gave  a  subsidy  of 
^20  a  year.  Connecticut  voted  free  ferries  to  the  postal  service.  And 
Massachusetts,  beside  passing  the  great  Post-Office  Act  of  1603,  gave 
liberal  supplies.  The  Massachusetts  Post-Office  Act,  passed  for  the 
effectual  encouragement  of  the  general  Post-Office,  for  the  better  pres- 
ervation of  trade  and  commerce,  and  "for  the  quicker  maintenance  of 
mutual  correspondence  amongst  all  the  neighboring  Colonies  and 
Plantations,"  including  the  West  Indies,  gave  Hamilton's  deputy  Post- 
master at  Boston  a  monopoly,  with  authority  to  charge  ^2d.  for  shijD 
letters ;  ^d.  for  a  triple  letter,  then  called  a  packet ;  (k/.  for  Rhode 
Island  letters,  which  included  carriage;  ^?)d.  for  Connecticut  letters; 
\'ld.  for  New  York  letters;  15c/.  for  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania;  2j>". 
for  Maryland  and  Virginia ;  'Id.  for  Salem ;  \d.  for  Ipswich  and  New- 
buryport;  i\d.  for  Piscatacpia  (N.  H.).  For  letters  delivered  at  houses, 
not  being  called  for  within  forty-eight  hours  after  their  arrival  at  the 
Post-Office,  the  Postmaster  was  to  have  \d.  each.  Private  posts  were 
prohibited  under  a  fine  of  _^40  for  each  offence,  one-half  to  go  to  the 
Governor,  one-half  to  the  Postmaster-General.  The  incoming  mail  was 
to  be  marked  with  a  receiving  "  print"  showing  the  date.  Hamilton 
was  required  to  maintain  "constant  posts"  between  Boston  and  the 
points  named,  and  "  all  letters  of  publick  concernment  for  their 
Majesties'  service  "  were  to  be  carried  free.  The  Act  was  once  renewed, 
but  proved  somewhat  premature.  The  Privy  Council  rejected  it ;  yet 
it  stood  as  far  as  the  nature  of  the  case  permitted.  A  regular  postal 
service  between  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  and  Virginia  was  at  that  time 
financial  1}^  impossible. 


452  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

In  the  same  year,  l(i'.)3,  Hamilton  appointed  Duncan  Campbell  Post- 
master at  Boston,  authority  for  the  appointment  having  been  conferred 
by  the  Neale  patent  and  the  Province  Act.  Very  little  is  known  of 
Campbell.  In  IGOO  he  lost  a  daughter;  he  himself  appears  to  have 
died  in  1702.  He  wrote  numerous  petitions  for  aid  from  the  Province. 
In  1694  Hamilton  was  voted  ^25  for  two  years;  a  similar  vote  for  one 
year  was  passed  in  KiOG;  his  deputy  at  Boston  desired  freedom  from 
taxes,  and  a  license  to  sell  liquor;  he  affirmed  that  the  "charges  of 
this  Post-OflElce  are  thrice  the  income."  He  died  insolvent,  his  estate 
being  appraised  at  ^1,372  17  5;  the  debt  allowed  being  ^2,801  15  5. 
The  creditors  received  eight  shillings  in  the  pound.  Campbell  appears 
to  have  dealt  also  in  books,  his  estate  including  twenty  Hebrew,  Greek, 
and  Latin  folios ;  fifty-eight  Latin  folios;  one  hundred  and  forty-nine 
Greek  and  Latin  folios  and  quartos,  etc.  The  probate  records  mention 
him  July  29,  1702,  as  recently  deceased;  his  widow,  Susanna  Campbell, 
was  executrix;  John  Campbell  helped  in  settling  the  estate,  and  suc- 
ceeded him  as  Postmaster.  Duncan  Campbell  appears  to  have  been 
Postmaster  of  Massachusetts;  he  certainly  was  "Master  of  the  General 
Letter  Office,"  as  distinguished  from  the  offices  of  Salem,  Ipswich  and 
Newbury;  John  Campbell  was  "Master  of  the  Post-office  of  Boston 
and  New  England,"  and  "Postmaster  of  New  England."  He  filled 
the  place  worthily,  though  he  was  removed  in  1718,  prcjbably  because 
his  office  did  not  pay  enough  to  the  Postmaster-General  in  London- 
John  Campbell  was  born  about  1053;  Andrew  Hamilton  appointed 
him  Postmaster  of  Bcjston  and  New  England  about  1702.  On  April  24, 
1704,  he  began  the  publication  of  the  weekly  News-Letter,  the  first  suc- 
cessful newspaper  in  America.  In  the  great  fire  of  1711  Campbell's 
entire  establishment  was  destroyed;  in  1718  he  retired  from  the  Post- 
Office,  for  the  reason  that  it  was  not  as  remunerative  as  the  Postmaster- 
General  in  London  desired;  his  wife  died  in  1722;  Campbell  died  in 
1728,  leaving  behind  him  an  honorable  name,  numerous  records,  and 
two  married  daughters,  Sarah  being  the  wife  of  James  Bowdoin,  and 
Elizabeth  the  wife  of  William  Foye.  Both  sons-in-law  were  Councillors 
of  Massachusetts ;  Fcn'e  was  Treasurer  of  the  Province  for  many  years, 
and  Bowdoin's  name  was  destined  to  occupy  an  eminent  place  in  the 
history  of  Massachusetts.  Campbell's  home  and  place  of  business  was 
in  Cornhill,  now  Washington  vStreet,  below  vSchool  Street.  He  had  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  townsmen  to  a  remarkable  degree, 
and  he  carried  himself  with  dignity  and  self-respect  under  many  em- 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  453 

barrassments  and  difficulties.  In  his  postal  career  he  witnessed  the 
virtual  transfer  of  the  Xeale  patent  to  Andrew  Hamilton,  the  adminis- 
tration of  John  Hamilton,  the  superseding  of  the  patent  by  the  Parlia- 
ment Act  of  1710,  and  his  own  unjust  removal,  embittered  by  the 
frivolous  attacks  of  his  successor,  who  himself  came  to  an  ignominious 
end.  The  men  who  laid  the  actual  foundation  of  the  American  postal 
service  were  Scotchmen  by  birth.  In  1T-2T-28  John  Campbell  was 
president  of  the  Scots'  Charitable  vSociety,  which  he  had  joined,  in  1681, 
as  a  "  stranger."  At  the  time  of  the  great  fire,  in  ITll,  he  had  a  house 
in  Pudding  lane,  now  Devonshire  Street. 

In  John  Campbell's  days  there  was  a  weekly  mail  in  simimer,  fort- 
nightly in  winter,  between  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  and  Philadelphia.  It 
followed  the  shore  line,  the  offices  at  Worcester,  Springfield  and  Hart- 
ford being  established  later.  The  post  routes  deviating  from  the  main 
line  were  called  cross-roads,  but  were  mostly  or  all  established  after 
Campbell's  reign.  In  1T03  he  computed  the  cost  of  the  mail  service 
between  New  Hampshire  and  Philadelphia  at  ^680,  of  which  he  charged 
two-thirds  to  the  account  of  New  England.  To  cover  this  expense  of 
^37  15  0  a  month,  he  reported  a  revenue  of  ^12  12  8  a  month  from  the 
Boston  Post-Office ;  and  ^9  4  8  due  from  the  Post-Offices  under  his  ju- 
risdiction; leaving  a  monthly  deficit  of  ^15  8  2.  On  the  basis  of  actual 
receipts  for  the  week  preceding  this  report,  the  receipts  being /,"2  11  10 
on  inward  mails,  and  £^\  11  on  outgoing  matter,  he  computed  a  deficit 
of  ;{^275  for  the  year.  He  announced  at  the  same  time  that  Hamilton 
was  "out  of  purse,  several  years  ago,  ^1,400  sterling  in  setleing"  the 
American  Post-Office,  and  that  Hamilton  "was  necessitated  to  take  a 
mortgage  of  said  [Neale]  patent,  or  else  have  nothing,  so  that  the  priv- 
iledge  of  said  patent  now  devolves  upon  Collo:  Hamilton  and  hisheires. " 
Campbell  expressed  great  discouragement. 

The  Province,  however,  sustained  him  liberally.  He  was  exempted 
from  militia  duty  "during  his  employment  as  Postmaster;"  for  his  first 
year  in  office  he  received  ^20;  ^^40  for  the  next,  when  the  News- Let- 
ter was  begun;  and  another  payment  up  to  October  30.  170G.  After 
the  great  fire  of  1711,  no  Province  aid  having  been  given  since  1706,  he 
received  an  indirect  allowance  of  ^142  3  11.  With  this  payment  the 
Neale  patent  ended,  and  the  Post-Office  passed  under  the  control  of 
Parliament  law,  which  continued  until  1775,  and  is  embodied  in  the  in- 
teresting Act  of  1710,  and  the  "Collection  of  the  Statutes  now  in  force 
relating. to  the  Post-Office,"  New  York:   1774,  174  pp.     The  rates  es- 


454  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

tablished  by  Massachusetts  were  continued  until  ITII,  when  the  new 
rates,  established  by  Parliament,  took  effect.  For  the  rest,  Campbell 
struggled  with  the  same  problems  that  still  tax  the  Post-Office.  He  ad- 
vocated the  prepayment  of  postage ;  he  fought  for  the  monopoly  of  the 
service;  he  demanded  that  the  public  use  the  nearest  Post-(3ffice  "un- 
der some  penalty;"  and  he  suggested  that  "all  persons  concerned  in 
said  [Post]  Office  shall  be  free  from  watchings,  trainings,  or  any  public 
service  [for  the  Province  |,  and  either  freed  from  rates,  or  excise  free, 
or  some  other  benefit  equal  to  it."  In  other  words,  he  claimed  for  the 
postal  service  something  like  national  allegiance  only.  A  later  law  ex- 
empted the  Post-Office  from  militia  and  jury  duty;  but  this  was  in  part 
repealled,  and  as  yet  the  postal  force  struggles,  like  Campbell,  for  a  self- 
sustaining  service,  the  members  of  which  are  to  enjoy  a  certain  im- 
munity from  local  burdens,  on  the  ground  that  they  render  general  and 
generous  services  to  the  country  at  large. 

The  British  Post-Office  Act  of  1710,  known  as  '.)  Annae,  c.  10,  was  oc- 
casioned by  the  expenses  of  the  war  that  ended  with  the  peace  of 
Utrecht — a  peace  not  wholly  beneficent  to  the  interests  of  English- 
speaking  America,  Incidentally  the  Act  made  the  Post-Office  tributary 
to  the  national  exchequer;  previously  its  profits  had  gone  to  the  Crown. 
The  memorable  instrument  was  fitly  called  "An  Act  for  establishing  a 
General  Post-Office  for  all  Her  Majesty's  Dominions;"  it  authorised  the 
appointment  of  a  Postmaster-General  for  Great  Britain,  Ireland,  N(jrth 
America,  and  the  West  Indies;  and  it  required  the  establishment  of 
"chief  letter  offices"  in  London,  Edinburgh,  Dublin,  the  "  Leward 
Islands,"  and  New  York.  Of  the  gross  receipts  ^^TOO  a  week  and  all 
in  excess  of  ^"111,401  IT  JO,  this  being  the  total  income  of  the  British 
Post-Office  in  the  year  ended  September  :2!>,  17 10,  was  to  be  at  the  dis- 
posal of  Parliament.  With  a  disregard  of  American  interests  not  foreign 
to  Parliament,  the  British  Post-Office  was  allowed  less  than  ^75,000  for 
the  conduct  of  its  business;  specific  postage  rates  were  prescribed  for 
the  American  Post-Office ;  the  revenue  from  America  was  to  be  cov- 
ered into  the  exchequer;  and  the  American  Post-Office  was  either  to 
live  on  nothing,  or  to  receive  a  share  of  the  £'75,000  allowed  for  the 
management  of  the  British  Post-Office.  And  yet  the  Act  was  accepted 
without  protest.  Hamilton  appears  to  have  sold  his  Post-Office  rights 
and  property  accjuired  luider  the  Neale  patent;  he  was  continued  as 
Postmastcr-(ieneral :    and    the   A^irunnia    Buro'esses    declined    to    erant 


^m 


'^X 


^V^y^7-iy     riDo^>i^ 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  455 

postal  subsidies  on  the  express  g'round  that  the  Post-Office  was  "suffi- 
ciently established  by  an  Act  of  Parliament." 

In  theory,  the  Postmaster-General  at  London  was  supreme,  and  ap- 
pointed all  his  subordinates,  the  American  Postinaster-General  included ; 
in  practice,  the  latter  managed  the  American  service,  and  appointed 
his  own  subordinates.  The  Act  provided  for  free  ferries  in  the  Amer- 
can  postal  service ;  and  section  44  of  the  Act  charged  the  members  of 
the  postal  service  not  to  meddle  with  any  elections,  under  a  penaltv  of 
_£^100,  half  to  go  to  the  poor,  half  to  the  informer.  The  postage  rates 
for  America  were  prescribed  in  section  (J : 

New  York  to  London . 1  shilling. 

New  York  to  West  Indies 4  pence. 

New  York  to  within  60  miles 4  pence. 

New  York  to  Perth  Amboy,  "Bridlington,"  or  any  distance  from  60  to  1(J0 

miles \ 6  pence. 

New  York  to  New  London  or  Philadelphia '_ 9  pence. 

New  York  to  Newport,  Providence,  Boston,  Portsmouth,  R.  L,  or  Annapolis.  1  shilling. 
New  York  to  Salem,  Ipswich,- Piscataway,  or  to  Williamsburg  in  ^'irginia_ls.  3d. 
New  York  to  ' '  Charlestown,"  S.  C Is.  6d. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  consent  of  the  Colonies  was  not  asked. 
Under  the  Neale  patent  the  rates  of  postage  in  America  could  be  and 
in  part  were  establi-shed  by  the  Colonies.  There  was  some  opposition  to 
the  Post-Office  monopoly  in  Virginia;  but  Hamilton  was  not  greatly 
resisted  in  his  work.  Alexander  Spotswood,  his  successor,  aided  the 
enterprise  as  early  as  ITld,  though  regretting  the  absence  of  a  postal 
currency,  tobacco  alone  being  used  for  that  purpose  in  Virginia.  Ham- 
ilton, who  was  justly  respected,  tried  in  vain  to  make  the  Post-Office 
pay  for  itself. 

Meanwhile  he  was  not  wholly  free  to  do  as  he  preferred.  In  1718 
the  London  authorities  removed  John  Campbell,  the  New  England 
Postmaster,  and  appointed  Philip  Musgrave  in  his  place.  Mnsgrave's 
appointment  was  dated  June  •-iT,  ITIS,  in  London,  on  September  13, 
possibly  before  the  arrival  of  Musgrave 's  appointment,  Hamilton  placed 
William  Brooker  in  charge — a  step  he  had  occasion  to  regret.  Mus- 
grave took  possession  of  the  Boston  Post-Office  in  the  summer  of  1720, 
thus  ending  the  stormy  interregnum  of  Brooker.  To  be  the  equal  of 
Campbell,  Brooker  started  a  paper  of  his  own,  called  the  Gazette,  the  first 
number  of  which  appeared  on  December  21,  1719.  He  undertook  to 
assail  the  reputation  of  his  predecessor,  but  Avas  forced  to  retire  before 
many  weeks  from  the  Gazette  as  well  as  from  the  Post-Office.      In  the 


456  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

same  summer  he  married  an  heiress,  Joanna  Richards;  but  the  heiress 
stipulated  throuo^h  John  Hamilton  that  she  should  retain  full  control  of 
her  property.  Shortly  afterwards  Brooker  became  insolvent,  and  on 
February  28,  1720-1,  he  assig"ned  his  property  rig-hts  to  John  Boydell 
and  others.  He  owed  some  ^635  in  all,  p/^100  to  Postmaster  Musgrave. 
After  this  he  disappears  from  the  records  of  the  time;  his  widow  sur- 
vived until  1750,  when  she  left  numerous  bequests,  among  them  the 
Brooker  fund  for  poor  widows  still  held  by  the  City  of  Boston.  Brook- 
er's  successor  in  the  Boston  Post-Ofifice  was  Philip  Musgrave,  a  man  of 
good  standing,  who  continued  the  Gazette,  and  died  in  May,  1725,  leav- 
ing a  fair  estate.  He  appears  to  have  had  interests  also  in  England. 
His  son  William  was  rector  at  Aldwinkle,  in  Northamptonshire,  and  in 
settling  the  estate  remittances  had  to  be  made  to  London,  the  executor, 
John  Boydell,  paying  ^3  in  Boston  for  £^\  sterling  payable  in  Eng- 
land. The  Mtissachusetts  poimd  and  the  pound  sterling  were  not  the 
same,  and  Massachusetts  had  an  inflated  paper  currency  almost 
throughout  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  next  Postmaster,  Thomas  Lewis,  served  less  than  a  year,  when 
he  died.  His  administrator,  John  Boydell,  collected  ^54  1  6  from 
Henry  Marshall,  who  succeeded  Lewis  as  Postmaster,  and  served  until 
1732,  when  he  died.  Marshall  was  a  rich  man.  His  funeral  was  a  great 
event,  the  estate  paying  ;^64  14  3  for  funeral  rings  alone.  While 
Lewis  was  Postmaster,  John  Hamilton  was  replaced  by  Postmaster- 
General  Alexander  Spotswood,  who  was  appointed  in  1730,  and  served 
until  1739.  It  is  likely  that  Hamilton  was  removed  for  not  making 
satisfactory  remittances  to  the  exchequer  in  London.  When  Lewis 
died,  John  Boydell,  acting  as  attorney  for  Postmaster-General  vSpots- 
wood,  collected  ^IGG  7  G  from  the  estate;  and  one  postrider,  John 
Thomas,  collected  ^32  18.  The  country  Post-Offices  in  New  England 
were  still  subordinate  to  the  Boston  office ;  it  was  still  the  fashion  to 
deliver  mail  matter  before  the  postage  due  was  collected ;  and  though 
the  revenue  was  small,  new  offices  were  established.  In  1732  Bristol, 
R.  I.,  had  its  Post-Office,  and  Spotswood,  who  had  been  interested  in 
the  postal  service  as  early  as  1710,  could  boast  that  he  was  Postmaster- 
General  of  North  America,  including  the  West-India  Islands,  "to  bene- 
fit trade  and  promote  his  Majest3-'s  revenue."  The  domestic  mail  was 
intended  to  go  and  come  once  a  week ;  the  Post-Office  was  usually  in 
Cornhill,  now  Washington  Street,  below  vSchool  vStreet;  in  1727  it  was 
"  on  the  north  side  of  the  Town  House;"  under  Marshall  it  was  usually 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  457 

described  as  being  in  King  vStreet,,  now  State  Street.  The  Postmaster 
generally  lived  in  the  Post-Office ;  and  as  Postmasters  did  not  pay  postage 
on  their  own  mail  matter,  they  were  usually  publishers  of  highly  re- 
spectable, if  not  lively,  newspapers. 

Upon  the  death  of  Marshall,  John  Boydell,  the  Register  of  Probate, 
took  the  Post-Office,  but  retired  in  1734.  He  had  the  special  confidence 
of  the  people,  and  had  previously  become  familiar  with  postal  affairs. 
He  died  in  1739.  Upon  retiring  from  the  Post-Office  in  1734,  he  was 
succeeded  by  Ellis  Huske,  who  was  a  remarkable  man,  though  his  name 
is  almost  forgotten.  He  lived  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  where  he  took  a 
leading  part  in  affairs,  accumulating  a  considerable  fortune,  which  he 
bequeathed  to  his  son  John,  who  became  a  member  of  Parliament  and 
was  greatly  disliked  in  Boston  for  the  part  he  took  in  the  American 
vStamp  Act.  The  father  was  not  an  outspoken  patriot.  It  appears  that  . 
he  was  born  about  1700.  In  1720  he  married  Mary  Plaisted.  They  had 
four  children:  John,  who  became  famous  or  notorious;  Olive,  who  mar- 
ried John  Rindge ;  Anne,  who  married  Edmund  Quincy,  jr.  ;  and  Mary, 
who  married  John  Sherburne.  Governor  Belcher  appointed  Huske 
Naval  Officer  at  Portsmouth  in  1730;  while  he  was  Postmaster  of  New 
England,  he  was  also  Councillor  of  New  Hampshire;  from  1739  to 
1754  he  was  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court,  finally  as  chief  justice  of 
New  Hampshire.  Immediately  after  his  appointment  as  Postmaster, 
he  began  the  publication  of  our  third  newspaper,  the  Post-Boy, 
which  was  a  mild  supporter  of  Governor  Belcher  and  the  cause  of  loy- 
alism.  Huske  continued  the  Post-Boy  and  the  Boston  Post-Office  either 
until  his  death  in  1755,  or  until  the  advent  of  the  Franklins  in  the 
American  Post-Office.  He  was  Postmaster  of  Boston  as  late  as  Decem- 
ber 23,  1754.  But  if  he  ever  was  anything  like  Postmaster-General,  he 
was  replaced  in  1753  by  Franklin  and  Hunter.  In  the  Boston  Post- 
Office  he  was  succeeded  by  John  Franklin,  the  brother  of  Benjamin. 

The  work  in  the  Boston  Post-Office  during  the  Huske  period  was 
done  by  deputies,  William  Brock  serving  until  1748,  and  afterwards 
Samuel  Holbrook,  later  on  master  of  the  school  in  Queen  vStreet,  now 
Court  Street.  Both  deputies  were  men  in  good  standing.  Brock  had 
arranged  a  new  set  of  account  books  for  the  Town  of  Boston  in  1743, 
and  Holbrook  was  for  a  time  Deputy  vSecretary  of  the  Province.  Their 
chief,  Huske,  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  last  of  the  royal  Postmas- 
ters in  Boston ;  he  certainly  was  the  last  to  be  loyal  to  the  crown. 
Though  he  was  Postmaster  of  Boston,  and  publisher  of  a  Boston  paper 


458  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

that  claimed  to  be  issued  "by  authority,"  he  belonged  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. His  Boston  office  was  in  Dock  Sc[uare,  "  near  the  Conduit,- at 
the  head  of  the  Town  Dock."  In  1T45  it  w^as  removed  to  Queen  Street, 
now  Court  Street,  near  the  prison.  His  descendants,  tlirough  his 
daughters,  are  numerous  and  justly  honored. 

From  Huske  we  proceed  to  the  American  Post-Office — American  in 
character,  and  American  before  long  in  law,  if  not  in  energy.  For  as 
)'et  the  Post-Office  was  a  small  affair.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  entire 
receipts  of  the  American  Post-Office  under  Parliament  law  ever  reached 
the  sum  of  $25,000  in  any  year.  Out  of  this  the  salaries  of  the  Post, 
masters,  the  transportation  of  the  weekly  mail  between  Maine  and 
Georgia,  and  the  profits  of  the  British  exchequer  had  to  be  defrayed. 
The  English  Postmaster-General  complained  of  the  returns  he  received ; 
the  American  patrons  of  the  Post-Office  did  not  complain,  except  of 
slow  mails,  and  did  not  hasten  to  make  the  postal  service  remunerative. 
Boston  remained  the  chief  Post-Office  in  New  England,  and  apparently 
in  charge  of  the  New-England  countr}'  offices;  but  the  Act  of  1710 
made  New  York  the  central  office  of  the  country.  The  Postmaster- 
General  had  his  office  in  Philadelphia  or  New  York,  until  it  was  re- 
moved to  Washington. 

Benjamin  Franklin  was  American  Postmaster-General  from  1753  to 
1774  imder  British  authority,  and  1775-76  under  the  authority  of  the 
Continental  Congress.  He  appointed  his  brother  John  to  succeed 
Huske  as  Postmaster  of  Boston.  John  Franklin  published  the  first  list 
of  unclaimed  letters  then  in  his  office;  it  appeared  in  the  News  Letter, 
originally  John  Campbell's  paper,  and  indicates  what  territory  was 
served  in  1755  by  the  Boston  Post-Office.  He  died  on  Januar}'  30,  175G, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  stepson,  Tuthill  Hubbart,  who  continued 
until  the  Boston  Post-Office  was  lost  in  the  storms  of  the  Revolution. 
Hubbart's  service  as  Postmaster  ended  about  177G,  or  possibly  during 
the  siege  of  Boston.  He  died  in  1808  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight.  He 
had  been  for  forty  years  an  esteemed  underwriter.  From  1780  to  1784 
he  served  as  Selectman.  Benjamin  Franklin's  fellow'  Postmaster-Gen- 
eral, from  1753  to  17G1,  was  William  Hunter,  of  Williamsburg,  Va.  ; 
then  John  Foxcroft,  of  New  York,  from  1701  to  1774. 

With  the  dismissal  of  Benjamin  Franklin  and  the  retirement  of  Tut- 
hill Hubbart  from  the  Post-Office,  ended  the  dominion  of  Queen  Anne's 
Post-office  Act  over  America.  Our  early  Post-Office  was  distinctly 
American,  it  acted  under  American  law,  and  received  support  from  the 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  459 

colonial  governments.  This  ended  when  Parliament  prescribed  post- 
age rates  for  America,  and  when  the  Postmaster-General  in  London 
undertook  to  remove  the  honorable  Postmaster  at  Boston  and  to  appoint 
another  in  his  place.  When  the  Post-Office  was  identified  with  the 
Province,  the  official  mail  of  tlie  Province  w^as  carried  free ;  when  the 
Post-Office  was  made  a  feeder  of  the  British  exchequer,  at  least  in  theory 
and  by  statute,  the  Province  was  required  to  pay  postage.  In  1748 
Huske  presented  a  bill  for  ^151  11  10;  in  1740  his  deputy,  Samuel 
Holbrook,  charged  ^"3  15  for  a  Province  packet  or  large  letter  to 
Rhode  Island,  and  ;^12  G  in  1750  for  a  large  packet  received  for  the 
the  Province  from  New  York.  In  1758  Tuthill  Hubbart  presented  a 
bill  of  y^-54  1  4  for  postage  against  the  Province;  for  the  two  years 
ended  September  25,  17G0,  the  bill  was  ^37  3  4,  and  the  fact  was 
no  doubt  noticed  that  these  bills  of  1758  and  17G0  ended  with  Michael- 
mas, or  the  same  period  when  the  British  exchequer  closed  its  accoimts. 
For  three  New-York  newspapers,  carried  three  years,  the  Boston  Post- 
Office  charged  ^7  IG,  or  at  the  rate  of  17j.'.  ^d.  a  year  each.  That  was 
in  May,  17<)I ;  and  in  17G5  Deputy-Postmaster  Hubbart  presented  a  bill 
of  ^'40  19  9  for  postage  against  the  Province.  His  last  bill  against  the 
Province  was  for  ^^3G  10  1,  covering  the  period  from  July  5,  1773,  to 
June  18,  1874, 

Benjamin  Franklin  was  appointed  American  Postmaster-General  to 
make  the  British  Post-Office  in  America  acceptable  to  the  people;  he 
did  not  succeed;  he  could  not  succeed;  and  very  likely  he  did  not  care 
to  succeed,  though  he  intimates  that  he  made  ample  remittances  of 
Post-Office  profits  to  London.  In  175G  Governor  Dinwaddie  called  it 
"shameful  tediousness  "  that  his  letters  were  five  weeks  in  coming 
from  New  York  to  Virginia.  In  17G1  Franklin  was  scolded  because  the 
mail  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia  went  by  the  way  of  Trenton 
instead  of  Perth  Amboy,  as  originally;  in  17G4  the  Earl  of  Halifax 
wanted  a  Post-Office  map  of  America,  Moll's  sketch  map  of  1739  having 
been  forgotten  or  thought  insufficient.  The  authorities  in  London  were 
not  satisfied ;  the  American  Post-Office  authorities  were  distinctly  dis- 
satisfied, despite  Franklin's  personal  popularity,  and  the  people  were 
ready  for  a  change  of  system.  The  change  came  abruptly,  it  took 
place  all  along  the  line,  and  the  Post-Office  w^as  the  first  independent 
Department  organised  by  independent  America.  Its  origin  was  political ; 
its  purpose,  political  union. 


400  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  British  government  dismissed  Franklin,  previously  called  "  onr 
joint  Deputy  Postmaster-General  of  America, "in  January,  1774,  osten- 
sibly for  his  connection  with  the  Hutchinson  letters.  In  the  same  year 
the  Province  Congress  of  Massachusetts  met ;  and  while  Boston  was 
in  the  hands  of  a  British  army  the  Province  Congress  organised  a  post- 
office  for  Massachusetts,  and  the  Continental  Congress  established  the 
American  Post-Office.  On  May  13,  1775,  the  Province  Congress  at 
Watertown  established  fourteen  Post-Offices  in  Massachusetts:  Cam- 
bridge, which  stood  also  for  Boston;  Salem,  Ipswich  and  Newbury, 
where  there  had  been  Post-Offices  for  fifty  years ;  Haverhill,  George- 
town, Worcester,  vSpringfield,  Great  Barrington,  Sandwich,  Falmouth 
in  Barnstable  County,  Plymouth — all  in  Massachusetts  proper ;  and  Fal- 
mouth in  Cumberland  County,  besides  "  Kennebeck  or  Wells"  in 
Maine.  The  first  Postmaster  at  Cambridge  under  the  Province  Con- 
gress was  James  Winthrop,  appointed  May  i:>,  1775;  he  soon  resigned, 
and  on  July  8,  1775,  Jonathan  Hastings  was  appointed  in  his  place. 
After  the  evacuation  of  Boston  by  the  British,  Hastings  removed  his 
Post-Office  to  Boston,  on  April  25,  177(i,  and  administered  it  until  1808. 
Hastings,  who  was  born  on  August  2,  1751,  belonged  to  a  respected 
family  in  Cambridge;  his  father  was  a  distinguished  patriot,  and  it 
was  from  his  house,  on  June  17,  1775,  that  Joseph  Warren  went  forth 
to  Bunker  Hill,  glory,  and  death.  Jonathan  Hastings  was  also  a  Har- 
vard graduate  in  the  class  of  17G8.  His  descendants  are  still  living. 
The  Province  Congress  of  1775  prescribed  the  following  rates  of  post- 
age for  Massachusetts,  payable  in  the  "  lawful  money  of  this  Colony:" 
One  letter  up  to 


00  miles, 

^d. 

One 

letter 

UJ)  to 

600 

miles. 

U. 

!)./. 

]()()     " 

M. 

" 

" 

700 

" 

2.S-. 

200     " 

10  k/. 

'• 

" 

800 

" 

-Zs. 

21^/. 

800     " 

\s.    U. 

" 

" 

900 

" 

2s. 

sJ/. 

400     " 

\s.    Ad. 

" 

" 

1,000 

" 

2s. 

8^/. 

500     ' ' 

\s.    Hd. 

Double  letters,  consisting  of  two  sheets  of  paper,  paid  dotible  rates; 
treble  letters  paid  treble  rates;  letters  weighing  an  ounce  paid  quad- 
ruple rates.  The  Postmasters  were  sworn,  and  their  bond  was  fixed  at 
^,'100  each.  The  Province  Congress  proceeded  in  this  business  subject 
t(j  action  on  the  part  of  the  Continental  Congress;  and  the  order  of 
May  13,  1775,  was  coupled  significantly  with  a  resolution  "to  prevent 
any  Town  or  District  taking  any  notice  of  his  PLKcellency  Gen.  Gage's 
precepts  for  calling  a  (icncral  Asseml^ly. "  The  Continental  Congress 
acted  forthwith. 


The  postal  service.  46i 

On  May  19,  1775,  the  Continental  Congress  appointed  a  committee 
to  consider  the  best  means  of  establishing-  .posts  for  conveying  letters 
and  intelligence  throughout  the  country,  and  on  July  26,  1775,  the  true 
birthday  of  the  American  Post-Office,  Benjamin  Franklin  was  chosen 
Postmaster-General,  for  the  purpose  of  running  a  line  of  posts  froin  Fal- 
mouth, or  Portland,  in  Maine,  to  wSavannah  in  Georgia,  with  as  many 
cross  posts  as  he  might  think  fit.  ,  His  salary  was  fixed  at  $1,000,  that 
of  Richard  Bache,  his  secretary  and  comptroller,  as  well  as  son-in-law, 
at  $o40.  Not  to  be  outdone  by  Massachusetts,  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, which  had  established  a  Post-office  Department  before  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  recomtnended  that  postriders  be  placed 
at  intervals  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles,  and  that  they  carry  the  mail 
three  times  a  week.  In  the  absence  of  Franklin,  Richard  Bache  was 
chosen  Postmaster-General  on  November  7,  177r»,  and  continued  to 
serve  until  January  28,  1782,  when  Ebenezer  Hazard  was  appointed  in 
his  place,  Avith  James  Bryson  as  the  First  Assistant  or  Clerk.  Hazard 
served  until  Washington  was  elected  President  and  appointed  Samuel 
Osgood  Postmaster-General.  The  changes  were  usually  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  Post-Office,  notwithstanding  orders  to  the  contrar}^,  failed  to 
be  remunerative.  The  charge  of  inefficiency  brought  against  Bache  and 
Hazard  amounts  to  little  else.  It  is  the  same  fate  that  overtook  Camp- 
bell in  1718,  Hamilton  in  1730,  and  many  Postmasters  as  well  as  some 
Postmasters-General  since  then.  But  Post-Office  receipts  cannot  be 
materially  increased  b}'  the  urging  of  those  in  charge ;  beneficent  laws 
and  public  patronage  alone  can  make  the  Post-Office  rich  or  self-sup- 
supporting. 

The  Continental  Congress  made  Philadelphia  the  seat  of  the  Ameri- 
can Postmaster-General,  and  fixed  the  salaries  of  Postmasters  at  ten  per 
■  cent,  on  receipts  exceeding  $1,000  a  year,  and  twenty  per  cent,  in  case 
receipts  remained  below  $1,000.  In  1777  Congress  authorised  the  ap- 
pointment of  an  Inspector  of  Dead  Letters  at  a  salary  of  $100  a  year,  and 
the  rates  of  postage  were  raised  fifty  per  cent.  In  1779  the  salary  of 
the  Postmaster-General  was  raised  to  $2,000  first,  then  to  $3,500,  and 
postage  was  fixed  at  twenty  times  the  rates  of  1775.  At  the  same  time 
Congress  demanded  for  itself  a  semi  weekly  m.ail.  In  1780  the  salary 
of  the  Postmaster-General  was  reduced  to  $1,000,  that  of  his  secretary 
and  comptroller  to  $500,  and  postage  was  reduced.  On  October  19, 
1781,  the  postage  rates  of  1775  were  restored.  Postmasters  were  allowed 
salaries  not  exceeding  twenty  per  cent,  of  their  receipts,  and  the  salary 


402  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

of  the  Postmaster-General  was  fixed  at  $1,250,  that  of  his  Assistant  or 
Clerk  at  $800.  On  October  18,  1782,  soon  after  the  appointment  of 
Postmaster-General  Hazard,  Congress  passed  the  famous  Post-Office 
Ordinance,  which  controlled  until  May  'M,  1792. 

The  Articles  of  Confederation,  adopted  in  1777,  and  signed  in  1778, 
had  continued  the  Post-Office  work  of  the  Continental  Congress,  and 
provided  in  Article  IX  that  the  "  United  vStates,  in  Congress  assembled, 
shall  have  the  sole  and  exclusive  right  and  power  .  .  .  of  establishing 
and  regulating  Post-Offices  from  one  State  to  another,  throughout  all 
the  United  vStates,  and  exacting  such  postage  on  the  papers  passing- 
through  the  same  as  may  be  requisite  to. defray  the  expense  of  the  said 
offices."  It  was  under  this  authority  that  the  Post-office  Ordinance  of 
1782  was  adopted.  It  declared  the  Post-Office  to  be  "essentially 
requisite  to  the  safety  as  well  as  the  commercial  interest  "  of  the  United 
vStates,  and  the  function  of  the  Post-Office  was  ha]:)pily  defined  as  "the 
communication  of  intelligence  with  regularity  and  despatch."  The  mail 
was  to  be  carried  regularly  between  New  Hampshire  and  Georgia,  and 
elsewhere  when  required.  A  single  sheet  remained  the  imit  of  letters; 
letter  postage,  owing  to  the  state  of  the  currency,  was  fixed  at  sixteen 
grains  as  the  unit.  This  clumsy  unit  was  a  rough  compromise  between 
the  dollar  in  which  Congress  intended  to  deal,  and  the  shilling  and 
pence  of  the  people.  Sixteen  grains  of  silver  formed  4-^  of  Alexander 
Hamilton's  silver  dollar,  containing  -llfJ  grains  of  silver  892.428  fine, 
or  roughly  four  cents  of  our  money,  or  two  pence  sterling.  The  Ordi- 
nance fixed  the  price  of  silver  at  -^  of  a  dollar  for  every  twenty-four 
grains,  or  the  silver  dollar  at  432  grains.  Postage  on  single  letters  go- 
ing less  than  sixty  miles  was  fixed  at  thirty-two  grains  of  silver,  or 
about  4c/.,  or  eight  cents  in  our  mone}-;  on  single  letters  going  from 
sixty  to  one  hundred  miles  the  postage  was  fort3'-eight  grains,  Qd.,  or* 
twelve  cents;  and  for  every  additional  one  hundred  miles  sixteen  grains, 
ecjual  to  2c/.  or  4  cents,  were  added.  For  letters  to  or  from  Europe  the 
charge  retnained  ninety-six  grains  of  silver,  or  one  shilling,  a  rate  es- 
tal)lished  in  1710,  and  continued  until  the  second  half  of  this  century. 
Double  letters  paid  double  postage ;  treble  letters  paid  treble  postage ; 
and  letters  weighing  an  ounce  paid  quadruple  rates.  Newspapers  were 
carried  outside  the  mail  bags  at  rates  determined  by  the  Government, 
which  took  part  of  the  proceeds.  The  salar}^  of  the  Postmaster-General 
was  fixed  at  $1,500,  of  his  "Clerk  or  As.sistant  "  at  $1,000.  The  Ordi- 
nance answered  the  demand  of  its  time,  and  was  heartily  supported  in 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  463 

Massachusetts.  Its  defect  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  Articles  of  Confed- 
eration still  left  each  State  a  certain  field  of  action  in  postal  matters 
within  the  State.  In  1T77,  at  the  request  of  Congress,  Massachusetts 
exempted  Postmasters  and  postriders  from  military  duty.  A  year  be- 
fore certain  Virginia  gentlemen  agreed  to  ride  post  once  a  week  be- 
tween Fredericksburg  and  Charlottesville.  But  on  the  whole  the  Ordi- 
nance i)f  1782  worked  w^ell  enough,  and  was  not  replaced  until  three  years 
after  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution.  Samuel  Osgood  served  as  Wash- 
ington's Postmaster-General  imder  the  Ordinance  he  had  helped  to 
frame,  and  Jonathan  Hastings,  the  Postmaster  at  Boston,  had  the  honor 
of  serving  under  appointments  received  successively  from  the  Province 
Congress,  and  from  the  Postmasters-General  appointed  by  the  Conti- 
nental Congress,  under  the  Articles  of  Confederation,  and  under  the 
Constitution,  He  was  born  when  Massachusetts  was  a  \oyq\  Province; 
he  witnessed  the  agitation  and  consternation  over  the  Stamp  Act ;  he 
saw  Warren;  and  he  lived  long  enough  to  hear  that  President  Jackson 
had  invited  Postmaster-General  Barry  to  a  seat  in  the  Cabinet.  Hast- 
ings died  March  8,  1831;  but  he  retired  from  the  Boston  Post-Office  in 
1808,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Aaron  Hill.  It  was  under  these  men 
that,  owing  to  the  establishment  of  independent  Post-Offices  in  Cam- 
bridge, Charlestown,  Brighton,  Roxbury,  Dorchester,  and  Brookline, 
the  Boston  Postal  District  lost,  for  some  decades,  its  ancient  extent  and 
power. 

The  history  of  the  Boston  Post-Office  under  the  Constitution  may  be 
divided  into  three  periods,  respectively  separated  by  the  Presidency  of 
Jackson — also  in  other  respects  an  era  of  American  history — and  by  the 
year  1875,  when  the  Postal  District  resumed  its  former  extent.  During 
the  period  from  Washington  to  the  inauguration  of  President  Jackson, 
Boston  had  but  two  Postmasters,  Jonathan  Hastings  and  Aaron  Hill. 
Hastings  was  originally  appointed  by  the  Province  Congress  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  served  until  1808,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Aaron  Hill. 
Both  were  natives  of  Cambridge;  both  were  Harvard  graduates ;  both 
were  identified  with  the  Revolution;  both  served  an  unusual  number  of 
years  as  Postmasters.  Hill  served  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution ;  was 
a  Selectman  of  Cambridge  from  17l»o  to  1805,  and  in  1807,  Town  Clerk 
from  1798  to  1805,  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  from 
1795  to  1808,  and  a  member  of  the  Governor's  Council  in  1810-11  and 
1824:-25.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Boston  on  July  1,  1808;  his 
successor  was  appointed  March  21,  1829.      Hill  died  November  27,  1830. 


464  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

He  was  appointed  by  Postmaster-General  Granger,  at  a  time  when 
United-States  vScnators  resigned  to  become  Postmasters ;  for  Theodoras 
Bailey  retired  from  the  Senate  to  take  the  New-York  post-office,  and 
Michael  Leib  gave  up  the  senatorship  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Philadelphia  post-office.  As  Boston  has  generally  been  the  third  largest 
Post-Ofifice  in  the  country,  one  may  infer  in  what  esteem  the  position  of 
its  Postmaster  was  held  by  public  opinion.  Yet  until  1836  no  Postmas- 
ter was  appointed  by  the  President,  and  until  Jackson's  time  the  Post- 
master-General was  not  a  member  of  the  Cabinet. 

The  Constitution  was  to  unify  and  consolidate  the  national  Govern- 
ment;  but  until  Jackson's  day  the  Post-Office  legislation  of  the  country 
rose  very  little  above  the  level  of  ITTo  and  1T82.  Samuel  Osgood,  the 
first  Postmaster-General  under  the  Constitution,  served  altogether  under 
the  postal  laws  of  the  preceding  period.  Even  his  salary  had  been  fixed 
by  the  Act  of  1782,  and  the  present  Post-Ofifice  Department  may  be  said 
to  have  its  beginning  under  the  Constitution  in  the  Act  of  20  Feb- 
ruary, 1792.  That  law  fixed  the  postage  rates  which  controlled  with 
slight  variations  until  1845,  letter  postage  ranging  from  six  to  twenty- 
five  cents  for  each  sheet,  according  to  distance.  The  same  law  made 
the  stealing  of  letters  punishable  with  death.  The  Postmaster-General 
had  a  salary  of  $2,()()U,  the  Postmasters  not  exceeding  $1,800;  but  the 
Act  of  May  8,  171)4,  gave  the  Postmasters  up  to  $:3,500,  and  it  threat- 
ened the  theft  of  money  letters  by  ]:)ostal  employees  with  death.  Mail 
robberv  was  likewise  punishable  with  death.  The  so-called  penny  post, 
which  began  at  Boston  in  1(;39,  was  continued.  The  Act  of  March  2, 
1799,  made  the  stealing  of  money  letters  on  the  part  of  employees  pun- 
ishable with  whipping,  and  aggravated  mail  robbery  with  death.  In 
the  same  year,  the  expenses  of  the  Post-Ofifice  Department,  as  distinct 
from  the  postal  service,  were  charged  to  the  Treasury,  which  has  borne 
them  ever  since,  while  the  postal  service  is  intended  to  pay  for  itself. 
The  same  Act  exempted  postal  employees  from  militia  and  jury  duty. 
They  are  still  exempt  from  militia  dutv;  but  the  exemption  from  jury 
service  was  accidentally  repealed  in  1874. 

In  1796  the  domestic  mails,  both  from  New  York  and  the  East,  were 
due  in  Boston  on  Wednesdays  and  vSaturdays ;  the  foreign  mail  service 
continued  strikingly  imperfect,  although  vessels  arriving  in  Boston 
could  not  break  bulk  until  they  had  delivered  their  mail.  For  each 
letter  so  received  the  Postmaster  paid  two  cents,  and  charged  six  or 
eight.      Letters   for  foreign  countries  were  despatched  only  when  the 


THE  POSTAL  SERIVCE.  4(35 

home  charges  were  fully  prepaid.  But  there  was  no  regular  foreign- 
mail  service,  although  the  Act  of  1709  authorised  the  Postmaster-Gen- 
eral to  "make  arrangements  with  the  Postmasters  in  any  foreign  coun- 
try for  the  reciprocal  receipt  and  delivery  of  packets  through  the  Post- 
Offices."  This  state  of  affairs  continued  until  about  1850,  and  was  not 
fully  reduced  to  an  orderly  system  until  1878,  when  the  Postal  Union 
made  five  cents  the  standard  rate  for  international  letters.  The  Bos- 
ton Post-Office  had  its  beginning  in  the  care  of  foreign  letters,  for 
Richard  Fairbanks  was  to  receive  and  despatch  ship  letters  only;  and 
yet  the  foreign  mail  was  the  last  to  be  reduced  to  reasonable  uniform- 
ity. The  Post-Office  Departinent  at  Washington  had  no  "foreign  desk '' 
until  1850,  and  no  Superintendent  of  Foreign  Mails  until  18(58.  Its  work 
was  almost  altogether  domestic,  and  consisted  mainly  in  the  extension 
of  postal  facilities.  Osgood  found  but  about  seventy-five  Post-Offices, 
mostly  on  the  shore  line  from  Portland  to  Savannah  ;  Pickering  and 
Habersham  increased  the  number  to  nearly  one  thousand ;  but  it  was 
not  until, October  1,  1802,  that  Postmaster-General  Granger  established 
Cambridge  as  a  separate  office  in  the  present  Postal  District  of  Boston. 
Charlestown  was  established  April  1,  181G,  by  Posmaster-General 
Meigs;  Brighton,  July  1,  1817. 

Gideon  Granger,  who  was  Postmaster-General  from  18(»1  to  181-1,  was 
a  true  Jeffersonian.  At  an  early  day  he  recommended  that  negroes  be 
not  allowed  to  carry  the  mails.  In  support  he  alluded  to  "political 
considerations,"  and  stated  frankly  that  it  was  hazardous  to  accpiaint 
negroes  with  "natural  rights,"  adding:  "They  will  learn  [as  mail  car- 
riers] that  a  man's  rights  do  not  depend  on  his  color."  These  pro- 
visions of  1802  were  re-embodied  in  the  Post-Office  Act  of  1810,  and 
negroes  could  not  be  mail  carriers  until  the  time  of  President  Lincoln. 
But  the  Act  of  1810  abolished  whipping  as  a  punishment  for  stealing 
money  letters  on  the  part  of  postal  employees,  and  substituted  impris- 
onment up  to  ten  years.  Aggravated  mail  robbery  was  still  punishable 
with  death;  and  this  law  continued  until  1872,  when  imprisonment  for 
life  was  substituted.  The  lowest  rate  for  letters  carried  not  exceeding 
forty  miles  was  raised  from  six  to  eight  cents,  and  under  Postmaster- 
General  Meigs,  who  served  from  1814  to  1823,  the  rate  was,  for  the 
period  from  February  1,  1815,  to  ]\Iay  1,  181G,  the  highest  under  the 
Constitution,  namely,  twelve  cents  for  a  single-sheet  letter  carried  not 
exceeding  forty  miles,  and  thirty-seven  and  one-half  cents  for  a  like 
letter  carried  more   than   four  hundred  miles.      From   May  1,  181G,  to 


466  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

July  1,  1845,  the  rates  were  from  six  to  twenty-five  cents.  Meigs  de- 
fended vSunday  mails  as  an  act  of  mercy,  because  an  act  of  necessity. 
His  administration  was  not  marked  in  Boston  ;  but  he  paid  more  money 
into  the  Treasury  than  any  of  his  predecessors.  Meigs  paid  $387,209, 
against  $363,310  paid  by  Habersham,  and  $291, 57!)  paid  by  Granger. 
Since  then,  owing  to  the  rapid  increase  of  Post-Offices,  the  service  has 
not  been  profitable  to  the  Treasury.  It  was  in  Meigs's  day  that  Van 
Rensselaer,  a  Federalist,  resigned  a  seat  in  Congress  to  take  the  Post- 
Office  -aX.  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  the  Democrats  ruled. 

Mr.  McLean,  Postmaster-General  from  1823  to  1829,  is  one  of  the 
most  illustrious  men  ever  connected  with  the  service.  His  administra- 
tion is  marked  by  the  consolidated  Post-Office  Act  of  1825,  and  by  the 
establishment  of  about  four  thousand  new  Post-Offices.  In  the  Boston 
District  he  established  the  following:  Roxbury,  August  25,  1823;  Dor- 
chester April  3,  1826;  East  Cambridge,  March  17,  1828;  Cambridge- 
port,  March  18,  1828;  Jamaica  Plain,  January  12,  1829;  and  Brookline, 
March  3,  1829.  Thvis  the  number  of  Post-Offices  in  the  Boston  Postal 
District  w-as  increased  to  ten  ;  from  1639  to  1802  there  had  been  but  one. 
Postmasters  were  now  placed  under  bonds,  and  prohibited  from  engag- 
ing in  lotteries.  The  power  of  the  Postmaster-General  over  the  whole 
service  and  its  finances  w'as  almost  absolute.  ]\Ir.  Justice  vStory  thought 
it  excessive,  and  his  famous  commentary  upon  the  Constitution  con- 
tains a  memorable  warning  against  the  political  abuse  almost  invited 
by  the  Post-Office  laws.  Until  Barry,  the  Postmaster-General  was  not 
a  member  of  the  Cabinet ;  but  he  was  a  political  officer.  Granger  was 
appointed  and  removed  for  political  reasons ;  and  when  Jackson  became 
President,  there  began  that  commingling  of  party  politics  and  Post-Office 
afi^airs  which  continues  until  now,  although  the  Act  of  1836  gave  the 
auditing  of  all  Post-Office  accounts  to  the  Treasury,  and  deprived  the 
Postmaster-General  of  the  right  to  appoint  Postmasters  whose  annual 
salary  exceeds  $1,000.  The  Civil-Service  law  of  1883  has  still  further 
stemmed  the  tide,  and  no  Postmaster-General  has  engaged  in  removals 
or  appointments  called  political,  unless  he  was  urged,  not  to  say  forced, 
by  the  political  party  to  which  he  owed  his  own  appointment. 

For  the  first  quarter  that  Postmaster-General  Osgood  was  in  office, 
he  reports  a  total  revenue  of  $7,510.65,  Boston,  the  third  largest  office 
contributing  $664.93.  In  the  year  ended  Octobers,  1791,  the  Boston 
Post-Office  collected  $3,694.75  in  a  total  of  $42,255.14  for  the  whole 
country.      In  the  year  ended  September  30,  1821,   the   Postmaster  at 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  46 1 

Boston,  Aaron  Hill,  deducted  $5, 10!). 41  from  the  gross  receipts  of  his 
office,  expending  $2,825.00  for  six  clerks,  $:300  for  rent,  $94.30  for  fuel 
and  light,  and  $07.72  for  incidentals,  leaving-  him  a  net  compensation, 
as  the  published  account  states,  of  $1,881.74.  The  receipts  of  one  let- 
ter carrier  are  not  included.  He  received  two  cents  for  every  letter  he 
delivered.  In  the  year  ended  ]\Iarch  31,  1827,  the  net  amount  of  post- 
age accrued  at  the  Boston  office  was  $52.057.31 ;  at  Cambridge,  $689.50; 
at  Charlestown,  $937.75;  at  Brighton,  $101.34;  at  Roxbury,  $448.00; 
and  at  Dorchester,  $151.01.  These  sums  remained,  after  all  local  office 
expenses  were  paid,  and  illustrate  the  rapid  growth  of  the  district  in 
Avealth  and  activity.  In  the  same  year  the  Philadelphia  office  paid 
$77,440.04  to  the  Postmaster-General,  and  New  York  $114,388.81.  The 
Boston  Post-Office  under  Hastings  was  first  at  44  Cornhill,  now  called 
Washington  Street ;  then  in  vState  Street,  where  Brazer's  btiilding  now 
stands;  and  from  1816  to  1829  it  w^as  at  the  corner  of  Congress  and 
Water  Streets.  Hill  retired  from  the  Boston  Post-Office  in  1829,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Nathaniel  Greene,  a  true  Jacksonian. 

The  first  Postmaster  at  Cambridge  was  Ebenezcr  Stedman ;  his  suc- 
cessor was  Joseph  Stacey  Read.  Stedman  was  born  May  16,  1743;  he 
was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1705;  from  1786  to  1790  and  from  1796 
to  1801  he  was  Selectman  at  Cambridge;  from  1786  to  1808  he  was  Town 
Treasurer;  he  died  October  7,  1815.  Read  was  born  in  1754;  by  trade 
he  was  a  saddler;  he  died  in  1830.  Both  men  were  held  in  general  re- 
spect. Their  office  dealt  with  the  Boston  Post-Office  only.  The  first 
Postmaster  of  Charlestown,  appointed  in  1816,  was  John  Kettell.  The 
first  Postmaster  at  Brighton,  appointed  in  1817,  was  no  less  a  man  than 
Noah  Worcester,  famous  as  the  founder  of  the  ^Ias.sachusetts  Peace 
Society  and  as  the  author  of  peace  tracts  that  circulated  almost  through- 
out Christendom.  In  1818  Harvard  created  him  a  Doctor  of  Divinity, 
and  in  1844,  seven  years  after  his  death,  his  memoirs  were  published. 
He  was  born  November  25,  1758^  in  Hollis,  N.  H.  ;  was  a  fifer  in  the 
Continental  army ;  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill ;  acted  as  a 
Congregational  missionary  in  New  Hampshire,  and  removed  to  Brigh- 
ton when  it  w^as  a  village  of  about  050  inhabitants.  He  served  as  Post- 
master until  1837,  and  his  daughter  Sally  was  his  deputy.  In  1830, 
when  the  Jackson  administration  was  in  full  operation,  Brighton  had 
972  inhabitants;  Cambridge,  with  its  Post-Offices  at  Cambridge,  Cam- 
bridgeport  and  East  Cambridge,  had  6,072  inhabitants;  Charlestown 
had  8,783;  Roxbury,  5,247;   Dorchester,  4,074;   Brookline,  1,043;  Bos- 


468  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ton  with  Chelsea,  02,163;  and  the  present  Postal  District,  8S,;)54in  all, 
as  reported  by  the  Census  of  the  United  States. 

The  Presidency  of  Jackson  brought  Postmaster-General  Barry  into 
the  Cabinet ;  it  brought  postal  legislation  of  the  first  importance ;  and 
with  it  came  the  railway  that  was  destined  to  revolutionise  the  postal 
facilities  of  the  country.  It  appears  that  the  service  at  the  beginning 
was  to  have  its  own  "posts,"  or  special  riders  at  fixed  intervals;  in 
1704  authority  was  given  to  carry  the  mail  on  regular  stage  lines,  but 
with  the  proviso  that  the  cost  must  not  exceed  the  revenue;  the  Act  of 
1825  enabled  the  Postmaster-General  to  send  the  mail  in  steamboats, 
provided  the  cost  did  not  exceed  three  cents  a  letter;  the  railway  as  a 
post  road  was  not  recognised  by  law  until  1S']S,  when  the  country  had 
nearly  two  thousand  miles  of  railway.  The  reason  why  the  mails  did 
not  go  sooner  by  private  conveyance  is  readily  seen:  the  charges  were 
very  high.  In  IS));]  the  triweekly  mail  between  Louisville  and  New 
Orleans  was  carried  by  land,  the  "Ohio  and  Mississippi  Mail  Line"  of 
steamboats  declaring  that  they  could  not  carry  letters  for  the  sum  of 
three  cents  each.  In  1838  the  law  declared  that  the  transportation  of 
mail  matter  by  rail  must  not  exceed  the  cost  in  stage  coaches  by  more 
than  twenty-five  per  cent.  In  1823  the  country  had  85, 700  miles  of  post 
road,  and  only  on  20,!)4:5  was  the  mail  carried  in  stages;  in  1821)  the 
mail  was  carried  13,000,000  miles  in  all,  half  the  distance  in  mail 
coaches,  the  remainder  in  sulkies  or  on  horseback;  in  1832  the  trans- 
portation of  the  mails  had  reached  23,625,021  miles,  1 6,222,743  being 
by  coach,  against  6,902,977  by  sulky  or  on  horsback,  and  but  4!)'.), 301 
by  steamboat.      P)Ut  see  the  Blue  Book  of  1.S33,  p.  *273. 

It  appears,  then,  that  under  Jackson  and  his  two  Postmasters-General, 
Barrv  and  Kendall,  the  transportation  of  mail  by  private  conveyance, 
as  distinct  from  (jovcrnment  transportation,  came  into  general  u.se; 
that,  with  few  exceptions,  steamboats  in  domestic  waters  did  not  largely 
engage  in  the  carrying  of  the  public  mail ;  and  that  railroads  soon  took 
the  larger  part  of  the  business.  Boston  was  supplied  in  the  main  by 
mail  coaches,  some  of  them  quite  grand,  until  the  railroads  fairly 
m.)n)polised  tlie  business  <_)f  carrying  the  mail.  And  it  is  right  to 
affirm  that,  as  compared  with  other  parts  of  the  country,  the  railways 
centering  in  Boston  have  charged  moderate  prices  for  carrying  the 
mail.  The  most  extravagant  prices  have  been  charged  for  certain 
vSouthern  mails,  for  mails  on  the  Mississippi  river,  and  for  the  over- 
land mail    to   California   before  the   building   of  the    Pacific  railways. 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  4«9 

The  Boston  Postal  District  has  been  profitable  to  the  Department  from 
the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  and  though  not  the  third  largest  city 
in  the  coimtry,  Boston  generally  pays  the  third  largest  profit  —  a  dis- 
tinction it  has  had  with  scarce  an  exception  since  17<S9.  Before  Jack- 
son the  stage  was  the  great  mail  carrier  for  Boston;  since  then  the 
railway  has  had  almost  a  monopoly  of  carrying  Boston  mails,  the  Bos- 
ton mails  carried  in  domestic  steamboats  being  insignificant.  But  for 
some  years  a  heavy  foreign  mail  was  carried  to  and  from  Boston  in 
foreign  steamships. 

The  Postmasters  at  Boston  from  the  era  of  Jackson  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  present  Postal  District  were  seven,  two  of  whom  served 
two  terms  each.  Nathaniel  Greene,  appointed  on  March  21,  1820.  was 
the  last  of  the  Boston  Postmasters  to  receive  his  commission  from  the 
Postmaster-General.  The  Post-Office  Act  of  ISoO,  framed  by  Amos 
Kendall,  placed  the  appointment  of  all  Postmasters  whose  income 
exceeds  ^1,000  a  year  in  the  hands  of  the  President,  with  the  advice 
and  consent  of  the  Senate.  The  same  law  limited  the  term  of  these 
appointments  to  four  years,  and  gave  the  President  the  absolute  power 
of  removal.  The  result  has  been  that  Postmasters  are  in  some  sense 
political  officers,  although  their  duties  are  chiefly  ministerial  and  en- 
tirely non-political.  Greene  was  born  May  20,  17i)7,  at  Boscawen,  N. 
H.,  and  died  in  Boston,-  November  29,  1877.  He  founded  in  1821  the 
American  Statesman,  a  Boston  newspaper  which  was  merged,  some  ten 
years  later,  in  the  Boston  Post.  Until  some  few  years  ago  the  weekly 
edition  of  the  Post  was  called  the  American  vStatesman.  As  an  avoca- 
tion Greene  gave  some  attention  to  literature,  translating  from  the 
Italian,  French  and  German.  On  April  28,  1 8-1:1,  immediately  after 
the  accession  of  President  Tyler,  George  W.  Gordon  was  appointed 
Postmaster  in  Greene's  place;  but  Greene  was  reappointed  on  Septem- 
ber 20,  1843,  and  served  until  184:'l.  When  the  Taylor-Fillmore 
administration  came  in,  William  Hayden  was  appointed  Postmaster,  on 
May  14,  184'.»,  but  George  W.  Gordon  was  reappointed  on  September 
28,  1850,  and  served  imtil  1853.  ,  Gordon  had  been  a  member  of  the 
Boston  Common  Council  in  its  palmy  days  from  1835  to  183!).  Hayden 
sat  in  the  same  body  from  1842  to  1845;  in  1847,  1848,  and  1852  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  H<_)use  of  Representatives.  From 
1824  to  1841  he  had  been  Auditor  of  the  City  of  Boston.  He  was  born 
November  8,  1705,  at  Richmond,  Va.,  and  died  October  0,  1880,  at 
Maiden,  Mass.      He  was  graduated  at  the  Boston  Latin  School  in  1807. 


470  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Like  so  many  Postmasters  in  Boston  and  elsewhere,  Harden  was  a 
newspaper  editor,  being  connected  with  the  famous  Boston  Atlas,  the 
Whig-  organ.  Another  newspaper  editor  who  became  Postmaster  at 
Boston  was  Edwin  C.  Bailey,  appointed  on  September  21,  1853,  who 
served  during  the  Presidency  of  Pierce.  Edward  Curtis  Bailey  was 
born  June  10,  1810,  in  New  York  Cit}";  he  entered  the  Boston  Post- 
Office  under  his  uncle,  Postmaster  (ircene.  In  1847  and  1848  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Boston  Common  Council ;  in  1848,  still  under  Greene, 
he  took  charge  of  the  General  Delivery.  From  1840  to  1853,  under 
Postmasters  Hayden  and  Gordon,  he  served  as  Chief  Clerk.  While 
Postmaster,  from  1853  to  1.S57,  he  became  owner  of  the  Boston  Herald, 
selling  out  in  18(i0.  After  a  pause  he  edited  the  Boston  Globe  in  1878- 
7'.),  and  then  the  Patriot  at  Concinxl,  X.  H.  He  was  killed  in  a  rail- 
road horror  at  Ouincy,  August  21,  18110. 

This  connection  between  the  ncwspa])ers  and  the  Post-Ofhce  was 
originally  due  to  the  franking  privilege  enjoyed  by  all  postmasters. 
Until  1845  nearl}"  the  entire  mail  for  postmasters  was  carried  free,  and 
for  many  years  half  the  postage  collected  from  newspapers  went  to  the 
postmasters.  The  Act  of  1825  gave  the  postmasters  but  one  daily 
paper  postage  free,  or  a  half-dozen  weeklies;  but  the  same  Act  enabled 
newspaper  publishers  to  exchange  their  papers  postage  free.  The  Act 
of  1845  restricted  the  privileges  of  the  larger  Postmasters,  and  in  18G3 
all  postmasters'  private  mail  was  placed  on  the  same  footing  as  other 
citizens'.  Since  then  the  postmasters  have  not  had  any  advantage  over 
private  publishers;  but  the  country  postmaster  and  the  country  weekly 
appear  to  be  naturally  connected.  Baile}^  was  the  last  to  combine  the 
Boston  Post-Ofhce  with  newspaper  publishing;  his  immediate  suc- 
cessors were  given  to  literature.  Nahum  Capen,  who  served  under 
Buchanan,  was  appointed  on  June  4,  1857,  and  John  Gorham  Palfrey, 
who  served  under  Lincoln  and  Johnson,  was  appointed  on  March  20, 
1801,  and  took  charge  of  the  office  April  11,  1861. 

Capen  was  a  publisher,  who  drifted  into  writing;  Palfrey  is  the  illus- 
trious historian  of  New  England.  Capen  was  born  on  April  1,  1804, 
at  Canton,  Mass.  ;  became  a  member  of  Marsh,  Capen  &  Lyon,  Boston 
publishers;  edited  the  Massachusetts  vState  Record  from  1847  to  1851; 
wrote  quasi-philosophical  books  upon  the  United  States  and  the  His- 
tory of  Democracy,  besides  essays  upon  international  copyright  and 
reminiscences  of  Spurzheim  and  Combe;  he  died  on  Januar}^  8,  1886,  in 
Dorchester'       William    B.    Smith    was    Capen's   Assistant-Postmaster. 


>^:.  i/  /tM€Z 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  4T1 

Palfrey  is  one  of  the  imperishable  names.  He  was  bom  in  Boston  on 
Ma}'  2,  179G,  and  died  at  Cambridg-e  on  April  20,  18S1.  He  is  the  only 
Boston  Postmaster  who  ever  held  a  seat  in  Congress,  having  been 
elected  in  IS-tG  as  a  Whig'.  Previously  he  had  been  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature,  professor  of  sacred  literature  and  an  over- 
seer at  Harvard  College,  editor  of  the  North  American  Review  in  its 
grand  days,  and  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth  from  1844  to  184T. 
He  had  published  Lectures  on  the  Jewish  Scriptures  and  Antiquities, 
Evidences  of  Christianity,  the  elements  of  a  rabbinical  gzrammar,  and 
many  discourses  upon  Harvard  College  history  and  politics;  but  it  is  as 
the  historian  of  New  England  that  his  name  is  honored  throughout  the 
world  of  letters.  On  April  13,  1867,  William  L.  Burt  was  appointed 
Postmaster  at  Boston  in  the  place  of  Palfrey;  then  the  present  Postal 
District  came  into  being:  the  age  of  newspapers  and  literature  in  the 
Boston  Post-Office  was  succeeded  by  an  age  of  affairs  and  expansion. 

When  Nathaniel  Greene  became  Postmaster  in  1829,  Boston  had 
about. 60, 000  inhabitants  scattered  over  little  more  than  3,000  acres,  a 
good  part  of  which  was  hardly  occupied.  When  Burt  was  appointed  in 
1867,  the  territory  of  Boston  had  been  increased  by  encroachments 
upon  the  water,  and  the  population  had  risen  to  about  215,000;  but 
Roxbury,  Dorchester,  Charlestown,  West  Roxbury  and  Brighton  were 
independent  post-offices  and  municipalities  ;  and  Brookline,  Cambridge, 
Soinerville,  Chelsea,  Revere,  and  Winthrop,  though  since  added  to  the 
Boston  Post-Office,  continue  to  be  independent  cities  or  towns.  The 
era  from  1829  to  the  establishment  of  the  Postal  District  was  marked 
by  internal  growth.  Commerce  prospered;  in  1840  Enoch  Train  began 
his  fainous  line  of  Liverpool  packets,  and  in  the  same  year  the  first 
Cunard  steamship  arrived  in  Boston.  Up  to  1848  the  Cunarders  made 
Boston  their  only  American  port,  and  for  soine  years  Boston  was  the 
chief  post-office  of  the  country  for  foreign  mails.  But  gradual!}-  the 
supremacy  was  transferred  to  New  York,  so  that  when  Burt  was 
appointed  Postmaster,  Boston  coinmerce  and  steamship  connections  had 
greatl}'  dwindled,  the  civil  war  helping  to  increase  the  loss.  The  work 
of  the  Post-Office,  however,  though  mainly  internal,  and  perhaps 
because  it  was  mainly  internal,  did  not  dwindle.  The  number  of  Post- 
Offices  was  increased.  When  Greene  became  Postmaster  in  1829,  the 
L^nited  States  had  about  8,000  Post-Offices,  the  present  Postal  District 
of  Boston  but  ten.  On  June  1,  1873,  the  country  had  about  33,000 
post-offices,  and  the  present  Postal   District   of    Boston  not  less  than 


472  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

twenty-four:  Boston,  Brighton,  Brooklinc,  Cambridge,  Cambridgeport, 
Charlestown,  Chelsea,  Dorchester,  East  Cambridge,  P2ast  Soinerville, 
Harrison  vSquare,  Jamaica  Plain,  Mattapan,  Mount  Auburn,  Neponset, 
North  Brighton,  North  Cambridge,  North  vSomerville,  Revere,  Roslin- 
dale,  Somerville,  West  Roxbury,  West  Somerville,  and  Winthrop. 
East  Boston  and  Roxbury  had  already  been  changed  to  Boston  Stations, 
and  two  additional  Stations  had  been  established  at  South  Boston  and 
South  End.  Far  greater  were  the  changes  in  the  postal  administration 
and  in  the  reliance  of  the  public  upon  the  postal  service. 

The  great  Post-Office  Act  of  183(i,  still  in  force,  and  the  greatest 
monument  left  by  Amos  Kendall,  placed  the  auditing  of  all  postal 
accounts  in  the  control  of  the  Treasury  Department,  thus  checking  the 
extraordinary  powers  vested  in  the  Postmaster-General,  who  has  ever 
since  acted  under  specific  appropriations.  In  lS4o  the  half-ounce  was 
made  the  standard  for  letter  postage  in  the  place  of  the  single  sheet, 
and  the  word  packet,  originally  applied  tcj  ship  letters  or  commercial 
letters  of  at  least  three  or  four  single  sheets,  was  transferred  to  mail 
boats  or  steamers  carrying  the  mails.  President  Taylor's  Postmaster- 
General,  upright  John  Collamer,  first  suggested  the  request  envelope 
or  the  useful  custom  of  writing  senders'  addresses  on  all  mail  mat- 
ter. Our  first  postage  stamps,  one  for  five  cents,  one  for  ten,  were 
issued  in  1847,  and  became  immediately  popular.  vStamped  envelopes 
ff)llowed  in  1853,  but  the  payment  of  postage  in  stam])s  did  not  exceed 
the  payment  in  money  until  1855-50.  Prepa}'ment  in  stamps  became 
compulsory  in  1872.  At  an  early  date  Boston  became  a  large  market 
for  the  private  sale  of  all  sorts  of  postage  stamps. 

President  Fillmore's  Postmaster-General,  Nathan  Kelsey  Hall,  in- 
duced Congress  in  1851  to  make  three  cents  the  standard  postage  for 
domestic  letters ;  he  established  the  foreign  mail  service  as  a  distinct 
branch  of  the  Post-Office  Department,  and  he  made  an  attempt  at  com- 
piling the  postal  histor}'  of  the  country.  But  while  domestic  postal 
affairs  underw^ent  great  expansion  and  many  improvements,  the  foreign 
mail  service  remained  uncertain  and  costly.  In  1852  the  postage  on 
domestic  letters  weighing  a  half-ounce  or  less  was  three  cents,  but 
double  the  rate  when  carried  more  than  three  thousand  miles.  The 
postage  on  daily  papers  was  from  $1  to  $fi  a  year,  according  to  distance; 
on  weekly  papers  from  twenty  cents  to  $1.20.  Letter  Carriers  received 
a  cent  for  every  letter  they  delivered  and  half  a  cent  for  every  news- 
paper.     Postage  on  foreign  letters  mailed  in  Boston  was  as  follows:   to 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  473 

the  United  Kingxlom,  twenty-four  cents;  to  Bremen,  twenty  cents  by 
the  Bremen  line,  but  twenty-one  cents  by  American  packets;  to  Ham- 
burg', twenty-one  cents  by  American  packets  and  twenty-five  cents  by 
the  Bremen  liiie ;  to  Brazil,  via  Falmouth,  eighty-seven  cents;  to  Port- 
ugal, via  Southainpton,  sixty-three  cents;  to  Spain,  seventy-three 
cents;  to  Australia,  thirty-seven  cents  by  private  ship,  fifty-three  cents 
via  Southampton,  and  seventy-three  cents  via  Marseilles;  to  Sweden, 
thirty-nine  cents;  to  St.  Petersburg,  twenty-four  cents;  to  Canada,  ten 
and  fifteen  cents,  according  to  distance ;  and  to  Mexico,  thirty-five  or 
forty-five  cents,  the  dividing  line  being-  a  distance  of  2,500  miles.  The 
sums  spent  by  the  government  for  carrying  the  foreign  mails,  especially 
from  1850  to  1860,  were  enormous,  and  have  not  since  been  exceeded. 
This  confusion  in  the  foreign  mails  of  the  country  continued  until  the 
Postal-Union  Treaty  of  Berne,  which  was  signed  on  October  9,  1874, 
and  finally  made  all  civilised  countries  a  postal  unit,  governed  by  one 
law  or  one  mind — perhaps  the  greatest  achievement  in  the  history  of 
international  law,  if  not  the  fullest  demonstration  that  all  nations  of 
men  are  made  of  one  blood. 

On  July  1,  1855,  the  Registr}"  system  went  into  operation,  but  did  not 
immediately  rise  into  importance.  The  year  1858  should  be  remem- 
bered, perhaps,  as  the  most  extravagant  in  the  history  of  the  Post-Office 
'  Department.  The  total  earnings  of  the  service  throughout  the  country 
were  $7,486,792.86;  the  Department  expended  $12,722,470.01,  not 
counting  $885,322.20  expended  by  the  Xavy  Department  for  ocean 
mail  transportation.  In  fact,  the  Treasury  paid  $5,634,245.20  out  of 
general  funds  for  postal  purposes,  not  counting-  the  cost  of  post-office 
buildings  owned  by  the  Government.  In  the  same  year  the  Boston 
Post-Office  yielded  but  $22,125.97,  in  surplus  of  commissions;  and 
all  Massachusetts  produced  a  net  revenue  of  only  $130,396.21.  In 
Connecticut  expenses  exceeded  postal  receipts;  the  entire  Post-Office 
receipts  in  Arkansas  were  $35,726.54,  the  expenses  $244,589.09.  The 
letter  carriers  in  Boston  handled  1,430,488  pieces  of  mail  matter,  in- 
cluding but  37,984  out-of-town  letters;  for  this  service  the  people  of 
Boston  paid  $13,799.58.  In  the  same  year  Boston  sent  316,741  letters 
by  the  New-York,  Chagres  and  California  line  of  mail  steamers,  717,213 
newspapers,  and  collected  $37,396.30  in  postag-e  on  business  done  b}- 
the  line  named.  But  in  the  country  at  large  the  postal  business  was 
conducted  most  extravagantly,  leading  Postmaster-General  Holt  to  call 
loudly  for  "retrenchment  and  reforms,"  a  phrase  since  made  popular 

00 


474  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

in  a  diffeixnit  field.  It  was  this  same  eminent  Postmaster-General  who 
established  the  first  nio-fit  mail  between  Boston  and  New  York  by  rail ; 
the  mail  left  both  places  at  8  p.m.      This  service  began  in  18G0. 

More  than  one-fifth  of  its  present  annual  receipts  the  Boston  Postal 
District  expends  for  the  free  delivery  of  mail  matter  to  all  persons 
within  the  Postal  District.  This  interesting  and  extremely  popular 
service  has  a  history  dating  back  to  1803,  when  it  was  first  authorised 
b)'  Congress.  It  appears  to  rest  upon  the  rule  that  free  delivery  should 
be  established  wherever  the  postage  on  local  matter  suffices  to  pay  for 
free  delivery.  This  service  began  at  Boston  in  1863  with  thirty-two 
Letter  Carriers,  who  received  pay  at  the  rate  of  $22,360  a  j^ear.  But 
Letter  Carriers  paid  by  the  recipients  of  mail  matter  w^ere  authorised  as 
early  as  1630,  when  Fairbanks  was  made  Postmaster  at  Boston.  The 
public  paid  one  penny  or  two  cents  for  every  letter  delivered  by  Carrier; 
the  great  Post-Office  Act  of  1836  continued  this  rate,  but  allowed  Car- 
riers also  to  collect  mail  matter  for  despatch  on  receipt  of  two  cents  for 
each  letter.  For  delivering  papers  or  pamphlets  they  received  a  half 
cent  per  piece.  These  receipts  of  the  Carriers  were  delivered  to  the 
Postmaster,  who  paid  the  Carriers.  The  Act  of  1851  allowed  the  Letter 
Carriers  to  deliver  or  receive  letters  for  less  than  two  cents  a  piece ;  and 
under  this  Act  all  public  ways  in  Boston  became  post  routes.  The  first 
year,  1851-52,  the  Letter  Carriers  at  Boston  handled  748,050  pieces,  for 
which  the  sum  of  $7,476.35  was  received.  The  total  number  of  pieces 
handled  at  the  Boston  Post-Office  was  returned  at  8,012,507  letters  and 
666,241  papers,  the  latter  including  442,682  papers  carried  free  for 
publishers.  No  wonder,  Boston  had  more  dail)^  papers  then  than  it  has 
toda}'. 

For  1852-53  the  Boston  Letter  Carriers  were  reported  to  have  handled 
871,370  pieces,  for  which  the  persons  in  interest  paid  $8,541.20.  The 
service,  then,  was  extremely  cheap,  but  not  popular.  In  1854  the  Car- 
riers delivered  or  received  021,418  pieces,  the  fees  being  $8,878.28, 
while  the  Carriers  in  Baltimore  handled  030,256  pieces,  the  fees  being 
$14^434.0-2.  For  the  same  year  the  Boston  Post-Office  received  a  "  sur- 
plus of  commissions"  amoimting  to  $15,023.20,  against  $302.68  in 
Philadelphia.  Indeed,  an  era  of  lavish  extravagance  had  set  in,  and 
continued  until  drowned  in  the  terrors  of  the  civil  war.  Those  w'ere 
the  years  when  the  Collins  line  of  steamers  received  $858,000  annually 
for  twenty-six  trips  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  and  back,  tmder  a 
contract  with  the  Navy  Department.      In   1801   the  entire  cost  of  our 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  4To 

foreign  mails  was  less  than  $000,000;  and  nearly  twice  that  sum  was 
received  back  in  the  form  of  postage.  The  principal  economy  practised 
was  experienced  by  the  chief  postmasters,  who  received  annually  $"2,000 
each.  For  1855  the  net  revenue  of  the  Boston  Post-Office,  being  the 
gross  receipts  less  office  expenses,  was  $149,378.62.  In  that  year  the 
Postmaster  at  Charlestown  had  the  same  salary  as  the  Postmaster  at 
Boston,  while  the  net  receipts  of  the  Charlestown  office  were  $3,038.29. 
The  money  went  mainly  for  transportation.  In  1850  the  Postmaster- 
General  reported  the  entire  earnings  of  the  postal  service  throughout 
the  country  at  $6,930,821.60;  and  the  sums  paid  for  transportation  of 
the  mails  at  $6,765,639.42,  which  does  not  include  the  ocean  mail  ser- 
vice paid  by  another  Department.  The  Letter  Carriers  throughout  the 
country  received  $162,915.59;  the  Post-Office  clerks,  $758,080.80. 

Ten  years  later,  the  country  had  forty-six  Free-Delivery  Post-Offices, 
with  863  Carriers,  the  cost  being  $589,236.41,  and  Boston  stood  third  in 
the  list  of  cities,  as  far  as  the  cost  of  free-delivery  is  concerned.  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  led ;  but  Chicago  was  shortly  to  outgrow  Bos- 
ton. Like  so  many  improvements  in  the  postal  service,  the  Free-De- 
livery system  is  due  to  Montgomery  Blair,  Postmaster- General  under 
President  Lincoln.  He  introduced  also  the  Money-Order  system,  which 
has  been  in  operation  since  July  1,  1864;  and,  in  a  measure,  he  was  the 
author  of  the  railway  mail  service.  But  Montgomery  Blair  owed  some- 
thing, as  does  the  country,  to  Joseph  Holt,  President  Buchanan's  Post- 
master-General, who  cried  a  halt  to  postal  extravagance,  when  it  was 
his  misfortune,  in  1860,  to  report  postal  receipts  at  $8,518,067.40,  and 
expenses  at  $19,170,782.15.  Besides  maintaining  the  Post-Office  De- 
partment, as  distinct  from  the  postal  service,  and  all  public  buildings 
used  as  Post-Offices,  the  Treasury  in  J  860  paid  out  of  general  funds, 
obtained  by  loans  or  taxes,  the  sum  of  $11,154,167.54  to  keep  the 
L'nited-States  Post-Office  solvent.  Yet  in  the  face  of  such  facts  the 
the  Postmaster-General  of  1868  wrote  in  his  annual  report:  "The  idea 
that  the  Post-Office  Department  [meaning  the  postal  service]  can  be 
self-sustaining,  in  the  present  condition  of  the  country,  is  absurd.  It 
cannot  be,  and  ought  not  to  be  for  fifty  years  to  come."  A  better  age 
was  to  come  with  John  A.  J.  Creswell,  President  Grant's  great  Post- 
master-General from  1869  to  1874. 

It  was  this  eminent  man  that  created  the  Boston  Postal  District.  He 
compiled  the  great  consolidated  Post-Office  Act  of  1872,  ^vhich  is  still 
the  law  of  the  land,  and  he  ranks  easily  with  the  best  postal  officers  in 


4t6  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

our  whole  history.  It  was  he  who  had  the  fortune  of  sending  our  first 
mail  to  the  Pacific  by  an  all-rail  line;  and  by  one  stroke  of  the  pen,  on 
June  25,  lS7o,  he  discontinued  the  independent  Post-Offices  at  Cam- 
bridg-e,  Cambridgeport,  Charlestown,  Chelsea,  Dorchester,  East  Cam- 
bridge.  East  vSomerville,  Harrison  vSquare,  Mattapan,  Mount  Auburn, 
North  Cambridge  and  Somerville,  and  made  them  Stations  of  the  Bos- 
ton Post-Office,  like  East  Boston,  Roxbury,  South  Boston,  and  Station 
A  or  South  End,  the  onh^  Stations  then  connected  with  the  Boston 
office.  Thirt3--five  Carriers  were  to  do  the  Free-Delivery  work  from  the 
new  vStations.  This  sudden  annexation  was  largely  due  to  Postmaster 
Burt  and  to  the  annexation  fever  then  prevalent  in  Boston.  Roxbury 
had  been  annexed  in  18G8;  Dorchester  in  1870;  Charlestown,  West 
Roxbury  and  Brighton  were  to  follow  in  1874.  But  Brookline,  Cam- 
bridge, Somerville,  Chelsea,  Revere,  and  Winthrop  have  remained  in- 
dependent municipalities.  It  is  thus  at  nearly  the  same  time  that 
Boston  became  a  great  city  in  area  as  well  as  population  ;  that  it  be- 
came a  great  Postal  District;  and  that  the  Postal  Union  transformed 
the  civilised  world  into  one  postal  unit,  with  one  mind  and  one  law. 
The  character  of  the  Boston  Postal  District  is  unique.  But  for  Post- 
master Burt  and  Postmasters-General  Creswell  and  Jewell,  it  would  not 
have  been  formed. 

Postmaster-General  Creswell's  order  annexing  all  Post-Offices  at 
Charlestown,  Somerville  and  East  Somerville,  Cambridge  and  Dorches- 
ter to  the  Boston  Post-Office,  was  issued  on  June  25,  1873,  to  take  effect 
on  July  1,  1873.  Postmaster-General  Marshall  Jewell's  order,  annex- 
ing all  West  Roxbury,  Brighton,  Revere,  Winthrop,  AVest  Somerville 
and  North  vSomerville,  took  effect  on  June  1,  1875.  Brookline  was 
added  to  the  District  on  July  1,  1883,  as  if  to  commemorate  the  fact 
that  in  its  eaidy  days  Brookline  had  been  a  part  of  Boston  and  Suffolk 
County.  This  Postal  District  is  unique  in  the  United  vStates.  Its  chief 
eft'ect  is  to  give  free  delivery  to  Revere,  Winthrop,  Mattapan,  and  the 
remotest  points  in  Brookline.  But  for  their  close  connection  with  the 
Boston  Pcjst-Office,  they  might  still  be  without  that  advantage.  In  area 
the  District  is  the  second  largest  in  the  country,  covering  about  sixty- 
three  square  miles,  while  the  Philadelphia  Free-Delivery  area  (in  1892) 
was  nearly  eighty  square  miles.  In  net  receipts  (gross  revenue,  less 
office  expenses)  the  Boston  Postal  District  is  exceeded  by  New  York 
and  Chicago;  in  gross  revenue,  by  New  York,  Chicago,  and  Philadel- 
phia; in  population,  by  New  York,  Chicago,  Philadelphia,  and  Brook- 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  47t 

lyn.  In  postal  activity,  Boston  is  not  surpassed  by  anj^  great  American 
city,  comparing  receipts  per  head  of  population  on  the  same  basis.  For 
New  York  does  much  postal  work  for  its  great  suburbs ;  and  neither  in 
Philadelphia  nor  in  Chicago  is  free  delivery  co-extensive  with  the 
municipalities.  In  the  cit}'  of  Chicago  there  are  scores  of  independent 
Post-Offices. 

The  earl}^  history  of  nearly  all  Boston  vStations,  once  independent 
Post-Offices,  has  elements  of  abiding  interest.  The  first  Postmaster  at 
Cambridgeport  was  Luther  Stearns  Cvishing,  the  author  of  "The  Law 
and  Practice  of  Legislative  Assemblies. "  The  second  Postmaster  at 
Roxbury  was  Ebenezer  Fox,  whose  "Revolutionary  Adventures"  were 
published  after  he  had  retired  from  the  Post-(3ffice  and  from  other 
earthly  troubles.  From  1820  to  1839  the  Postmaster  at  Charlestown 
was  Arthur  Williams  Austin,  an  ardent  Jeffersonian,  who  made  the 
L'niversity  of  Virginia  his  residuary  legatee.  In  18o5  he  published  a 
Memorandum  concerning  the  Charlestown  Post-Office,  which  shows  how 
the  offices  were  fought  for  during  the  reign  of  Jackson.  Austin  states 
that  in  five  years,  up  to  July,  183-1:,  his  Post-Office  yielded  him  but 
$1,325.10,  or  $2')O.02  a  year.  Later  in  life  he  was  Collector  of  the  Port 
of  Boston.  The  first  Postmaster  at  Chelsea  was  Horatio  Alger,  father 
of  the  famous  story  teller.  From  183!)  to  1888  William  S.  Keith  had 
charge  of  the  office  at  West  Roxbury ;  and  the  office  at  Winthrop,  es- 
tablished in  1853,  has  never  changed  its  immediate  chief.  The  Sta- 
tions, like  the  main  office,  have  been  singularly  free  from  calamities 
and  scandal;  they  have  generally  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  respect 
of  the  communit)'  they  served. 

For  this  high  character  of  the  postal  service  in  Boston,  the  credit,  if 
any,  is  due  no  less  to  the  singularly  highminded  community  than  to 
persons  engaged  in  the  service.  The  wishes  of  the  Boston  Postal  Dis- 
trict were  met  by  the  national  Government,  by  the  Postmasters  at  Bos- 
ton, and  by  their  numerous  subordinates.  The  public  wanted  only 
what  was  right  and  honorable  and  useful ;  thc}^  received  it.  A  community 
not  proudh'  demanding  the  best,  is  not  likely  to  get  it.  Postmaster 
William  Lathrop  Burt,  who  was  appointed  on  April  13,  18(J7,  witnessed 
the  annexation  of  Roxbur}^  Dorchester,  Charlestown,  West  Roxbury, 
and  Brighton  to  the  municipality;  and  is  the  true  father  of  the  present 
Postal  District.  A  Harvard  graduate  in  the  class  of  1850,  and  a  law- 
yer by  profession,  he  combined  executive  vigor  with  boldness.  He 
took   a  leading   part  in   obtaining  for   Boston   the  present  Post-Office 


478  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

building.  His  Assistant-Postmaster  was  Henry  S.  Adams.  If  any  of 
the  early  Boston  Post-Office  records  had  been  .preserved,  they  were  de- 
stroyed in  the  great  Boston  fire  of  18T"2,  the  Post-Office  in  the  Exchange 
building  being  destroyed  on  November  10.  Postmaster  Burt  retired  in 
1870,  leaving  the  record  of  an  administration  unsurpassed  for  energy 
and  excitement.  He  died  in  1882.  On  October  10,  1871,  President 
Grant  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  present  Post-Office ;  a  year  later  came 
the  great  fire,  which  swept  away  so  many  precious  records,  including 
those  of  the  Post-Office;  then  followed  a  great  struggle  for  more  room 
in  and  around  the  new  Post-Office  building,  which  had  barely  escaped 
destruction  (see  Boston  City  Documents,  1873,  No.  55.)  In  1875  the 
completed  part  of  the  new  building  was  occupied.  The  entire  pile  was 
not  completed  until  1885. 

The  administration  of  Edward  Silas  Tobey,  who  was  Postmaster  from 
January  1,  1870,  to  November  30,  1880,  was  very  quiet.  He  inherited 
a  great  office  and  a  great  district ;  it  was  his  special  mission  to  system- 
atise and  perfect  the  service.  He  began  with  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  Letter-Carriers ;  he  ended  with  about  three  hundred.  Notwith- 
standing the  reduction  of  the  postage  rates,  the  receipts  of  the  office 
rose  in  1880  to  $1,551,451.39,  the  net  revenue  being  nearly  a  million. 
The  Postmaster's  salary  was  raised  from  $4,000  to  $0,000.  The  new 
Civil-Service  law  had  no  better  friend  than  Postmaster  Tobey,  nor  had 
the  cause  of  temperance  and  benevolence.  In  the  cause  of  universal 
peace  Postmaster  Tobey  continued  the  interesting  work  begun  by  Post- 
inaster  Noah  Worcester,  of  Brighton.  Mr.  Tobey  was  born  on  April 
5,  1813,  at  Kingston,  Mass.  For  many  years  he  was  actively  engaged 
in  the  shipping  trade.  In  1800  he  was  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts 
vSenate.      He  died  on  March  30,  1891,  at  Brookline. 

His  successor  in  the  Boston  Post-Office  was  General  John  Murray 
Corse,  who  served  from  October  1,  1880,  to  March  31,  1891.  General 
Corse  was  born  on  April  27,  1835,  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.  ;  was  graduated  at 
West  Point  in  1857,  and  served  with  distinction  in  the  war  for  the 
Union,  his  brilliant  defense  at  Allatoona  leading  to  popular  fame,  and 
incidentally  to  the  equally  popular  "  Hold  the  fort,  for  I  am  coming." 
After  the  war  General  Corse  was  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  at 
Chicago.  His  administration  of  the  Boston  Post-Office  was  highly  suc- 
cessful. The  number  of  Letter-Carriers  rose  to  more  than  five  hundred ; 
the  gross  receipts  of  the  office  to  more  than  two  million  dollars.  Un- 
like many  postmasters,  General  Corse  became  deeply  interested  in  the 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  479 

entire  postal  service  as  a  business  enterprise,  and  was  apparently  the 
first  to  collect  materials  for  a  history  of  the  office.  To  an  unusual  de- 
g-ree  he  had  the  special  admiration  of  the  civil-service  reformers.  His 
successor  was  Thomas  Norton  Hart,  who  had  been  Mayor  of  Boston  in 
1S80  and  1800.  His  term  began  April  1,  1801.  He  was  born  on  Janu- 
ary 20,  1820,  at  North  Reading-/  Mass.,  and  had  been  a  successful 
merchant  before  he  entered  upon  his  public  career,  (general  Corse 
died  x\pril  27,  1803.  On  July  1,  1893,  Jeremiah  W.  Coveney  became 
Postmaster  at  Boston. 

POSTMASTERS   AT   BOSTON, 

vvrru  CHRON()i.(>GiCAL  Notes  on  the  Postal  Service. 

KioO. — Richard  Fairbanks,  appointed  by  Massachusetts.  Last  men- 
tioned in  1654-5. 

1073-4. — Fee  for  Postriders  regulated  by  Massachusetts. 

1677. — John  Hayward,  appointed  by  Massachusetts.  He  died  Decem- 
ber 2,  1687. 

1684. — Attempt  to  establish  American  Posts  for  the  benefit  of  the  Duke 
of  York. 

1601-2,  February  17. — Patent  for  the  American  Post-Office  issued  to 
Thomas  Neale. 

1692,  April  4. — Andrew  Hamilton  is  appointed  American  Postmaster- 
General. 

1603. — Hamilton  appoints  Duncan  Campbell  Postmaster  for  Boston  and 
Massachusetts.  Massachusetts  passes  the  great  Post-office 
Act. 

1702. — Duncan  Campbell  dies.  John  Campbell  appointed  Postmaster 
of  New  England  by  Andrew  Hamilton. 

1703,  April  26. — Postmaster-General  Hamilton  dies,  and  is  succeeded 
by  his  son,  John  Hamilton. 

1704. — Postmaster  Campbell  issues  the  first  number  of  the  News-Letter. 

1711. — The  Neale  patent  terminated  by  the  9  Ann.  c.  10. 
' '     — The  Boston  Post-Office  destroyed  by  fire. 

1718. — -Postmaster  Campbell  removed  by  the  London  authorities,  who 
appoint  Philip  Musgrave  in  his  place.  Postmaster-General 
Hamilton  appoints  William  Brooker,  who  starts  the  Gazette. 

1720. — Philip  Musgrave.      He  died  in  May,  1725. 

1725-1726.— Thomas  Lewis. 

1726-1732.— Henry  Marshall. 


480  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

1729. — Herman  Moll's  postal  map  of  America  published  in  London. 

1730. — Postmaster-General  Hamilton  removed.  Alexander  vSpotswood 
appointed  Postmaster-General  for  British  America  and  the 
British  West  Indies. 

1732-1734:.— John  Boydell. 

1734-1755. — Ellis  Huske.  He  lived  at  Portsmouth,  his  deputies  at 
Boston  being  William  Brock  (d.  1748)  and  vSamuel  Holbrook. 

1737. — -Benjamin  Franklin  appointed  Postmaster  at  Philadelphia  by 
Postmaster-General  Spotswood. 

1753._Benjamin  Franklin  and  Williatn  Hunter  appointed  Postmasters- 
General  for  America. 

1755-1750. — John  Franklin.      Died  January  30,  1750. 

175(;. — Tuthill  Hubbart.  He  served  nominally  until  the  British  va- 
cated Boston  in  1770. 

1774. — Postmaster-General  Franklin  dismissed  by  the  British  authori- 
ties. "  Collection  of  the  Statutes  now  in  Force,  Relating- to 
the  Post-office,"  published  in  New  York.  Paul  Revere's  first 
ride  as  the  Courier  of  the  Revolution. 

1775,  May  13. — The  Province  Congress  establishes  Post-Offices  and  ap- 
points Postmasters  for  Massachusetts.  James  Winthrop  ap- 
pointed for  Cambridge  (and  Boston);  succeeded  by  Jonathan 
Hastings  on  July  8.  On  July  20  the  Continental  Congress 
appoints  Benjamin  Franklin  Postmaster-General. 

1770-1808. — Jonathan  Hastings  Postmaster  at  44  Cornhill,  Boston. 

1770,  November  7. — Richard  Bache  appointed  Postmaster-General. 

1777. — The  Dead-Letter  office  begins.  Post-Ofiicc  monopoly  established 
and  vested  in  the  "  United  States,  in  Congress  assembled." 

17j;i2. — Ebenezer    Hazard    appointed    Postmaster-General.       Congress 

passes  the  Post-office  Ordinance,  which  controlled  until  1792. 

"     — The  office  of  (First)  Assistant  Postmaster-General  established. 

1785. — Post-Office  Department  removed  to  New  York.  Stage  coaches 
used  for  mail  transportation. 

1780. — The  Constitution.  Samuel  Osgood  appointed  Postmaster-Gen- 
eral.     Post-office  Department  in  New  York. 

17'.l2,  February  20. — Washington  signs  the  first  great  Post-office  Act 
under  the  Constitution.  The  postage  rates  established  con- 
tinue, with  slight  changes,  until  LS45.  Post-office  Depart- 
ment in  Philadelphia. 

1799. — The  expenses  of  the  Post-office  Department,  as  distinct  from 
the  postal  service,  are  charged  to  the  Treasury. 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  481 

1800. — Post-office  Department  in  Washington,  D.C. 

1802,  October  1. — Postmaster-General  Gideon  Granger  establishes  the 

Post-Office  at  Cambridge, 
isos,  July  1,-1820. — Aaron   Hill   Postmaster  at  Boston,    appointed  by 

Postmaster-General  Gideon  Granger. 
ISIO. — The  office  of  Second  Assistant  Postmaster-General  created. 
1815,  February  1,  to  April  30,  1816. — Domestic  letter  postage  twelve  to 

thirty-seven  and  one-half  cents. 
1810,  January  1. — Boston  Post-Office  at  corner  of  Congress  and  Water 
Streets. 
"      April  1. — The  Post-Office  at  Charlestown  established. 
18ir,  July  1.— The  Post-Office  at  Brighton  established. 
18-2o,  August  25. — The  Post-Office  at  Roxbiiry  established. 
1825. — The   Post-Office  laws  codified  under  Postmaster-Genei^al  John 
McLean.      Bonds  required  of  Postmasters.      Negroes  still  ex- 
cluded from  the  mail  service. 
1820,  April  3. — -The  Post-Office  at  Dorchester  established. 
1828,  March  17. — The  Post-Office  at  East  Cambridge  established. 

"  "       18. — The  Post-Office  at  Cambridgeport  established. 

1820,  January  12. — -The  Post-Office  at  Jamaica  Plain  established. 
"      March  3. — The  Post-Office  at  Brookline  established. 
"  "       -t. — President  Jackson  inaugurated. 

"  "     21. — Nathaniel  Greene  appointed  Postmaster  at  Boston  by 

Postmaster-General  William  T.  Barry. 
"     — The  Postmaster-General  admitted  to  the  Cabinet. 
1830. — -Post-Office  in  old  State  House,  then  called  City  Hall. 
1832,  July  0. — The  Post-Office  at  Chelsea  established. 
183-1,  February  27. — The  Post-Office  at  West  Roxbury  established. 
"    — Adhesive  postage  stamps  first  proposed   by  Jaines  Chalmers, 
Dundee. 
1835-18-1:0.^ — Amos  Kendall  Postmaster-General. 

1830. — The  Kendall  Act  transfers  the  auditing  of  Post-Office  accounts 
to  the  Treasury.  The  appointment  of  Postmasters  receiving 
$1,000  or  more  is  vested  in  the  President.  The  office  of  Third 
Assistant  Postmaster-General  created.  Collection  of  letters 
for  the  mails  authorised. 
1830,  March  2. — The  Post-Office  at  Neponset  Village  established.  It 
ceased  on  June  30,  1873,  but  was  continued  for  a  short  time 
as  Neponset  Station. 

01 


482  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

1840,  July  10. — The  first  Ciinard  vS.  vS.,  the  Britannia,  arrived  in  Boston 

with  the  English  mail.     The  service  continued  ever  since. 

1841,  April   38. — President    Tyler   appoints    George    William    Gordon 

Postmaster  at  Boston.      He  served  until  184.3. 

1843,  vSeptember  20. — Nathaniel    Greene    reappointed   Postmaster  by 

President  Tyler;  serves  until  1849. 

1844,  January  1. — Boston  Post-Ofhce  in  Merchants'  Exchange  building, 

State  Street. 
"      May  24. — Successful  trial  of  the  ]\Iorsc  telegraph  between  Wash- 
ington and  Baltimore. 
"     May  28.— The  Post-Office  at  Somerville  established. 
1845.— Postage  reduced  to  five  and  ten   cents  for  half -ounce   letters. 

Pamphlets  and  magazines  admitted  to  the  mails. 
184(j,   July   22.— The  Post-Office  at  North   Chelsea  established.      The 

name  changed  to  Revere  in  187J. 
1847. — First  arrangement  with  a  foreign  government  for  the  exchange 
of  mails  concluded  with  Bremen.     The  regular  despatch  of 
mails  for  Europe  by  American  steamers  begun. 
"     — -First  issue  of  American  Postage  Stamps. 

1848,  November  23. — Henry  Archer's  machine  for  separating  postage 

stainps  patented  in  Great  Britain. 
"     — First  Postal  Convention  with  Great  Britain. 

1849,  July  10. — The  Post-Office  at  Harrison  Square  established.    It  was 

discontinued  on  July  1,  1873. 
"      May  14. — -President  Taylor  appoints  William  Hayden  Postmaster 

at  Boston.      He  served  until  1850. 
"  -1863. — Delivery  fee  for  letters,  one  cent. 

1850,  May  15.— The  Post-Office  at  East  Boston  established.     Changed 

to  a  Station  May  1,  1860. 
"      September  28. — President    Fillmore    appoints    George    William 
Gordon  Postmaster  at  Boston.      He  served  until  1853. 
1851. — Postage  reduced  to  three  cents  on  half-ounce  letters  carried  not 
exceeding  3,000  miles.     New  issue  of  Postage  Stamps      Books 
admitted  to  the  mails. 
1852. — The  apponitment  of  Assistant  Postmasters  required  b}'  the  De- 
partment.     vStamped  envelopes  authorised. 
1853,  January  6. — The  Post-Office  at  North  Cambridge  established. 
"      February  2. — The  Post-Office  at  Winthrop  established. 
"      March  3. — Assistant  Postmasters-General  are  made  Presidential 
appointments. 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  ^%% 

1853 — Stamped  envelopes  introduced. 
"      September  21.^ — President  Pierce  appoints  Edwin  Curtis  Bailey 
Postmaster  at  Boston.      He  served  until  1857. 
1853-1877. — John  Lewis,  Superintendent  of  Mails  at  Boston. 

1855,  July  1. — The  Registry  service  begins. 

"     — Prepayment  of  postage  on  domestic  mail  letters  compulsory. 

1856,  March   14. — The  Post-Office  at  Mount  Auburn  established.      It 

was  discontinued  on  September  15,  1873,  but  became  a  vSub- 
Station. 
"      August  6.— The   Post-Office  at  Mattapan  established.      A  Station 
since  July  1,  1873. 

1857,  June  4. — President  Buchanan  appoints  Nahum  Capen  Postmaster 

at  Boston.    He  served  until  1861.     vStreet  Letter-Boxes  intro- 
duced in  Boston. 

1858-1884. — Albert  J.  Hildreth  in  charge  of  the  Registry  division. 

1850,  March  5. — Boston  Post-Office  at  corner  of  .Summer  and  Chauncey 
Streets. 

1861,  March  29. — John  Gorham  Palfrey  appointed  Postmaster  at  Boston 
by  President  Lincoln.  Served  until  1867.  Thomas  L.  Har- 
mon, Assistant  Postmaster. 
"  August  1. — Post-Offices  established  at  East  Somerville  and  North 
Somerville.  The  former  becomes  a  Station  July  1,  1873,  and 
later  a  Sub-Station.  The  North  Somerville  Post-Office  be- 
came a  Sub-Station  on  July  1,  1875  (present  name,  Winter 
Hill). 
"     — -Daily  mails  to  California  established. 

"      December  14. — Boston  Post-Office  in  Merchants'  Exchange  build- 
ing. State  vStreet. 

1863,  July  1. — Free  Deliver}^  and  Collection  service  begins. 
"    — First  international  postal  conference  at  Paris. 

"     — Entire     trans- Atlantic      mail     service    performed    by    foreign 
steamers. 

1864,  July  1. — Money-Order  service  begim.    Omar  Loring  superintend- 

ent at  Boston  until  April  30,  1888.     Railway  Post-Offices. 

1865,  March   3. — Employment  of   Railwa5^-Mail   clerks   authorised  by 

Congress. 
1866. — -Request  envelopes  introduced. 
1867,  April  13. — President   Johnson    appoints    William    Lathrop    Burt 

Postmaster  at  Boston.      .Served  until  1875.      Henry  .S.  Adams, 

Assistant  Postmaster. 


484  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

18()8,  February  28  to  May  31,  1875.— Allston  a  Post-Office. 
"       vSeptember  22. — The  Post-Office  at  Roxbury  changed  to  a  Station 

of  the  Boston  Post-Office. 
1800-1874. — John  A.  J.  Creswell,  Postmaster-General   under  President 

Grant. 
1800,  May  10. — The  raih'oad  to  the  Pacific  completed. 

1870,  March  15. — The  Post-Office  at  Roslindale  established      It  ceased 

May  31,  1875,  but  was  revived  as  a  Station. 

1871,  October  1(3. — President  Grant  lays  the  corner-stone  of  the  first 

Government  Post-Office  building  in  Boston. 

1872,  June  8. — The  Postal  Code  signed.      Merchandise  admitted  to  the 

mails. 

1872,  November    10. — The    Post-Office    in    the    Merchants-Exchange 

Building,    55   wState   vStreet,   destroyed  by   fire.      Removed   to 
Faneuil  Hall. 

1873,  February  3. — Post-Office  removed  to  Old  South  Meeting  House. 
"      March  20.— The  Post-Office  at  North  Brighton  established.      It 

ceased  on  May  31,  1875. 

"     April  21  to  May  31,  1875.— West  Somerville  a  Post-Office. 

"     May  1. — Postal  Cards  introduced. 

"  June  25. — Postmaster-General  Creswell  signs  the  order  changing 
the  Post-Offices  at  Charlestown,  Chelsea,  East  Cambridge, 
Cambrigdeport,  Cambridge,  North  Cambridge,  Somerville, 
East  Somerville,  Harrison  Square,  Dorchester,  Mattapan,  and 
Neponset  Village  to  Stations  of  the  Boston  Post-Office,  the 
order  taking  effect  on  July  1,  1873. 

"  — The  office  of  Attorney-General  for  the  Post-Office  Department 
established. 

1874,  October  0. — The    Postal    Treaty    at    Berne    signed;    the    Postal 

Union  established. 
"    — The  publication  of  the  official  United  States  Postal  Guide  begun. 

1875,  January  1. — The  present  Post-Office  building  occupied. 

"  May  17. — Postmaster-General  Marshall  Jewell  signs  the  order 
discontinuing  the  Post-Offices  at  West  Roxbury,  Jamaica 
Plain,  Brighton,  Allston,  Revere,  Winthrop,  Roslindale, 
Boylston  Station,  North  Brighton,  North  wSomerville  and 
West  Soinerville ;  and  establishes  Boston  Stations  at  West 
Roxbury,  Jamaica  Plain,  Brighton,  Allston,  Revere,  and 
Winthrop,  the  wStations  to  begin  on  June  1,  1875. 


MEtiDpD]]laiifiih]i3TTmfi  8-TtTi£rgmig  Co  SewToTt 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  485 

18?G. — Edward  Silas  Tobey  (from  Jan.  1)  Postmaster  at  Boston.      He 
served   until    188G.      Charles   vSoule,  Assistant   Postmaster   to 
1884. 
"      October  1. — Edward  T.    Barker  begins   the   superintendence  of 
delivery  and  collection. 

1877,  Jul3\ — David  A.  Holmes  appointed  Superintendent  of  Mails. 
"     — The  penalty  envelope  authorised. 

1878,  October  1. — Packages  admitted  to  Registration. 

1870,    April  1. — The    General    Postal    Union    becomes    the    Universal 

Postal  Union.      Five  cents  the  standard  for  all  Postal-Union 

letters. 
"     — Publishers'  postage    on  newspapers  and    periodicals  two  cents 

per  pound. 
"     — The    title    of    vSpecial    Agents    of    the   Post-Office    Department 

changed  to  Post-Office  Inspectors. 

1881,  February. — ^A.  T.  Stahl  appointed  wSuperintendent  of  Mails. 

1882,  July  1. — The  Brookline  Post-Office  changed  to  a  Boston  vStation. 
"     October  1. — Domestic  postage  on  half-ounce  letters  two  cents. 

1884,  June  9. — Postage  on  newspapers  mailed  by  the  public  reduced  to 

one  cent  for  every  four  ounces. 
"     — Alden  B.  Weston  appointed  Superintendent  of  Registry.      Ed- 
ward S.  Tobe}',  Assistant  Postmaster  to  188G. 

1885,  July  1. — The  lawful  weight  of  two-cent  letters   increased  to  an 

ounce. 
"     — Newspapers  and  periodicals  mailed  b}"  publishers  carried  at  the 

rate  of  one  cent  per  pound. 
"      October  1. — Special-Delivery  service  begun. 
1880,  October  8. — President  Cleveland  appoints  General  John  Murray 
Corse  Postmaster  at  Boston.      His  service  began  December  1, 
1886,  and  ended  March  31,  1891. 
1887. — Peter   J.    Hughes   appointed   Superintendent  of  Mails.     W.  J. 

Dale,  Assistant  Postmaster  to  1891. 
1888,  May  8  until  May  11,  1889.— Linus  E.  Clark  Superintendent  of  the 
Money-Order  Division. 
"      May  24. — The  eight-hour  law  for  Letter-Carriers  passed. 
"      November  1. — Back  Bay  Station  opened. 
1889. — Henr}^  A.  Thomas  appointed  Superintendent  of  Mails. 
"     May  27. — Omar  F.  Loring  appointed  Superintendent  of  the  Money- 
Order  Division. 


486  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

1891,  March   3. — The    office  of   Fourth    Assistant   Postmaster-General 

estabHshed. 
"    — The  Post-Office  Department  recast  by  Postmaster-General  John 

Wanamaker. 
"     February    28. — President     Harrison    appoints    Thomas    N.    Hart 

Postmaster  at  Boston.     He  served  from  April  1,  1891,  to  June 

30,  1893. 
"      Jnly  7. — A  new  Convention  of  the  Universal  Postal  Union  signed 

at  Vienna. 
"      October  1. — Australia  joined  the  Postal  Union. 
1893,  Jnly  1. — Jeremiah  W.  Coveney  Postmaster  at  Boston,  appointed 

by  President  Cleveland.      John  Burnett,  Assistant  Postmaster. 

STATIONS   IN  THE  BOST(3N  POSTAL  DISTRICT— 1892. 

NcriE. — Stations,  or  Branch  Post-Offices,  are  mentioned  in  Section  202,  Act  of  May 
18,  1842.  These  appear  to  have  been  sub-offices  established  in  the  largest  cities  by 
the  local  Postmasters,  using  their  discretion.  Stations  were  first  authorised  by  Sec- 
tion 10,  Act  of  March  B,  1847.  They  are  now  established  or  discontinued  by  the 
Postmaster-General  only,  acting  under  Section  98,  Act  of  June  8,  1872. 

The  Sub-Stations  at  Boston,  from  about  1852  to  about  1858,  the  largest  number 
being  less  than  twenty,  were  stores  at  which  the  public  could  leave  mail  matter, 
which  is  now  deposited  in  Street-Letter  Boxes.  The  first  of  the  modern  Stations, 
which  are  Post-Offices  in  most  respects,  except  in  name,  is  East  Boston,  which  dates 
from  May  1,  18(30.  In  1860  New  York  had  six  Stations.  The  Stations  next  estab- 
lished in  Boston  are  South  Boston  and  South  End  (since  known  also  as  Station  "A"). 
Roxbury  was  added  in  1868;  twelve  additional  Stations  were  established  in  1878; 
six  in  1875 ;  Brookline  in  1883 ;  Back  Bay  in  1888.  Four  Stations — East  Somerville 
Harrison  Square,  Neponset,  and  Allston — were  discontinued,  and  Roslindale  was 
established,  leaving  the  number  of  Stations  in  1892  at  twenty-one.  In  addition, 
there  were  six  Sub-Stations — Allston,  East  Somerville,  Roxbury  Crossing,  Uphams 
Corner,  West  vSomerville  and  Winter  Hill  (formerly  North  Somerville) — for  the 
transaction  of  Money-Order,  Registry  and  Stamp  business.  On  September  1,  1892, 
the  Postal  District  had  also  thirty-two  agencies  for  the  mailing  of  packages  and  the 
sale  of  Stamps,  and  sixty  agencies  for  the  sale  of  Postage  Stamps.  The  number  of 
sworn  persons  attached  to  the  service  in  the  Boston  Postal  District  was  nearly  1,300. 

Back  Bay. 

Opened  November  1,  1888,  with  Ezra  O.  Winsor  as  Superintendent. 
He  was  succeeded  on  November  1,  1889,  b)''  Herbert  N.  Hanson. 

Brighton. 

The  Town  of  Brighton,  set  off  from  Cambridge,  was  incorporated  in 
1807.     When  the  Post-Office  was  established,  July  1,  1817,  the  Town  had 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  487 

less  than  700  inhabitants.  It  has  now  (Aug-ust  1,  1892)  about  13,000, 
and  an  area  of  2,277  acres.  Since  1874  Brighton  has  been  a  part  of 
Boston  and  Suffolk  County. 

The  first  Postmaster  at  Brighton,  1817  to  1837,  was  Noah  Worcester, 
whose  Memoirs  were  published  in  1844.  He  was  born  in  1758,  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  was  ordained  a  Congregational  min- 
ister in  1787,  removed  to  Brig-hton  in  1818,  founded  the  Massachusetts 
Peace  vSociety  in  1815,  was  created  a  Doctar  of  Divinity  by  Harvard  in 
1818,  and  died  October  31,  1837.  His  "  Solemn  Review  of  the  Custom 
of  War  "  was  republished  in  Europe,  and  had  great  influence.  His 
deputy  in  the  Post-Oifice,  which  netted  him  $30.10  in  1825,  was  his 
daughter  Sally. 

Jeremiah  B.  Mason,  commissioned  April  28,  1837,  served  until  No- 
vember 7,  1842.  William  Warren,  commissioned  January  2(i,  1843, 
served  until  May  20,  1857.  Under  President  Buchanan,  Timothy  Mun- 
roe  was  Postmaster  at  Brighton.  In  1859  his  allowance  was  $402.92; 
his  surplus,  paid  over  to  the  Department,  $390.30.  His  successor,  John 
F.  Day,  commissioned  July  1,  1801,  perished  in  a  rebel  prison  in  Octo- 
ber, 1804.  He  was  succeeded  in  the  Post-Office  by  his  widow,  Mrs. 
vSibyl  S.  Day,  who  served  also  as  Superintendent  when  Brighton  became 
a  Boston  Station,  June  1,  1875.  Her  daughter.  Miss  M.  E.  Day,  suc- 
ceeded; on  April  1,  1887,  David  Reed,  the  present  vSuperintendent, 
took  charge. 

The  Brighton  Post-Office  has  always  been  in  Washington  wStreet.  It 
is  the  only  vStation  in  the  District  whose  history  has  been  previously 
published,  in  Drake's  Middlesex. 

Allstoii,  named  after  Washington  Allston,  was  an  independent  Post- 
Office  from  February  28,  1868,  to  May  31,  1875.  John  Parkhurst  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  only  Postmaster  at  Allston.  His  allowance  in 
1871  was  $310.  For  a  short  time  Allston  was  continued  as  a  vSub- 
vStation,  with  A.  B.  Hitchcock  in  charge.  This  ended  in  1870.  On 
July  1,  1892,  Allston  became  again  a  Sub-Station. 

NortJi  Brighton  was  an  independent  Post-Office  from  March  20,  1873, 
to  May  31,  1875,  with  Thomas  Hunt  for  Postmaster,  For  less  than  a 
year  it  was  continued  as  a  vSub-Station,  with  Thomas  Hunt  in  charge. 

Free  Delivery,  was  established  in  Brighton  June  1,  1875,  In  1892 
the  service  required  ten  Letter  Carriers,  two  Clerks,  and  one  Superin- 
tendent. 


488  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

BROOKLINE. 

Brookline,  originally  a  part  of  Boston,  was  incorporated  as  a  sepa- 
rate Town  in  1705,  and  remained  a  part  of  Suffolk  County  until  1705. 
When  the  Post-Office  was  established,  March  3,  1820,  Brookline  had 
less  than  a  thousand  inhabitants.  August  1,  1892,  it  had  about  12,000 
inhabitants,  an  area  of  about  4,160  acres,  about  1,900  inhabited  houses, 
and  fifty  miles  of  streets.  The  service  was  supplied  by  one  Superin- 
tendent, two  Clerks,  and  twelve  Letter-Carriers. 

The  first  Postmaster  was  Oliver  White,  who  served  until  September 
30,  1842.  His  successor  was  Stephen  vS.  C.  Jones.  In  1851  James  M. 
vSeamans  appears  to  have  succeeded.  About  two  years  later,  Clark  S. 
Bixby  was  Postmaster.  Alexander  H.  Clapp  si:cceeded  in  1855,  or  pre- 
viously. On  December  12,  1858,  John  McCormack  followed.  Under 
Republican  rule,  Cyrus  W.  Ruggles  served  as  Postmaster  from  the 
time  of  the  war  until  June  30,  1883,  and  then  as  Superintendent  of  the 
Station  until  October  31,  1887,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Isley  M. 
Fogerty. 

In  1870  the  Postmaster  at  Brookline  had  a  salary  of  $1,900,  and  no 
Money-Orders  were  negotiated. 

July  1,  1883,  Brookline  became  a  Boston  Station. 

CAMBRIDGE. 

The  Post-Officc  at  Cambridge  was  established  October  1,  1802,  being 
the  first  established  in  the  present  Postal  District,  except  Boston.  At 
that  time  Cambridge  included  Brighton  and  Arlington,  and  had  about 
2,500  or  2,000  inhabitants.  In  1860  Cambridge  had  26,060  inhabitants, 
and  five  independent  Post-Offices:  Cambridge,  Cambridgeport,  East 
Cambridge,  Mount  Auburn,  and  North  Cambridge.  In  1890  the  City 
of  Cambridge  had  70,028  inhabitants,  and  an  area  of  3,475  acres. 

Cambridge  has  been  a  Station  of  the  Boston  Post-Office  since  July  1, 
1873. 

The  first  Postmaster  at  Cambridge,  not  coiinting  the  appointment  of 
Winthrop  and  Hastings  in  1775,  was  Ebenezer  Stedman.  He  was  born 
at  Cambridge  May  16,  1743;  was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1765;  served 
as  Selectman  1786-90  and  1796-1801;  was  Town  Treasurer  1786-1808; 
and  died  October  7,  1815.  His  successor  was  Joseph  vStacey  Read,  who 
appears  to  have  served  until  his  death  in  1836.  Read's  allowance  in 
1816  was  $220.42;  in  1825,  $384.53;  in  1829,  after  the  Post-Offices  at 
Cambridgeport  and  Cambridge  were  established,  it  was  $366.60. 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  489 

His  successor  was  Calvin  Morse ;  but  soon  Samuel  Newell  succeeded, 
serving  until  April  7,  1843.  E.  T.  Bridge  filled  the  interregnum  of 
April  and  May,  184o.  On  May  20,  1843,  Thomas  J.  Whittemore  suc- 
ceeded. He  brought  his  compensation  in  1840  to  $1,096.29,  and  soon 
after  the  President  appointed  Nathan  Fiske  Postmaster  at  Cambridge. 
Fiske,  born  December  0,  1779  or  1780,  was  a  Selectman  in  1807,  and 
served  also  as  deputy  sheriff.  He  died  April  27,  18(J8.  But  William 
Caldwell  had  become  Postmaster  in  1855,  or  earlier.  His  successor, 
from  May  1,  1861,  was  George  M.  Osgood,  whose  salary  in  1865  was 
$2,500.  He  retired  soon  after  Cambridge  became  a  Station.  Free 
Delivery  was  introduced  in  1864. 

For  a  brief  period  William  L.  Lyon  was  Superintendent  of  the  Sta- 
tion. From  September  1,  1874,  to  1886,  Miss  O.  S.  Bragdon  was  Super- 
intendent. On  April  1,  1886,  Daniel  T.  Duhig  served;  A.  H.  Gormley 
from  1888  to  1891 ;   Edwin  P.  Craig  since  1891. 

In  1875  the  five  Postmasters  in  Cambridge-City  had  a  salary  amount- 
ing to  $7,560;  in  1892  the  four  Superintendents  had  $4,800.  For  Cam- 
bridgeport,  East  Cambridge  and  North  Cambridge  see  the  separate 
articles. 

Mount  Auburn. 

The  Post-Office  at  Mount  Auburn  was  established  March  14,  1856, 
and  discontinued  September  15,  1873,  as  if  the  famous  order  of  June 
25,  which  merged  the  Cambridge  offices  in  the  Boston  Post-Office,  had 
overlooked  Mount  Auburn.  Its  first  Postmaster  was  Truman  H. 
Safford,  the  railroad  station  master,  and  not  the  famous  astronomer. 
From  1859  or  earlier,  Joseph  Bird  served  until  1868.  His  salary  in 
1865  rose  to  $173.79.  In  1870  Edwin  M.  Safford  was  Postmaster, 
with  a  salary  of  $320;  in  1873  Robert  B.  Safford,  brother  of  the  pre- 
ceding, served,  with  a  salary  of  $290.  Apparently  Mount  Auburn 
was  continued  as  a  Sub-vStation,  with  James  H.  Wyeth  in  charge, 
succeeded  in  1874  by  James  H.  Flagg.  The  Department  authorised 
the  Sub-Station  from  November  1,  1888.  As  such  it  is  attached  to 
the  Cainbridge  vStation. 

CAMBRIDGEPORT. 

In  1805  this  part  of  Cambridge  was  made  a  Port  of  Delivery,  whence 
the  name.  The  Post-Office  at  Cambridgeport  was  established  March 
18,  1828,  and  serves  about  half  the  people  at  Cambridge. 


490  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  first  Postmaster  at  Cambridgeport  was  Luther  Stearns  Gushing. 
In  1826  he  was  the  only  graduate  of  the  Harvard  Law  School.  He 
was  Clerk  of  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives  from  1832  to 
1843,  and  a  member  in  1844.  In  1831  he  had  been  Town  Clerk.  In 
1848-49  he  was  a  Judge  of  the  Massachusetts  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 
He  edited  twelve  volumes  of  Massachusetts  Supreme-Court  Reports ; 
but  he  is  best  remembered  as  the  author  of  "  The  Law  and  Practice  of 
Legislative  Assemblies."  The  Post-Office  was  in  his  law  office,  and  his 
compensation  in  1829  was  $80.61.      He  died  in  1856. 

His  successor  was  John  Parker  Tarbell,  who  served  until  about  1837. 
He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1828 ;  was  Town  Clerk  1832-34 ;  served 
in  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  from  1839  to  1841,  and  in  1843  as  a 
member  of  the  House,  in  1842  as  Senator.  He  was  born  in  1807,  and 
still  lives  (September  1,  1892.) 

Calvin  E.  Morse  served  from  1837  to  1849.  In  1839  his  allowance 
was  $242.88;  in  1849,  $572.27.  In  1849  the  Whigs  made  Dr.  Henry 
Thayer  Postmaster.  He  was  Clerk  of  the  Coinmon  Council  1854-55, 
City  Clerk  1856,  and  member  of  the  School  Committee  1858-59.  vSam- 
uel  James  served  as  Postmaster  from  1853  to  1861.  He  was  Alderman 
in  1863.      His  allowance  in  1855  was  $1,033.25. 

President  Lincoln  appointed  John  McDuffie,  who  served  from  May 
1,  1861,  until  Jime  30,  1873,  when  the  Cambridgeport  Post-Office  be- 
came a  Boston  Station.  He  introduced  delivery  by  Carrier  and  the 
Money-Order  business.  He  was  a  member  of  the  vSchool  Committee  in 
1860-61;  a  member  of  the  Common  Council  in  1866-67;  a  member  of 
the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives  in  1868,  1871  and  1872 ; 
and  has  been  Clerk  of  Committees  since  jNIay,  1876.  His  salary  in  1867 
was  $2,300. 

Rufus  M.  Hodgkins  was  vSuperintendent  from  1873  to  June,  1876. 

William  vS.  Arnaud  was  Superintendent  from  June  3,  1876,  to  1889. 

James  H.  Wells  served  in  1889-90.  He  had  been  a  member  of  the 
Common  Council  in  1882-83,  and  Registrar  of  Voters  1884-1887. 

Gardner  W.  Ring  has  been  vSuperintendent  since  November  1,  1890. 
He  had  previously  served  as  Postmaster  Tobey's  secretary,  and  in  other 
branches  of  the  postal  business. 

CHARLESTOWN. 

Charlestown,  at  first  an  undefined  territorial  name,  is  now  one  of  the 
best-defined  towns.      In  1810,  when  it  was  supplied  from  Boston,  it  had 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  491 

4,959  inhabitants.  Somerville  was  set  off  in  1842.  In  1847  Charles- 
town  became  a  City.  In  1874  it  was  annexed  to  Boston.  The  popula- 
tion of  Charlestown  in  1890  was  38,348;  the  area  about  700  acres. 

The  Post-Office  at  Charlestown  was  established  April  1,  1816,  the  first 
Postmaster  being-  John  Kettell,  who  served  until  182'2.  He  was  born 
June  30,  1756,  and  died  September  16,  182'2.  He  served  also  as  Town 
Clerk. 

Paul  Willard  was  Postmaster  from  1822  to  1829.  He  was  born 
August  4,  1795;  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1817;  served  as  Alderman  in 
1847,  and  died  March  18,  1856.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son-in-law, 
Arthur  Williams  Austin  (name  changed  from  Isaac  Austin,  March  11, 
1828),  who  served  from  July  18,  1829,  to  January  12,  1839.  Mr.  Austin 
was  born  March  16,  1807;  was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1825;  was 
made  Doctor  of  Laws  by  Middlebur}-  College  in  1867;  was  Collector  of 
the  Port  of  Boston  imder  President  Buchanan,  and  died  July  26,  1884. 
His  Memorandum  concerning  the  Charlestown  Post-Office,  published  in 
1835,  has  abiding  interest  as  showing  the  fury  with  which  the  petty 
offices  were  fought  for.  It  is  doubtful  whether  Austin's  earnings  from 
the  Post-Office  averaged  a  dollar  a  day. 

His  successor  was  William  Sawyer,  also  a  Harvard  graduate  in  the 
class  of  1828  (with  Tarbell,  of  Cambridgeport).  He  was  born  Decem- 
ber 15,  1807;  he  was  by  profession  a  lawyer;  he  died  May  24,  1852,  in 
a  railway  calamity  at  Waltham.  The  election  of  Harrison  and  Tyler 
made  John  Harris  Postmaster  at  Charlestown ;  but  William  Sawyer  re- 
sumed the  office  in  1845,  or  earlier,  and  served  until  May  31,  1849. 

President  Taylor  appointed  Nathan  Merrill,  who  served  from  June 
1,  1849,  to  1853.  Charles  B.  Rogers  served  under  Pierce  and  Buchanan 
from  1853  to  1861.  His  salary  in  1855  was  $2,000,  nominally  the  same 
paid  to  the  Postmasters  at  Boston  or  New  York. 

William  H.  De  Costa,  editor  of  the  Charlestown  Advertiser,  served 
from  1861  to  June  30,  1869.  He  introduced  free  delivery  on  July  1, 
1863.  Rufus  A.  White  was  the  last  Postmaster  at  Charlestown,  serving 
from  July  1,  1869,  until  June  30,  1873,  when  the  Charlestown  Post-Office 
became  a  Boston  Station.  Mr.  White  continued  as  Superintendent,  but 
was  succeeded  February  11,  1873,  by  Charles  A.  Page,  the  present  in- 
cumbent. 

The  Charlestown  Station  employs  four  Clerks,  seventeen  Letter-Car- 
riers,  and  has  more  than  a  dozen  mail  arrivals  and  despatches  daily. 
It  illustrates  the  great  liberality  with  which  the  Post-Office  serves  the 
public,  and  is  altogether  a  typical  office. 


41)2  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Some  of  the  best  facts  in  this  sketch  were  supplied  by  Henry  H. 
Edes,  Esq.,  who  has  made  the  history  of  Charlestown  his  special  prov- 
ince. 

CHELSEA. 

Chelsea,  then  comprising  Chelsea,  Revere  and  Winthrop,  was  set  off 
from  Boston  in  1730.  The  Post-Office  at  Chelsea  was  established  July 
6,  1832.  In  184(J  North  Chelsea,  comprising-  Revere  and  Winthrop, 
was  set  off.  In  1857  Chelsea  became  a  City.  It  covers  about  1,440 
acres,  has  about  30,000  inhabitants  (August  1,  1802),  5,000  houses,  fifty 
miles  of  streets,  and  the  highest  point  rises  two  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  above  sea  level. 

The  first  Postmaster  at  Chelsea  was  Horatio  Alger  (the  Official  Reg- 
isters call  him  Algier),  father  of  the  story  teller.  He  served  until 
March  31,  1842.  His  successor  was  Abel  Bowen.  From  1844  to  1850 
Benjamin  Dodge  served.  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Newell  was  Postmaster  from 
1850  to  1854;  Gideon  W.  Young  from  1854  to  1861;  Hadley  P.  Burrill 
from  18(51  to  1800;  Clifton  A.  Blanchard  from  1800  to  June  30,  1873, 
when  the  independent  Post-Office  ceased,  being  changed  to  a  Station  of 
the  Boston  Post-Office. 

Mr.  Blanchard  continued  as  Superintendent  until  his  death  in  1870. 
His  successor  was  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Crowell  (now  Mrs.  William  G. 
Wheeler),  appointed  -  October  17,  1870,  who  continued  until  1887. 
William  H.  Gate,  Jr.,  served  from  1887  until  October,  1889;  Ezra  O. 
Winsor  from  November  1,  1889.  The  Station  at  Chelsea  is  thought  a 
model  establishment.  It  employs  four  Clerks,  eighteen  Letter-Carriers, 
and  has  daily  more  than  twelve  arrivals  and  despatches  of  mails. 

DORCHESTER. 

The  Post-Office  at  Dorchester  was  established  April  3,  1820.  Pre- 
viously the  town  was  supplied  from  Boston,  and  from  1823  to  1826  from 
Roxbury. 

The  first  Postmaster  was  Jesse  Bradshaw,  whose  salary  in  1829  was 
$08.05.  His  successor  was  Robert  Vose,  Sr. ,  whose  salary  in  1830  was 
$218.28.  Joseph  Marshall  and  James  Thorndike  served  next.  Mar- 
shall's salary  from  July  1,  1841,  to  June  30,  1843,  was  $383.78,  besides 
a  surplus  of  $851.71  paid  to  the  Department.  Robert  Vose,  Jr.,  appears 
to  have  served  from  1844  to  1873.  In  1870  his  salary  was  $250.  But 
there  were  three  additional  Post-Offices  in  Dorchester:  Harrison  ^Square, 
Mattapan,  and  Neponset  Village.      So  it  happened  that  Dorchester  never 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  493 

became  a  Presidential  Post-Office.     Mr.  Vose  was  a  member  of  the  Bos- 
ton Common  Council  in  1877,  and  died  June  11,  1891. 

Dorchester  became  a  Station  July  1,  1873.  George  H.  Rexford  was 
Superintendent  from  September,  1873,  until  he  was  succeeded,  on 
August  1,  1882,  by  Wendell  Jones,  the  present  incumbent. 

A  Sub-Station  was  established  at  Uphams  Corner,  Dorchester,  in 
1802. 

Harrison  Square,  Dorchester. 

Harrison  Square  was  named  after  the  elder  President  Harrison. 
The  Post-Ofifice  at  Harrison  vSquare  was  established  July  10,  184:9. 
Abraham  Noyes  appears  to  have  been  the  first  Postmaster;  Isaac  Field 
the  second;  Jeremiah  Sanborn,  Jr.,  the  third  and  last,  under  Republi- 
can rule.  The  Post-Office  at  Harrison  vSquare  ceased  on  June  30,  1873. 
For  a  short  time  a  Station  was  maintained,  but  it  was  soon  merged 
in  the  Dorchester  Station. 

Neponset  Village,  Dorchester. 

The  Post-Office  at  Neponset  A^illage  was  established  March  2,  1839. 
The  first  Postmaster  appears  to  have  been  O.  P.  Bacon,  who  served 
until  Feb.  18,  1851.  The  next  was  Daniel  Spear;  then  Charles  Himt, 
Jabez  Howland,  and  Amory  C.  Southworth,  who  served  when  the  Post- 
Office  at  Neponset  Village  ceased,  on  June  30,  1873,  to  be  continued 
for  a  short  time  as  a  Station  called  Neponset.  Though  the  largest  of 
the  four  Dorchester  offices,  Neponset  was  merged  in  the  Dorchester 
Station. 

EAST    BOSTON. 

East  Boston  includes  Breed's  Island  and  all  the  smaller  islands  in  the 
harbor,  but  only  East  Boston  proper,  w4th  Breed's  Island,  are  served 
by  the  East-Boston  Station.  The  area  is  about  1,635  acres,  the  popu- 
lation about  37,500. 

Though  East  Boston  was  never  an  independent  town,  it  was  given 
an  independent  Post-Office  on  May  15,  1850.  On  May  1,  18G0,  it  was 
made  the  first  Station  under  the  Boston  Post-Office. 

The  first  Postmasier  at  East  Boston  was  George  H.  Plummer.  In 
1853  James  B.  Allen  was  appointed.  He  died,  and  on  March  G,  1854, 
Samuel  C.  Allen,  his  father,  succeeded.  He  died  April  7,  1860.  His 
allowance  in  1857  was  $2,066.85,  beside  a  surplus  of  $2,067.22  paid  to 
the  Department.      He  was  a  member  of  the  Boston  School  Committee 


494  Suffolk  county. 

in  1840.  His  successor  and  predecessor  had  both  served  in  the  Boston 
Common  Council  of  1851  and  1852. 

Cyrus  Washburn  was  appointed  vSuperintendent  of  the  East-Boston 
Station  on  May  8,  1800.  In  1862  he  was  succeeded  by  Ebenezer  Atkins, 
who  introduced  free  delivery  in  1863.  Ebenezer  Atkins  had  served  in 
the  Boston  Common  Council  of  1854,  and  as  Alderman  of  Boston  in 
1858,  1859  and  1860.  In  1806  Rawlins  T.  Atkins  succeeded,  and  in 
December  of  the  same  year  Charles  T.  Jenkins.  He  was  succeeded  on 
July  1,  1887,  by  Benjamin  J.  Sullivan.  George  E.  Harrington  suc- 
ceeded on  September  1,  1891. 

The  office  einployed  in  1892  four  Clerks  and  eighteen  Letter  Carriers. 

EAST   CAMBRIDGE. 

The  Post-Office  at  East  Cambridge,  the  second  of  five  established  in 
Cambridge,  was  created  on  March  17,  1828,  when  John  Quincy  Adams 
was  President,  and  John  McLean  Postmaster-General.  The  first  Post- 
master was  Eleazer  Hooper.  The  reign  of  Jackson  made  Samuel  S. 
Green  Postmaster,  who  served  until  April  2-4.  1841.  He  was  born 
at  Maiden,  January  12,  1782;  he  was  Assessor  at  Cambridge  1824-37 
and  1843-46,  later  on  a  Custom-House  officer,  and  died  September  8, 
1872.  He  was  succeeded  b}^  John  W.  Donahan,  and  in  1845,  by  Rufus 
Shattuck. 

The  Fillmore  succession,  with  Nathan  K.  Hall  as  Postmaster-Gen- 
eral, made  Eli  C.  Kinsley  Postmaster,  to  be  replaced,  under  Pierce 
and  James  Campbell,  by  L.  S.  Parker.  Andrew  Fogg  followed,  with 
an  allowance  of  $1,008.05,  in  1855.  N.  K.  Noble  served  under  Repub- 
licans. His  salary  rose  to  $1,900;  in  1868  he  was  succeeded  by  Martha 
A.  Langley,  who  served  until  1872;  but  the  Post-Office  at  East  Cam- 
bridge ceased  on  June  30,  1873.  Rufus  R.  Wade,  the  last  Postmaster, 
contint:ed  in  charge  of  the  Station;  in  1879  Miss  Ella  M.  Stevens  suc- 
ceeded; Isley  M.  Fogerty  in  1883;  John  A.  Collins  on  November  1,  1887. 

JAMAICA  PLAIN. 

Jamaica  Plain  used  to  be  in  Roxbury,  but  was  a  part  of  West  Rox- 
bury  when  that  town  was  set  off  in  1851.  West  Roxbury  was  merged 
in  Boston  in  1874. 

The  Post-Office  at  Jamaica  Plain  was  established  January  12,  1829. 
The  first  Postmaster  was  Joshua  Seaver,  who  served  also  as  Postmaster 
at  Roxbur}-,  1845-49,  and  was  Clerk  of  the  Roxbury  Common  Council 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  405 

for  fifteen  years.  By  1837  Robert  Seaver  was  Postmaster  at  Jamaica 
Plain,  and  served  to  April  14,  1849.  The  next  Postmaster  was  Jacob 
P.  George,  who  was  also  a  member  of  the  Roxbury  Common  Council 
in  1850  and  1851.  Then  Robert  Seaver  was  reappointed.  Mrs.  Maria 
A.  Robinson  followed;  then  Silas  Poole,  who  continued  also  as  Super- 
intendent when  Jamaica  Plain  became  a  Boston  vStation,  June  1,  1875. 
The  salary  in  1870  was  $1,000,  which  made  Jamaica  Plain  a  Presidential 
office. 

The  Superintendent  next  after  Poole  was  Nelson  Hayward  Fuller, 
succeeded  in  April,  1887,  by  John  Lewis,  who  had  entered  the  postal 
service  in  1845.  and  had  been  Superintendent  of  Mails  at  the  Boston 
office  from  1853  to  1877. 

Boylston  Station. 

Boylston  vStation,  near  the  Jamaica-Plain  Post-Office,  was  an  inde- 
pendent Post-Office  from  1871  to  May  31,  1875,  with  Albert  Tower  as 
Postmaster.  It  appears  to  have  been  continued  as  a  Sub-Station,  with 
Edward  S.  Fernald  in  charge,  to  March  31,  187G. 

MATTAPAN. 

As  Neponset,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Neponset  river,  had  a  Post-Office, 
the  Upper  Falls  or  Mattapan  would  not  have  less.  Mattapan  is  the 
most  southerly  village  in  Dorchester,  and  retains  the  Indian  name  for 
all  Dorchester. 

The  Post-Office  at  Mattapan  was  established  August  6,  1856,  and  the 
first  Postmaster  was  George  L.  Fisher.  His  successor  was  Elisabeth 
Fisher.  On  July  1,  1873,  Mattapan  became  a  Station  of  the  Boston 
office,  Charles  E.  Stevenson  being  the  last  of  the  Mattapan  Po.stmasters. 

From  July  1,  1873,  to  August  31,  1890,  Jonathan  B.  L.  Bartlett  had 
charge  of  the  Station.  September  1,  1890,  John  Henry  Cullen  suc- 
ceeded; Andrew  J.  Holbrook  on  March  21,  1892. 

NORTH  CAMBRIDGE. 

The  Post-Office  at  North  Cambridge  was  established  January  6,  1853; 
it  became  a  Station  of  the  Boston  office  on  July  1,  1873. 

D.  W.  C.  Barron  was  the  first  Postmaster;  then  James  H.  Davis. 
James  B.  Nason  served  from  1859,  or  earlier,  to  June  17,  18G8.  John  A. 
Goodwin  was  the  last.  Arthur  L.  Jordan  took  charge  of  the  Station  in 
February,   1874. 


40(j  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

REVERE. 

Revere  and  Winthrop  were  incorporated  in  184G  as  North  Chelsea. 
Winthrop  was  set  off  in  1852,  and  North  Chelsea  changed  its  name  to 
Revere  in  1871.  It  is  named  after  Paul  Revere,  the  courier  of  the  Rev- 
olution. 

The  Post-Office  of  Revere  (North  Chelsea)  was  established  July  22, 
18-4(i,  the  first  Postmaster'  being  Joseph  H.  Fenno,  who  served  a  com- 
mimity  of  about  750  persons.  He  was  succeeded  by  William  Fenno, 
Hatch  Crocker,  (xeorge  Nevvcomb,  and  James  L.  Wiggin,  the  latter 
being  the  last  of  the  independent  Postmasters  at  Revere.  June  1,  1875, 
Revere  became  a  Boston  Station,  and  free  delivery  was  introduced  in  a 
Town  that  covered  (August  1,  1892)  about  3,540  acres,  with  a  population 
of  about  1,750  on  July  1,  1875,  and  6,000  in  1892. 

A.  vS.  Burnham,  Clerk-in-Charge,  was  succeeded  on  November  1,  1876, 
by  Milo  Gillet.  His  successor  was  Bulah  S.  Jacobs.  His  successor  was 
John  H.  Putnam. 

Within  the  Revere  delivery  is  Franklin  Park,  an  independent  Post- 
Office,  directly  subject  to  the  Postmaster-General. 

ROSLINDALE. 

Roslindale  is  a  part  of  West  Roxbury,  with  which  it  was  merged  in 
the  City  of  Boston,  January  5,  1874.  The  Post-Office  at  Roslindale  was 
established  March  15,  1870.  The  Postmasters  appear  to  have  been 
John  F.  Worcester,  W.  B.  Blackmore,  and  vSamuel  F.  Dearborn.  The 
Post-Office  ceased  May  31,  1875.  It  was  revived  as  a  Station,  the 
Clerks-in-Charge  being  Samuel  F.  Dearborn,  Albert  H.  Eayres,  Edward 
Carrol  (son-in-law  of'Arthur  W.  Austin,  the  Charlestown  Postmaster), 
and,  from  November  7,  1891,  William  H.  Jenness. 

ROXBURY. 

The  Post-Office  at  Roxbury  was  established  August  25,  1823.  At 
that  time  Roxbury  covered  more  than  10,500  acres  and  had  about 
4,500  inhabitants.  In  1874  this  same  territory,  with  nearly  60,000 
inhabitants,  had  one  Postal  Station — Roxbury,  and  four  independent 
Post-Offices :  Jamaica  Plain,  West  Roxbury,  Roslindale,  and  Boylston 
Station.  Roxbury  became  a  City  in  1846  ;  West  Roxbury  was  set  off  in 
1851 ;  and  Roxbury  was  merged  in  Boston  January  6,  1868.  The  Rox- 
bury Post-Office  was  made  a  Boston  Station  September  22,  1868.  It  is 
the  largest  Station  in  the  District  as  far  as  population  is  concerned,  and 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  407 

the  only  Station,  beside  the  South  End,  employing  more  than  fifty 
Clerks  and  Carriers.  Its  area  is  nearly  2,'-i00  acres;  its  population 
nearly  90,000. 

The  Postmasters  at  Roxbury  were:  Charles  Fox,  182o-31,  with  a 
compensation  of  $150.75  in  1825. 

Ebenezer  Fox,  1831-33.  He  was  born  in  1763,  died  in  1843,  and  his 
"  Revolutionary  Adventures  "  were  published  in  1848. 

Eleazer  G.   Lemon,  1833-41. 

Horace  Bacon,  1841-45.  Later  he  served  as  City  ^lessenger  of  Rox- 
bury. 

Jo.shua  Seaver,  1845-51.  In  1849  his  salary  was  $1,024.  He  was 
also  the  first  Postmaster  at  Jamaica  Plain  in  1829;  he  was  Clerk  of  the 
Roxbury  Common  Council  1846-57  and  1861-63,  and  Secretary  as  well 
as  member  of  the  Roxbury  School  Committee . 

Edwin  Lemist,  1851-53. 

Isaac  S.  Burrell,  1853-61  and  1866-71 . 

John  Backup,  1861-66.  His  salary  ended  October  14,  1866.  It  had 
reached  $2,600  in  1865,  with  a  surplus  revenue  of  $8,427.89.  Mr. 
Backup  was  a  member  of  the  Roxbury  Common  Council  in  1865  and 
1866.  Mr.  Burrell  was  a  member  of  the  Common  Council  in  1852  and 
1853,  an  Alderman  of  Roxbury  in  1861,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Boston  Board  of  Street  Commissioners  from  the  beginning,  in  1871,  be- 
ing re-elected  triennially.  His  salary  as  Postmaster  at  Roxbury  was 
$1,618.68  in  1855;  the  surplus  in  the  same  year  was  $2,095,16.  In 
1867  the  -salary  was  $2,500,  the  surplus  $7,501.67,  It  was  in  Post- 
master Burrell's  day  that  Roxbury  became  a  Boston  vStation.  At  that 
time  the  olhce  employed  two  Clerks  and  six  Carriers. 

Mr.  Burrell  continued  as  vSuperintendent  until  1871,  Robert  X. 
Backup  served  until  1877;  Robert  W.  Williams,  1877-88;  John  E.  Kil- 
lian  since  then. 

A  Sub-Station  was  established  at  Roxbury  Crossing  in  1892. 

SOMERVILLE. 

Somerville  was  set  off  from  Charlestown  in  1842.  The  Somerville 
Post-Office  was  established  May  28,  1844.  The  population  of  Somer- 
ville at  that  time  was  about  2,000,  In  1871  Somerville  became  a  City. 
Its  present  area  (Augu-st  1,  1892,)  is  about  2,600  acres,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  about  45,000.  On  June  1,  1873,  Somerville  had  four  independ- 
ent Post-Offices :   Somerville,   East  Somerville,  North  Somerville,  and 

63 


498  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

West  vSomerville,  The  two  named  first  became  Boston  Stations  July 
1,  1873;  North  Somerville  and  West  Somerville  ceased  as  independent 
Post-Offices  on  May  31,  1875.  At  present  Somerville  is  a  Station,  while 
East  Somerville,  West  Somerville,  and  Winter  Hill  (North  Somerville) 
are  Sub-Stations. 

The  Somerville  Postmasters  were  vStephen  B.  Sewall,  whose  salary 
in  1849  was  $9(5.57,  with  a  surplus  of  $137.44;  Dane  Appleton  Marrett, 
George  A.  Sanborn,  William  H.  Weston,  Nathaniel  Aver}^  Daniels, 
who  was  also  the  first  Superintendent  of  the  Somerville  Station,  serving 
ing  until  October,  1874.  His  successors  were:  James  F.  Hunt,  1874- 
75;  Ansel  Lewis,  1876;  Robert  W.  Williams,  May  5,  1876,  to  August 
22,  1877;  Charles  William  Morss,  September  1,  1877,  to  June,  1882; 
Charles  M.  Jordan,  Jtme,  1882,  to  May  2,  1886;  William  H.  Flynn, 
1886  to  August  31,  1891;  James  E.  Whitaker,  vSeptember  1,  1891,  to 
January  31,  1892;  John  Ouincy  Adams,  from  February  1,  1892. 

East  Somerville. 

The  Post-Office  at  East  Somerville  was  established  August  1,  18(51. 
The  Postmasters  were  William  C.  Buzzell,  F.  G.  Hartshorn,  Alonzo  B. 
Evans,  and  Nathaniel  L.  Dayton.  The  salary  in  1865  was  $1,200. 
When  East  Somerville  became  a  Station,  Mr.  Dayton  remained  in 
charge  until  the  Station  was  abolished,  July  31,  1876.  It  appears  to 
have  been  revived  from  September  4  to  December  31,  1877,  since  when 
it  has  been  a  part  of  the  Somerville  Station.  A  Sub-Station  at  East 
Somerville  was  established  July  1,  1890. 

North  Somerville,  or  Winter  Hill. 

The  Post-Office  at  North  Somerville  was  established  August  1,  1861. 
Edwin  L.  Weeks,  Samuel  Littlefield,  and  Thomas  G.  Temple  appear 
to  have  been  the  Postmasters.  The  office  ceased  May  31,  1875;  but  a 
Sub-Station,  under  the  charge  of  Thomas  G.  Temple,  appears  to  have 
existed  from  June  1,  1875,  to  July  31,  1876.  A  vSub-Station  named 
Winter  Hill  has  been  in  operation  at  North  vSomerville  since  July  1, 
1890. 

West  Somerville. 

The  Post-Office  at  West  Somerville  was  established  April  21,  1873, 
and  ceased  on  May  31,  1875.  Benjamin  Applin  and  E.  A.  Kingman 
appear  to  have  been  the  Postmasters,  the  latter  acting  as  Clerk-in-Charge 
from  June  1,  1875,  to  March  31,  1876,  during  which  time  West  Somer- 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  4!i!t 

ville  was  a  Sub-Station.      It  was  then  abolished,  but  revived  as  a  Sub- 
Station  on  July  1,  1S80. 

SOUTH  BOSTON. 

There  is  no  record  showing  when  the  vSouth-Boston  Station  was  es- 
tablished. It  was  probably  in  the  earlier  days  of  Postmaster  Palfrey's 
service,  and  'Mr.  George  W.  Bail  is  probably  the  first  Superintendent. 
It  appears  that  this  Station  was  established  after  East  Boston,  and  pos- 
sibly before  the  vSmith  End  Station.  Late  in  the  forties-  when  South 
Boston  had  more  than  10,000  inhabitants,  Mr.  Hunting  Was  the  Letter- 
Carrier  and  Collector  for  all  South  Boston,  receiving  two  cents  for  every 
letter.  In  1840  Caleb  Gill  was  appointed  Letter-Carrier  for  South  Bos- 
ton, and  served  until  December  31,  1854.  In  1855-50  W.  S.  Jordan 
served  as  Letter-Carrier  and  had  a  sub-Post-Oflfice,  like  his  predecessors. 
In  1850  E.  B.  Spinney  succeeded,  under  a  similar  arrangement  with 
the  Postmaster  of  Boston,  who  appears  to  have  exercised  the  widest  dis- 
cretion in  these  matters.  In  or  before  18G3  George  W.  Bail  was 
appointed,  and  free  delivery  was  introduced.  This  ended  the  old  ar- 
rangement. The  next  Superintendent  was  Thomas  Burns,  who  died 
November  0,  1870.  His  successor  was  William  F.  Gierke.  John  H. 
Giblin  was  Superintendent  under  Postmaster  Corse,  and  was  succeeded 
on  vSeptember  1,  1891,  b}'  Henry  S.  Treadwell. 

SOUTH  END. 

The  South  End  appears  to  have  been  established  as  a  vStation  in  1802. 
The  first  Superintendent  was  Miss  Ellen  ^I.  Buckingham,  who  served 
about  a  year,  when  she  was  succeeded  by  her  sister.  Miss  Lucy  A. 
Buckingham.  The  third  Superintendent  was  Mrs.  D.  C.  Hollister;  the 
fourth  William  H.  Dupree,  appointed  October  1,  1874.  vSouth  End 
(known  also  as  Station  "A,")  Roxbury,  and  Back  Bay  are  easily  the 
largest  Stations  in  the  District. 

WEST  ROXBURY. 

The  Post-OfSce  at  West  Roxbury  was  established  February  27,  1834, 
and  Paul  Draper  appears  to  have  been  the  first  Postmaster.  He  served 
until  March  13,  1839.  On  the  following  day  William  S.  Keith  suc- 
ceeded as  Postmaster,  and  continued  in  charge  when  West  Roxbury 
became  a  Station  of  the  Boston  Post-Office,  June  1,  1875.  Mr.  Keith 
died  Ma}'  9,  1888,  and  was  succeeded  by  Michael  Edmund  Hennessy. 
On  July  1,  1888,  Herbert  B.  Johnson  succeeded. 


500  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  salary  of  the  Postmaster  at  West  Roxbury  in  187:3  was  $250;  yet 
free  delivery  was  established  on  Jiuie  1,  1875. 

The  Town  of  West  Roxbury  was  set  off  from  the  City  of  Roxbury  in 
1851.  On  January  5,  1874,  the  Town  of  West  Roxbury,  with  the  Post- 
Offices  at  West  Roxbury,  Jamaica  Plain,  Boylston  vStation,  and  Ro.slin- 
dale,  was  merged  in  the  City  of  Boston. 

WINTHROP. 

Winthrop,  set  off  from  North  Chelsea  (Revere)  in  1852,  was  named 
after  Deane  Winthrop.  The  Post-Office  was  established  February  2, 
1853,  and  has  had  but  one  chief,  Warren  Belcher  having-  been  Postmas- 
ter up  to  May  31,  1875,  and  head  of  the  Station  since.  His  allowance 
in  1855  was  $17.17;  the  surplus,  $5.84:;  the  community  served,  less  than 
500.  The  Census  of  1870  reports  the  population  of  Winthrop  at  532. 
It  is  now  about  3,500  (August  1,  18!)2),  and  the  area,  980  acres.  Win- 
throp has  had  free  delivery  since  June  1,  1875,  when  it  became  a  part 
of  postal  Boston.      It  had  been  apart  of  municipal   Boston  up  to  173'.). 


APPENDIX. 


THE   NEALE    PATENT,   1691-2. 

Wh.mam  and  Mary,  by  the  grace  of  God  etc.  To  all  to  whome  these  presents 
shall  come,  Greeting.  Whereas  our  Trusty  and  Welbeloved  Servant,  Thomas 
Neale,  Esquire,  hath  lately  humbly  represented  unto  us  that  there  never  yet  hath 
bin  any  Post  Established,  for  the  conveying  of  letters  Within  or  between  Virginia, 
Maryland,  Delaware,  New  Yorke,  New  England,  East  and  West  Jersey,  Pensilvania, 
and  Northward  as  far  as  our  Dominions  reach  in  America,  And  that  the  Want  thereof 
hath  bin  a  great  hindrance  to  the  Trade  of  those  parts ;  And  he,  the  said  Thomas 
Neale,  haveing  humbly  desired  us  to  grant  to  him  letters  Patents  for  the  settling  of 
such  a  Post  at  his  owne  charge,  and  Wee  being  fully  satisfied  that  the  same  may  be 
of  Service  to  Trade  and  Correspondence,  and  Wee  Willing  to  Encourage  such  an 
undertakeing:  Know  yee,  therefore,  that  Wee,  of  our  especiall  Grace,  certaine  knowl- 
edge and  meer  mocion,  and  With  and  under  the  condicions  and  agreements  herein 
after  mentioned,  on  the  part  and  behalfe  of  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors 
and  Assignes  to  be  performed,  have  given  and  granted.  And  by  these  presents  for 
us,  our  heires  and  successors,  doe  give  and  Grant  unto  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his 
Executors,  Administrators  and  Assignes,  full  power  and  Authority  to  Erect,  settle 
and  Establish,  and  from  time  to  time  dureing  the  Terme  herein  after  mentioned 
shall   and   may  continue  and  enjoy  Within  every  or  any  the  Chief e  Ports  of  the 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  501 

severall  Iselands,  Plantacions  or  Colonies  belonging  or  to  belong  unto  us,  our  heires 
or  Successors,  in  America,  an  Office  or  Offices  for  the  receiving  and  dispatching 
away  of  letters  and  Packquetts,  With  full  Power  and  Authoritj'-  and  free  liberty, 
leave  and  lycence  to  and  for  him,  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Adminis- 
trators and  Assignes,  and  to  and  for  such  person  or  Persons  as  he  or  they  shall  from 
time  to  time  in  this  behalfe  nominate,  to  receive  at  the  respective  Offices  aforesaid  of 
and  from  any  masters  of  Ships,  passengers  or  others,  any  letters  or  Pacquetts  What- 
soever, Which  shall  be  brought  into  the  said  Colonyes  and  Iselands,  or  any  of  them, 
from  England  or  from  any  other  parts  Whatsoever,  or  Which  shall  be  sent  from  any 
parts  or  places  of  such  respective  Colony  or  Iseland  to  any  other  parts  or  places  of 
the  same,  and  to  dispatch,  send  away,  carry  and  deliver  the  same  to  the  respective 
persons  and  places  to  Whome  or  Which  they  shall  be  directed  or  sent.  Within  the 
said  Colonys  and  Iselands  or  any  of  them,  and  to  take  or  receive  to  the  onely  use  and 
behoofe  of  him,  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Administrators  and  Assignes, 
for  the  Postage  or  Conveyance  of  all  such  letters  and  Packquetts  as  shall  be  soe  dis- 
patcht,  sent  away,  carried  and  delivered,  such  Rates  and  Sumes  of  money  as  shall 
be  proportionable  to  the  Rates  for  the  port  or  carriage  of  letters  sett  downe  and 
ascertained  in  and  by  an  Act  of  Parliament  made  in  the  Twelfth  yeare  of  the  Reigne 
of  our  late  Royall  uncle,  King  Charles  the  Second,  of  Blessed  memory — Entituled 
An  Act  for  setting  and  establishing  a  Post  Office,  or  such  other  rates  or  sumes  of 
money  as  the  Planters  and  others  will  freely  agree  to  give  for  their  letters  or  Pac- 
quetts, upon  the  first  settlement  of  such  Office  or  Offices;  And  further  Wee  have 
Given  and  Granted,  and  by  these  presents  for  us,  our  heires  and  Successors,  we  give 
and  grant  unto  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Administrators  and  Assignes, 
and  to  such  person  and  persons  as  he  or  they  shall  from  time  to  time  Nominate  as 
aforesaid,  full  power  and  Authority  and  free  liberty,  leave  and  lycence,  at  the  said 
Office  or  Offices  so  to  be  settled  as  aforesaid,  to  collect  and  receive  such  letters  or 
Pacquetts  as  the  Planters  or  any  others  Will  send  or  bring  to  the  same,  and  to  dis- 
patch such  of  them  away  for  England  as  shall  be  directed  thither,  by  the  first  ship 
that  from  time  to  time  shall  be  bound  for  any  Post  Towne  of  England,  to  be  there 
delivered  to  the  Deputy  or  Deputies  of  our  Postmaster  or  Postmasters  Generall  for 
the  time  being,  by  him  or  them  appointed  or  to  be  appointed  for  the  said  Post  Towne, 
To  the  end  such  Deputy  or  Deputys  may  from  time  to  time  send  the  same  away  to 
the  Generall  Post  Office  in  England  to  be  delivered  according  to  the  severall  and 
respective  direccions  of  the  same,  as  by  the  said  Act  of  Parliament  is  prescribed,  and 
to  dispatch  away  such  of  the  said  letters  or  Pacquetts  as  shall  be  directed  or  are  to 
be  carried  from  any  of  the  said  Islands,  Colonys  or  Plantacions,  from  time  to 
time,  to  have,  hold,  use,  exercise  and  enjoy  the  said  Office  and  Offices  With  the 
Powers,  Authorities,  Priviledges,  leave  and  lycence  herein  before  mentioned  and  in- 
tended to  be  hereby  Granted,  and  to  rate,  perceive,  and  receive  the  Rates  and  Sumes 
aforesaid  unto  him,  the  said  Thomas  Neale.  his  Executors,  Administrators  and 
Assignes,  To  the  onely  use  and  behoofe  of  him,  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Ex- 
ecutors, Administrators  and  Assignes,  from  the  date  of  these  our  letters  Patents  for 
and  dureing  the  Terme  of  twenty  one  yeares  from  thence  next  ensueing,  and  fully  to 
be  compleate  and  ended,  without  any  Account  or  other  matter  or  thing  to  be  there- 
fore rendered  or  paid  to  us,  our  heires  or  Successors,  other  then  the  Rent,  Covenants 
and  agreements  herein  after  mentioned,  Rendring  to  us,  our  heires  and  Successors 


502  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

dureing  the  said  Terme  the  yearly  Rent  of  six  shilHngs  and  eight  pence,  to  be  paid 
into  our  Exchequer  in  England  at  the  ffeast  of  St  Michaell,  the  Archangell,  yearly. 
And  Wee  doe  hereby  for  us,  our  heires  and  Successors,  Authorize  and  Comand  the 
Postmaster  and  Postmasters  Generall  how  and  for  the  time  being  of  us,  our  heires 
and  Successors,  from  time  to  time  to  issue  such  Deputacions  as  may  better  enable  the 
said  Thom  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Administrators  and  Assignes,  and  such 
Person  or  Persons  as  he  or  they  shall  from  time  to  time  Nominate,  to  Exercise  and 
Execute  the  powers  and  Authorities  to  him  or  them  hereby  given  and  granted, 
or  mencioned  or  intended  to  be  given  and  granted,  in  and  abot:t  the  premisses, 
dureing  the  said  Terme  of  Twenty  one  yeares.  And  Wee  doe  hereby  also  for  us, 
our  heires  and  Successors,  strictly  prohibit  and  forbid  all  and  every  person  and 
persons  Whatsoever  other  then  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Admin- 
istrators and  Assignes,  and  such  person  or  persons  as  he  or  they  shall  nominate,  the 
aforesaid  to  sett  up.  Exercise  or  Execute  the  like  Office  or  Offices  Within  the 
Iselands,  Colonys  and  Plantations  aforesaid,  or  any  of  them,  at  any  time  or 
times  Within  or  during  the  continuance  of  the  said  Terme  of  one  and  Twenty  yeares 
hereby  granted:  Provided  alwaies  that  nothing  in  these  psents  contained  shall  ex- 
tend, or  be  construed  to  extend,  to  Restreyne  any  merchants,  masters  or  others, 
from  sending  any  letters  or  Pacquetts  to  or  from  the  said  Plantations  or  Colonys,  or 
any  of  them,  by  any  masters  of  ships  or  other  vessells,  or  by  any  other  Person  or 
Persons,  Which  such  merchants,  masters  or  others  Will  especially  imploy  or  intrust 
for  the  carriage  of  the  same,  according  to  their  respective  direccions;  And  the  said 
Thomas  Neale  doth  for  himselfe,  his  Executors,  Administrators  and  Assignes,  cove- 
nant, promise  and  grant  to  and  With  us,  our  heires  and  successors,  by  these  pres- 
ents, that  he,  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors.  Administrators  or  Assignes,  or 
such  person  or  persons  as  he  or  they  shall  nominate  as  aforesaid,  shall  and  Will  from 
time  to  time  upon  his  or  their  Receipt  or  Receipts  of  any  letters  or  Pacquetts,  Which 
shall  be  directed  into  the  said  Iselands,  Colonyes  and  Plantations,  or  any  of  them, 
from  England  or  any  other  parts,  or  from  any  parts  or  places  Within  the  said  Isel- 
ands, Colonyes,  or  Plantations  to  any  other  parts  or  places  Within  the  same,  cause 
the  said  letters  or  Pacquetts  to  be  forthwith  dispersed,  carried  and  delivered  in  the 
severall  parts  of  the  said  Iselands,  Colonies  and  Plantations,  as  they  shall  be  di- 
rected; and  from  time  to  time  as  he,  they  or  any  of  them  shall  Collect  or  receive  any 
letters  or  Pacquetts  to  be  sent  from  the  said  Plantations,  Iselands  or  Colonyes,  or 
any  of  them,  for  England,  shall  dispatch  and  send  away  the  same  by  the  first  ship 
that  shall  be  bound  for  any  Port  of  England,  to  be  there  delivered  to  the  next  Dep- 
uty Postmaster  as  aforesaid ;  and  Where  any  letters  or  Pacquetts  shall  be  directed 
from  any  of  the  said  Colonies,  Islands  or  Plantations  to  some  other  of  them,  that  he 
or  they  shall  dispatch  and  send  away  the  same  according  to  the  respective  Direccions 
by  the  first  Conveniency  of  carriage  or  conveyance  thereof,  and  that  these  Services 
shall  be  performed  With  Care  and  Without  any  neglect  or  Delay,  at  the  Rates  be- 
fore mentioned.  And  the  said  Thomas  Neale  doth  further,  for  himselfe,  his  Execu- 
tors, Administrators  and  Assignes,  Covenant,  promise  and  Grant  to  and  With  us, 
our  heires  and  Successors,  by  these  presents  That  he,  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his 
Executors,  Administrators  or  Assignes,  shall  and  Will  at  his  and  their  own  Costs  and 
Charges  keep  Accounts  in  Bookes  fairely  Written  of  all  the  Sumes  of  money  and 
Profitts  Whatsoever  arisemg  in  every  yeare  by  the  office,  Imployment  or  Businesse 


THE  POSTAL  SERVICE.  503 

aforesaid,  and  of  all  Charges  thereupon,  and  shall  suffer  the  said  Bookes  to  be  in- 
spected from  time  to  time,  and  Coppies  thereof  or  Notes  out  of  the  same  to  be  taken 
by  such  Person  or  Persons  as  the  Comissioners  of  the  Treasurj^  or  high  Treasury  of 
England  for  the  time  being  shall  appoint,  and  shall  and  Will  Within  the  Twentieth 
yeare  of  the  said  Terme  of  twentj'  one  yeares  hereb}'  granted  produce  the  said  Bookes 
themselves  or  so  many  of  them  as  shall  be  then  made,  to  the  Comissioners  of  the 
Treasury  or  high  Treasury  of  England  then  being.  To  the  end  he  or  they  may  have 
certaine  knowledge  of  the  yearly  value  of  the  said  Office  or  Offices  for  the  future 
benefitt  of  us,  our  heires  and  Successors;  And  further  that  such  Publique  orders  as 
the  Governors  of  the  said  respective  Plantacions,  Islands  and  Colonies  from  time  to 
time  shall  issue  out  for  the  Imediate  Service  of  us,  our  heires  and  Successors,  shall  be 
dispatcht  and  distributed  by  the  said  respective  Offices  Without  any  Charge :  Pro- 
vided that  noe  person  or  Persons  Whatsoever  shall  be  capable  of  Exercising  the  said 
Office  or  Offices  or  any  of  them  or  any  Deputacion  relateing  thereunto,  untill  he  or 
they  doe  first  take  the  oathes  appointed  by  the  Act  of  Parliament  made  in  the  first 
yeare  of  our  Reigne,  Entituled  An  Act  for  the  abrogateing  the  oathes  of  Supremacy 
and  Allegiance,  and  appointing  other  oathes:  Provided  alsoe  fhat  if  it  shall  at  any 
time  hereafter  be  made  appeare  to  us,  our  heires  or  Successors,  that  this  our  Grant  is 
inconvenient  to  our  Subjects  in  Generall,  or  that  the  Powers  hereby  granted  or  men- 
tioned to  be  granted  or  any  of  them  is  or  are  abused.  That  then  it  shall  and  may  be 
jawfull  to  and  for  us,  our  heires  and  Successors,  by  any  order  of  or  made  in  our  or 
their  Privy  Councill,  to  Revoake,  determine  and  make  void  these  our  letters  Patents, 
and  every  Clause,  Power  and  thing  therein  contained,  anything  to  the  contrary  thereof 
in  any  Wise  notwithstanding:  Provided  further  that  if  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his 
Executors,  Administrators  or  Assigns,  shall  not  within  the  space  of  two  yeares  next 
after  the  date  of  these  our  letters  Patents  Establish  the  Post  or  Office  thereby  intended. 
Within  the  Colonys,  Islands  and  Plantations  aforesaid,  according  to  the  true  intent 
and  meaning  of  these  presents,  Then  this  our  Grant  and  every  power,  matter  and 
thing  tliereni  contained  shall  cease  and  be  void,  anything  to  the  contrary  thereof  in 
any  Wise  notwithstanding ;  And  the  said  Thomas  Neale  doth  for  himself e,  his  Execu- 
tors, Administrators  and  Assignes,  Covenant,  promise  and  Grant  to  and  AVith  us,  our 
heires  and  Successors,  that  all  letters  or  Pacquetts  collected  or  received  in  any  of  the 
Plantations,  Iselands  or  Colonys  aforesaid  to  be  sent  for  England  shall  from  time  to 
time  be  carefully  put  up  and  dispatched  away  by  the  first  Ship  bound  for  any  Port  of 
England  to  be  delivered  by  the  next  Deputy  Postmaster  in  England,  Without  any 
Charge  to  the  Post  Office  here,  Excepting  and  reserveing  unto  us,  our  heires  and 
Successors,  the  English  Inland  Postage  of  all  such  letters  and  Pacquetts  last  men- 
tioned to  be  sent  for  England,  It  being  hereby  intended  and  declared  that  the 
same  shall  not  be  accounted  for  to  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Adminis- 
trators or  Assignes,  but  that  he  and  they  shall  and  is  and  are  hereby  obliged  to 
satisfie  and  pay  the  masters  of  such  vessells  for  such  Conveyance  and  delivery  of 
such  letters  and  Pacquetts  as  shall  be  sent  for  England  as  aforesaid,  and  alsoe  that 
he,  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Administrators  or  Assignes,  shall  and 
Will  at  his  and  their  own  proper  Costs  and  Charges  Nominate  and  appoint  a  sufficient 
Officer  in  our  City  of  London  to  Receive  and  Collect  from  time  to  time  all  letters 
and  Pacquetts  for  any  of  our  Colonys  or  Plantations  aforesaid,  and  to  take  Care  to 
send  them  duely  away  from  time  to  time  by  the  first  vessell  bound  for  any  of  those 


504  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Parts;  And  further  that  all  letters  comonly  called  State  letters,  Which  are  usually 
carried  Postage  ffree  here  in  England,  shall  pass  free  thorow  all  our  Plantations  and 
Iselands  aforesaid;  And  further  alsoe  that  he.  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors, 
Administrators  or  Assignes,  shall  and  Will  at  the  end  of  the  first  three  j^ears  next 
ensueing  after  the  date  of  these  presents,  Transmitt  or  cause  to  be  Transmitted  to 
the  Comissioners  of  the  Treasury  or  high  Treasury  of  England  for  the  time 
being  a  true  and  faithfull  Account  in  Writeing  upon  Oath  of  the  Whole 
Profitts  and  advantage  ariseing  or  accrewing  by  and  the  Charge  of  the 
settling  and  mannageing  the  said  Office  or  Offices  herein  before  granted  or 
mentioned  to  be  granted  and  Established,  and  shall  and  Will  alsoe  keep  true  and 
faithfull  Accounts  in  Writeing  of  all  the  Receipts  and  Charges  aforesaid  relateing  to 
the  said  Office  or  Imployment,  and  that  from  and  after  the  Expiracion  of  the  said 
Three  yeares  next  ensueing  after  the  date  of  this  our  Grant  the  like  Account  shall 
be  yearly  transmitted  as  aforesaid,  if  thereunto  required ;  And  for  the  better  Execu- 
tion of  the  powers  and  direccions  herein  contained  Wee  have  given  and  granted, 
and  by  these  presents  for  us,  our  heires  and  Successors,  doe  give  and  grant  unto  the 
said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Administrators  and  Assignes,  full  power  and 
Authority  from  time  to  time  dureing  the  said  Terme  of  Twenty  one  years,  to  sett  up, 
make  use,  and  have  fferrys  over  any  River  or  lake  in  our  said  Colonies,  Iselands  or 
Plantations,  Where  noe  Iferrys  are  yet  made  nor  any  grant  thereof  made  or  given  to 
any  other  person  or  persons,  by  us  or  any  of  our  Predecessors  for  the  better  Convey- 
ance of  Postage  and  Passengers,  as  need  shall  require,  and  to  receive  and  take  the 
Profitts  and  advantage  comeing  or  ariseing  by  such  fferrys  to  the  use  and  benefitt  of 
him,  the  said  Thomas  Neale,  his  Executors,  Administrators  and  Assignes:  Provided 
always  and  our  Will  and  pleasure  is,  and  Wee  do  hereafter  for  us,  our  heires  and 
Successors,  Declare  that  in  all  cases  Where  such  fferry  or  fferrys  are  to  be  sett  up 
and  made  over  other  Persons  land  or  Water,  the  Proprietor  or  Proprietors  thereof 
shall  be  first  agreed  With,  and  his  and  their  Consent  gained  therein,  according  to 
law  and  Justice:  In  Witnesse  &c  Witnesse  ourselves  at  Westmr,  the  seaventeenth 
day  of  ffebruary  [1691-2]. 

By  Writt  of  Privy  Seale. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


ABBOTT  LAWRENCE. 

Ahbott  Lawrence,  the  fifth  son  of  Samuel  and  Susanna  Lawrence, 
was  born  in  Groton,  Mass.,  December  16,  1792.  He  was  a  lineal  de- 
scendant of  John  Lawrence,  who  was  among  the  earliest  of  the  Puritan 
settlers  of  Massachusetts,  having  settled  in  Watertowm  as  early  as  1035, 
but  afterwards  removed  with  his  wife  to  Groton,  where  he  lived  to  an 
advanced  age,  leaving  at  his  death  several  sons  and  daughters.  Sam- 
uel Lawrence,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  one  of  the  patriotic  citizens 
who  rallied  at  Concord  to  oppose  the  progress  of  the  British  troops. 
At  the  time  the  news  of  their  approach  reached  Groton  he  was  in  the 
field,  when,  mounting  his  horse,  he  rode  through  the  adjoining  towns 
giving  the  alarm,  and  returning  in  season  to  join  his  company  at  the 
meeting-house.  In  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  he  received  a  slight 
wound,  and  his  hat  and  coat,  pierced  with  the  balls  of  the  enemy,  were 
preserved  for  many  years.  He  continued  in  the  service  till  1778;  was 
promoted  to  be  major,  and  fought  in  many  of  the  hardest  battles  of  the 
Revolution.  He  was  a  man  of  exemplary  character,  and  beloved  by 
his  townsmen.  In  connection  wath  others  he  originated  and  estab- 
lished the  institution  which,  in  commemoration  of  the  endowments  it 
received  from  him  and  other  members  of  his  family,  is  now  called 
with  great  propriety  Lawrence  Academy.  He  died  in  Groton  Novem- 
ber 8,  1827,  aged  seventy-three  years,  and  his  widow  May  2,  1845,  aged 
eighty-nine  years.  He  w^as  the  father  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom 
survived  him,  viz.  :  Luther,  who  resided  in  Groton  and  Lowell,  and 
who  died  in  the  latter  place  in  1839,  being  the  mayor  of  that  town ; 
William,  a  merchant  of  Boston,  who  died  in  1850;  Amos,  who  died  in 
1853;  Abbott,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Eliza,  who  married  Dr. 
Joshua  Green,  and  died  in  1874;  and  Samuel  who  died  in  1880. 

Abbott  Lawrence  received  the  family  name  of  his  paternal  grand- 
mother, Abigail  Abbott,  daughter  of  Nehemiah  Abbott  of  Lexington. 

04 


50G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

His  education,  bcg-un  in  the  district  school,  was  completed  at  the  acad- 
emy of  the  town  of  which  his  father  had  been  trustee  for  many  years. 
Beyond  the  educational  advantages  afforded  by  these  local  institutions 
young  Lawrence  received  nothing  in  the  way  of  scholastic  instruction. 
In  1808  he  was  sent  to  Boston  and  placed  as  an  apprentice  in  the  store 
of  his  brother,  Amos  Lawrence,  who  had  been  for  some  years  estab- 
lished here  as  an  importer  of  English  goods.  "My  brother  came  to 
the  as  my  apprentice,"  says  Mr.  Amos  Lawrence  in  his  diary,  "bring- 
ing his  bundle  under  his  arm,  with  less  than  three  dollars  in  his  pocket, 
(and  this  was  his  fortune. )"  After  six  years'  service  in  this  subordi- 
nate position  Amos  Lawrence  was  so  well  pleased  with  his  brother's 
diligence  and  business  abilities  that  he  admitted  him  as  a  partner.  This 
was  in  1814,  a  period  by  no  means  encouraging,  as  we  were  in  the 
midst  of  a  war  with  England,  and  after  a  few  months  the  prospects 
seemed  so  unpromising  that  Mr.  Lawrence  proposed  to  withdraw  from 
the  business  and  enter  the  army.  He  had  previously  been  an  active 
member  of  the  New  England  Guards.  With  his  brother's  consent  he 
proposed  to  enter  the  service,  and  applied  to  the  War  Department  at 
Washington  to  obtain  a  commission,  but  before  receiving  a  reply  the 
news  of  peace  arrived,  and  he  abandoned  all  thought  of  a  military 
career.  On  the  return  of  peace  the  two  brothers  were  quick  to  per- 
ceive the  new  field  that  was  opened  for  foreign  importations,  and  the 
younger  partner,  commissioned  to  purchase  goods  at  Manchester,  em- 
barked in  the  first  vessel  that  left 'Boston  for  England  after  the  procla- 
mation of  peace.  "  The  passage,"  says  Prescott  in  his  memoir  of  Mr. 
Lawrence,  "was  a  short  one.  .  .  .  With  characteristic  ardor  he 
was  the  first  to  leap  on  shore;  being  thus,  perhaps,  the  first  American 
who  touched  his  fatherland  after  the  war  was  ended."  After  pur- 
chasing his  goods  and  dispatching  them  to  Boston,  where  they  were 
sold  at  a  large  profit,  he  spent  considerable  time  in  visiting  the  conti- 
nent, where  he  saw  the  allied  armies  immediately  after  the  battle  of 
Waterloo.  Several  times  he  repeated  his  voyage  to  England,  and  al- 
ways with  the  same  good  results.  Under  the  judicious  management  of 
the  house  its  business  became  every  day  more  widely  extended,  and 
the  fortunes  of  the  brothers  rapidly  increased.  The  firm  name  of  A. 
&  A.  Lawrence  became  equally  well  known  on  both  sides  of  the  At- 
lantic. The  sagacious  minds  of  the  Lawrences  were  also  quick  to  per- 
ceive the  effect  of  domestic  protection,  which  began  to  be  recognized  as 
a  leading  feature  in  the  policy  of  the  government  during  the  closing 


BIOGRAPHIES.  m^i 

years  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  present  century.  At  a  time  when  the 
merchants  of  the  United  States  generally  looked  with  indifference,  if 
not  -Cv'ith  distrust,  upon  the  attempt  to  compete  with  the  fabrics  of 
Europe,  Abbott  Lawrence  took  a  different  view  of  the  subject,  not 
for  selfish  motives,  for  his  interest  at  that  time  ran  rather  in  the  chan- 
nels of  trade.  He  felt  the  importance  of  diversifying  the  pursuits  of 
the  country  where  the  industry  and  ingenuity  of  the  people  so  well 
fitted  them  for  proficiency  in  the  mechanical  arts.  With  characteristic 
energy  the  brothers  accordingly  gave  up  their  business  as  importers 
and  soon  engaged  largely  in  the  sale  of  cotton  and  woolen  goods  of  do- 
mestic manufacture,  and  devoted  all  their  energies  to  foster  this  great 
branch  of  the  national  industry. 

As  a  merchant  Mr.  Lawrence,  by  general  admission,  stood  at  the 
head  of  the  mercantile  profession  of  Boston.  The  feeble  health  of  his 
brother  for  many  years  prior  to  his  death  threw  upon  him  the  chief 
direction  of  an  establishment  second  to  few  in  the  world  for  the  extent 
of  its  transactions ;  second  to  none  in  standing  and  character.  His  in- 
terest in  the  work  of  railroad  construction  in  New  England  was  hardly 
less  than  in  the  establishment  and  extension  of  its  manufacturing  S3^s- 
tem.  He  was  a  large  subscriber  to  the  various  railroads  projected  for 
the  concentration  of  trade  in  Boston,  investing  his  means  in  these  enter- 
prises more  from  a  feeling  of  patriotism  than  with  the  expectation  of 
profit. 

Notwithstanding  the  extent  and  variety  of  his  business  relations,  and 
the  time  and  attention  they  required,  Mr.  Lawrence  neglected  none  of 
the  duties  which  a  good  citizen  owes  to  the  community.  He  took  at 
all  times  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs,  not  from  ambition  for  polit- 
ical advancement,  or  a  wish  for  personal  power,  but  because  he  felt  it 
incumbent  upon  him  to  exert  his  influence  for  the  public  good.  He 
was  chosen  to  represent  Massachusetts  at  the  Harrisburg  convention 
in  1827,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  its  proceedings.  In  1831  he  was 
elected  to  the  Common  Council  of  Boston,  but  declined  a  re-election. 
In  1831  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  and  on  taking  his  place  was  as- 
signed to  the  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means.  On  the  expiration  of 
his  term  his  constituents  testified  their  sense  of  his  services  by  inviting 
him  to  a  public  dinner.  This  he  declined  in  a  letter  in  which  he  ably 
touched  on  the  great  questions  of  the  day.  He  declined  a  re-election 
to  Congress,  although  the  members  of  the  opposite  party  gave  him  the 
remarkable  assurance  that  if  he  would  consent  to  stand  no  candidate 


508  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

would  be  placed  against  him.  Two  years  later  he  consented  to  accept 
a  second  nomination,  and  was  again  elected.  Shortly  after  taking  his 
seat  he  was  attacked  by  typhus  fever,  so  that  for  some  time  small 
hopes  were  entertained  of  his  recovery.  He  resigned  the  following 
autumn.  In  the  presidential  campaign  of  1840  he  took  an  active  part 
in  favor  of  the  election  of  General  Harrison,  and  in  September,  184:2, 
was  president  of  the  Whig  convention  which  nominated  Henry  Clay  for 
president  on  the  part  of  Massachusetts. 

In  1842  Mr.  Lawrence  was  appointed  by  the  governor  one  of  the 
commissioners  on  the  part  of  Massachusetts  to  negotiate  a  settlement 
of  our  northeastern  boundary,  which  for  many  years  had  been  a  source 
of  irritation  between  the  United  vStates  and  England.  Of  the  part  he 
bore  in  this  important  mission  Mr.  Prescott  says:  "It  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  but  for  the  influence  exerted  by  j\Ir.  Lawrence  on  this  occa- 
sion, the  treaty,  if  it  had  been  arranged  at  all,  would  never  have  been 
brought  into  the  shape  it  now  wears."  Mr.  Nathan  Appleton  confirms 
this  statement  in  the  following  words:  "It  is  the  belief  of  the  writer, 
who  was  then  in  Congress,  that  to  Mr.  Lawrence  more  than  to  any 
other  individual  is  due  the  successful  accomplishment  of  the  negotiation 
which  resulted  in  the  treaty  of  Washington." 

In  July,  1843,  Mr.  Lawrence,  whose  health  still  felt  the  effects  of  his 
illness  in  Washington,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  daughter,  em- 
barked from  Boston  in  the  ill-fated  steamer  Cohimbia^  which  was 
wrecked  on  Black  Ledge  near  Seal  Island.  Five  days  the  passengers 
remained  on  that  dreary  spot,  when  they  were  transported  to  Hali- 
fax, whence  they  proceeded  on  the  voyage.  Mr.  Lawrence's  reputa- 
tion had  preceded  him,  and  on  his  arrival  in  England  he  was  received 
with  marked  attention,  and  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  many  distin- 
guished and  influential  people. 

In  1844  Mr.  Lawrence  was  a  delegate  to  the  Whig  convention,  and 
one  of  the  electors  at  large  for  the  State  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  an 
earnest  and  ardent  supporter  of  Henry  Clay  for  the  Presidency,  and 
was  deeply  disappointed  on  his  defeat.  During  the  following  year, 
1845,  he  was  largely  instrumental  in  the  organization  of  the  Essex 
Company,  of  which  he  was  the  first  president  and  the  first  and  largest 
subscriber  to  its  stock.  This  company  founded  the  city  of  Lawrence, 
which  was  incorporated  in  1847  and  named  for  him.  Most  justly  has 
it  been  said  by  one  writer:  "The  broad,  comprehensive  and  unswerv- 
ing faith  and  large  capacity  of  Abbott  Lawrence  should  never  be  for- 
gotton  bv  dwellers  in  the  citv  that  bears  his  name." 


BIOGRAPHIES.  500 

Mr.  Lawrence's  views  on  questions  of  political  economy  were  broad 
and  expansive.  He  was  one  of  the  strongest  and  ablest  of  the  earlier 
advocates  of  domestic  manufactures.  These  views  he  forcibly  ex- 
pressed in  his  private  correspondence  and  public  addresses.  He  un- 
folded them  more  at  length  in  a  series  of  letters  addressed  to  Hon. 
William  C.  Rives  of  Virginia.  They  constitute  a  masterful  handling 
of  the  tariff  questions  of  the  period,  concerning  which  Mr.  Webster 
wrote  to  Mr.  Lawrence  from  Washington:  "Your  letters  to  Mr.  Rives 
have  a  very  great  circulation,  as  you  are  aware,  and  are  highly  praised 
by  intelligent  men.  The  second  of  them  will  form  the  substratum  of 
what  I  propose  to  say  (if  I  say  anything)  on  the  tariff  subject. "  "  These 
letters,"  says  another  writer,  "attracted  much  attention  in  all  parts  of 
the  country,  and  especially  in  Vii'ginia,  where  they  were  reprinted 
and  commented  on  in  the  leading  newspapers.  So  deep  was  the  spirit 
of  enterprise  made  in  that  State  by  them  that  some  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens invited  him  to  come  and  establish  a  manufacturing  town  at  the 
Great  Falls  of  the  Potomac."  "  This  appeal  on  the  part  of  a  sister  State 
for  co-operation  and  leadership  in  the  development  of  its  industry  and 
capital  was  a  remarkable  recognition  and  tribute  to  the  ability  and 
character  of  Mr.  Lawrence.  .  .  .  But  vast  interests  were  at  stake 
nearer  home,  and  he  could  not  allow  himself  to  be  diverted  from  this 
work  by  the  projected  enterprise  on  the  shores  of  the  Potomac,  no  mat- 
ter how  alluring  the  promise  of  results  both  to  himself  and  to  others." 

In  the  presidential  canvass  of  1848  the  name  of  Mr.  Lawrence  was 
prominently  associated  for  the  office  of  vice-president  with  that  of  Gen- 
eral Taylor  for  president,  and  at  the  convention  in  Philadelphia  he 
wanted  but  six  votes  of  being  nominated  for  that  oiifice.  This  result 
-was  owing  to  the  peculiar  and  unexpected  covirse  of  some  of  the  dele- 
gates from  his  own  State.  Whatever  may  have  been  his  disappoint- 
ment over  the  result,  Mr.  Lawrence  did  not  betray  it  by  a  word,  and 
heartily  sustained  the  nomination  of  Taylor  and  Fillmore.  Immedi- 
ately after  the  inauguration  of  General  Taylor,  Mr.  Lawrence  was  of- 
fered a  seat  in  his  Cabinet.  The  place  of  secretary  of  the  navy  was 
at  first  offered  him,  and  afterwards  that  of  secretary  of  the  interior. 
Both  offices  were  declined.  Soon  after  he  was  nominated  by  the  presi- 
dent to  take  the  highest  diplomatic  post  in  the  gift  of  the  government, 
the  mission  to  England,  which  he  accepted.  After  serving  for  three 
years,  his  private  affairs  obliged  him  to  return,  and  in  October,  185"^, 
he  resigned.      Mr.  Lawrence's  mission  to  the  Court  of  vSt.  James  was 


510  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  most  brilliant  part  of  his  political  career.  Entering  upon  the  office 
without  any  experience  of  its  duties  or  acquaintance  with  diplomatic 
functions,  he  filled  that  important  office  with  distinguished  credit,  and 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  government,  while  his  popularity  in 
England  was  fully  equal  to  that  of  the  most  able  and  distinguished  of 
his  predecessors.  Rev  John  Gumming  in  dedicating  the  American 
edition  of  his  Apocalyptic  sketches  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  says:  "  I  regard 
this  as  an  opportunity  of  expressing  a  conviction  shared  and  felt  by 
the  good  and  great  of  this  country  how  much  they  appreciated  your 
presence  in  London,  as  the  representative  of  your  nation,  and  ho^y 
deeply — I  may  add  universally — -they  regretted  your  departure.  We 
never  had  so  popular  a  minister  from  America,  or  one  who  has  done  so 
much  to  leave  lasting  and  elevated  impressions  of  his  countrymen." 

Mr.  Lawrence  took  an  especial  interest  in  the  cause  of  education.  He 
looked  to  substantial  training  in  the  various  departments  of  useful 
knowledge  as  the  great  safe-guards — humanly  speaking — of  society. 
Besides  liberal  donations  to  schools  ■  and  academies  throughout  the 
country,  as  cheerfully  accorded  as  they  w'ere  c(jnstantly  solicited,  he 
made  provision  by  a  handsome  endowment  for  the  annual  distribution 
of  medals  in  the  High  and  Latin  Schools  of  Boston.  In  a  like  spirit  he 
aided  in  the  endowment  of  the  Franklin  Library  at  Lawrence,  w'hich 
also  received  a  bequest  of  $5,000  at  his  death.  His  views  on  the  sub- 
ject of  education  took  a  wide  and  high  range.  In  the  year  1847  he 
founded  the  Scientific  School  which  bears  his  name,  as  a  separate  de- 
partment of  Harvard  University.  The  spacious  edifice  appropriated  to 
it  was  built  by  him,  and  successive  liberal  endowments  were  made  by 
him  for  the  support  of  its  professors.  This  institution,  the  first  of  its 
kind  in  the  United  States,  w^as  the  embodiment  of  long  and  mature  re- 
flection on  the  importance  of  systematic  education  for  those  engaged  in 
conducting  the  great  industrial  pursuits  of  the  community  as  engineers, 
chemists,  geologists,  architects,  machinists  and  manufacturers,  as  well 
as  those  who  are  disposed  to  aim  at  the  increase  of  useful  knowledge 
by  original  researches.  The  great  success  of  the  school  has  evinced 
the  soundness  of  Mr.  Lawrence's  views  as  to  the  desirability  of  such  an 
institution,  as  one  of  the  wants  of  the  country  and  the  age.  In  this 
connection  it  may  be  said,  that  it  was  largely  through  Mr.  Lawrence's 
agency  that  Professor  Agassiz  was  induced  to  establish  his  residence  in 
America.  This  eminent  naturalist  arrived  in  this  country  as  a  lecturer 
before  the  Lowell    Institute,  precisely  at  the  time  when   Mr.  Lawrence 


BIOGRAPHIES.  511 

was  maturing-  the  project  of  the  Scientific  School.  The  pecuHar  fitness 
of  Professor  Agassiz  for  a  chair  in  such  an  institution  did  not  escape  his 
penetration,  and  the  liberal  appropriation,  originalh'  intended  by  him 
as  the  endowment  of  the  school,  was  enlarged,  with  a  view  to  a  more 
adequate  provision  for  the  celebrated  foreigner  just  then  coming  among 
us,  and  as  a  consequence  Professor  Agassiz  was  induced  to  accept  the 
chair  of  zoology  and  geology.  From  that  time  until  his  death,  a  few 
years  ago,  this  eminent  naturalist  was  a  professor  in  the  school,  and  by 
his  connection  with  it  gave  the  institution  world  wide  fame. 

In  the  movement  to  supply  the  city  of  Boston  with  water  Mr.  Law- 
rence took  a  leading  part.  He  attended  several  public  meetings  held 
to  promote  that  object  and  made  speeches  in  support  of  it.  The  pro- 
ject met  with  the  strongest  opposition.  The  first  act  of  the  Legislature 
(passed  March,  1845),  authorizing  the  city  to  take  water  from  either 
Long  Pond  or  Charles  River,  was  rejected  at  the  polls  by  a  large 
majority,  but  a  second  act,  such  had  been  the  change  in  public  opinion, 
was  accepted  by  a  still  larger  majority.  Water  was  brought  into  the 
city  from  Long  Pond  in  October,  1848,  and  Mr.  Lawrence  lived  to  see 
all  his  predictions  more  than  verified. 

After  his  return  from  England  Mr.  Lawrence  held  no  public  posi- 
tion, though  he  still  maintained  a  warm  interest  in  public  affairs.  He 
vigorously  opposed  the  new  State  Constitution  of  1853  and  made 
numerous  speeches  against  it ;  but  with  this  exception  and  his  efforts 
in  the  canvass  for  General  Scott  as  president,  he  took  no  active  part 
in  politics.  His  interest  in  the  cause  of  education,  however,  remained 
unabated,  and  the  fortvmes  of  the  Scientific  School  he  had  founded  at 
Cambridge  were  especially  dear  to  him  and  the  source  of  constant 
solicitude.  As  a  recognition  of  his  generous  and  hearty  interest  in  the 
cause  of  education,  as  well  as  his  valuable  public  services,  Williams  Col- 
lege in  1852,  and  Harvard  College  in  1854,  conferred  on  him  the  hon- 
orary degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  married  June  28,  1810,  to  Katharine,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  the  Hon.  Timothy  Bigelow,  the  distinguished  lawyer.  He 
died  in  Boston,  August  18,  1855,  and  was  buried  with  civil  and  military 
honors. 

The  life  work  of  no  man  was  more  closely  or  more  helpfully  associ- 
ated with  what  was  best  in  the  history  of  Boston  from  the  opening 
years  of  the  present  century  until  his  death  than  that  of  Mr.  Lawrence. 
In  many  ways  he  was  a  positive  factor  for  good.     In  political,  financial. 


512  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

commercial  and  industrial  affairs  of  his  time  the  influence  of  no  one 
was  more  potent  in  New  England  than  his.  Of  every  public  body  to 
which  he  belonged  he  was  a  leading  member,  exercising  a.  command- 
ing influence  on  all  financial  and  other  practical  questions.  He  was  a 
forcible,  eloquent  and  persuasive,  though  not  a  frequent  speaker;  a 
legislator  of  the  class  unfortunately  now  too  rare,  who  owe  their  ad- 
vancement neither  to  party  management,  sectional  agitation  nor 
secret  machinery ;  but  to  merit  felt  and  acknowledged  by  the  commu- 
nity. Though  not  professedly  a  man  of  letters,  he  had  found  time  in 
the  intervals  of  business  for  the  acquisition  of  a  great  amount  of  mis- 
cellaneous knowledge  by  a  judicious  course  of  reading.  His  house  was 
filled  with  books,  paintings  and  works  of  art ;  his  conversation  was  at 
all  times  intelligent  and  instructive ;  his  appreciation  of  liberal  pursuits 
prompt  and  cordial.  In  manner  he  was  eminently  courteous  and 
aft'able.  His  kindly  disposition  found  constant  expression  in  a  beam- 
ing smile,  in  tcmes,  and  words,  and  acts  of  cheerfulness ;  in  unaffected 
sympath}'  with  those  around  him.  His  purse,  his  advice,  his  encour- 
aging voice  were  ever  at  the  command  of  modest  worth.  Unostenta- 
tious hospitality  was  the  presiding  genius  within  his  home.  He  lived  in 
an  atmosphere  of  good  will ;  not  a  languid  sentiment*,  still  less  an 
empty  profession ;  but  a  substantial,  effective  good  will,  manifested  in 
deeds  of  beneficence.  It  might  be  said  of  him  as  was  said  of  his 
brother  Amos,  that  "  every  day  of  his  life  was  a  blessing  to  some  one." 
He  was  a  religious  man  in  principle  and  feeling,  in  heart  and  in  life ;  a 
believer  whose  Christian  profession  was  exemplified  in  all  his  conduct. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Brattle  Street  Church  and  a  regular  and 
devout  attendant  on  the  ministration  of  the  Gospel.  The  reality  of  his 
faith  and  hope  in  the  promises  of  the  Gospel  shone  brightly  in  the  un- 
swerving resignation  with  which  he  supported  the  weariness  and  suffer- 
ing <jf  the  last  trying  week  of  his  life.  "He  was  ready,"  says  one 
writer,  "for  the  great  summons,  and  at  the  critical  moment  when  the 
chances  in  favor  and  against  his  recovery  seemed  to  be  equally  bal- 
anced, he  rejoiced  that  a  higher  wisdom  than  his  own  was  to  decide  the 
question. " 


NATHANIEL   THAYER. 

Nathaniel  Thayer  was  the  youngest  of  three  sons  of  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Thayer,  D.D.,  of  Lancaster,  Mass.,  in  which  town  he  was  born  Sep- 


m.i-L....  _ 

•^m-:w//////mwmm?w// 


^l^i^p^iyt^.-C^ , 


BIOGRAPHIES.  513 

tember  11,  1808.  His  father  was  the  honored  and  revered  minister  of 
Lancaster  for  nearly  fifty  years,  and  a  lineal  descendant  on  the  maternal 
side  of  the  famous  John  Cotton.  The  son's  school  education  was  re- 
ceived wholly  at  Lancaster,  but  among  his  teachers  at  the  little  local 
academy  were  such  inspired  masters  as  Jared  Sparks,  George  B.  Em- 
erson and  Solomon  P.  Miles.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  came  to  Boston 
and  began  his  business  career. 

When  he  arrived  at  maturity  he  was  received  as  a  partner  by  his 
eldest  brother,  John  E.  Thayer,  who  had  established  a  prosperous 
banking  and  brokerage  business  in  Boston.  This  was  at  the  time  when 
railroad  building  had  just  fairly  begun,  and  the  firm  of  John  E.  Thayer 
&  Co.  early  took  a  leading  part  in  these  enterprises.  Their  banking 
business  indeed  related  largely  to  the  railroad  enterprises  which  have 
opened  the  West  to  intercourse  and  traffic,  and  it  yielded  a  liberal  for- 
tune to  both  partners.  To  a  considerable  extent,  however,  these 
enterprises  were  conducted  as  separate  risks.  Among  the  earliest  in 
which  Nathaniel  Thayer  was  concerned  were  certain  railroads  in  New 
York  vState,  which  later  were  consolidated  as  the  New  York  Central 
system.  Subsequently  he  took  a  leading  part  in  the  completion  of  the 
Michigan  Central  road,  which  was  originally  projected  as  a  State  enter- 
prise, or  one  to  which  the  State  contributed  a  loan  for  the  building. 
When  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  were  constructed  under  this 
arrangement,  a  season  of  depression  followed,  and  the  bonds  issued  by 
the  vState  fell  into  the  hands  of  New  York  parties.  Mr.  Thayer  in- 
terested himself  with  these  bondholders  and  furnished  the  capital  to 
finish  the  road,  the  total  extent  of  which  was  285  miles.  It  was  his 
enterprise  rather  than  theirs,  their  aim  being  the  conservative  one  of 
making  good  the  bonds  which  they  held.  Mr.  Thayer  had  not  only  am- 
ple pecuniary  resources,  but  the  courage  to  apply  them  tmder  circum- 
stances which  more  cautious,  or  perhaps  it  should  be  said  less  sanguine, 
persons  regarded  as  hazardous.  The  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy 
Railroad  was  another  enterprise,  the  construction  and  early  success 
of  which  were  mainly  owing  to  Mr.  Thayer's  prescience  and  vigorous 
handling  as  a  railroad  man,  and  this  proved  one  of  the  most  profitable 
of  his  undertakings.  The  financial  advancement  of  the  Hannibal  and 
St.  Joseph  Railroad  was  originally  undertaken  by  John  E.  Thayer,  but 
after  his  decease  Mr.  Thayer  assumed  the  burden  and  carried  it 
through.  The  Philadelphia,  Wilmington  and  Baltimore  road  was  one 
in  which  the  two  brothers  were  concerned  financially.     Other  railroad 

65 


514  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

schemes  of  less  mag-nitiide  engaged  from  time  to  time  the  attention  of 
Nathaniel  Thayer.  Not  all  of  these  prospered  at  once,  and  a  few  not 
at  all.  The  great  rise  in  values  after  the  panic  of  1873  had  spent  its 
force,  which  took  place  from  1878  to  1880,  yielded  large  returns  to  Mr. 
Thayer,  who  was  an  extensive  holder  in  the  panic  period  of  Western 
railroad  stocks  which  were  intrinsically  good.  These  pecuniary  helps 
to  Western  railroad  schemes  were  not  wholly  from  Mr.  Thayer's  own 
excheqiier,  but  to  a  considerable  extent  came  from  Boston  capitalists 
who  had  confidence  in  his  judgment.  Still  his  investments  in  these 
cases  largely  outranked  others,  and  the  result  of  this  energy  and  enter- 
prise, whatever  it  may  have  broiight  to  individuals,  has  contributed  in 
a  much  greater  degree  to  the  general  wealth  of  the  country,  in  the 
development  of  the  agricultural  and  other  resources  of  vast  areas  of 
virgin  soil.  It  is  due  largely  to  men  like  Mr.  Thayer  that  in  a  very 
high  sense  Boston  has  become  the  great  counting-room  of  American 
railroads ;  and  not  all  railroad  men  of  the  present  time  can  form  an 
adequate  idea  of  the  financial,  legal  and  technical  difficulties  with  which 
Mr.  Thayer's  generation  coped  so  wonderfully  well  when  they  con- 
solidated great  roads  and  pushed  others  into  the  wilderness.  He  illus- 
trated the  fact  that  railroads  are  not  so  much  the  result  of  natural 
growth  as  of  a  well  directed  intelligence  and  indomitable  energy. 

Mr.  Thaver's  brother  died  in  1857  and  from  that  time  until  about 
three  years  before  his  death,  which  occurred  March  7,  1883,  when  fail- 
ing health  debarred  him  from  participation  in  business  pursuits,  Mr. 
Thayer  continued  the  banking  business  alone  with  unvarying  success. 
Upon  his  retirement  the  firm  was  succeeded  by  the  well  known  banking- 
house  of  Kidder,  Peabody  &  Co. 

Mr.  Thayer  was  one  of  the  most  munificent  benefactors  of  Harvard 
University,  to  which  his  brother  was  also  a  generous  giver  in  the  form 
of  scholarships.  His  direct  benefactions  to  the  university  exceeded 
$250,000,  exclusive  of  the  sums  distributed  through  channels  of  his  own 
choosing  as  pecuniary  aid  to  students  in  the  university  and  to  scholars 
in  preparation  for  it.  In  18G5  he  performed  for  the  institution  what  at 
the  time  was  a  most  needed  service,  in  providing  in  accordance  with  a 
suggestion  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Peabody  a  place  and  means  for  such  stu- 
dents as  wished  to  avail  themselves  of  a  common  hall  for  boarding  in 
company,  and  at  reasonable  rates,  after  the  former  arrangements  for 
the  purpose  had  been  given  up  and  before  the  dining  room  in  Memorial 
Hall  was  ready  for  use.     To  this  end  he  caused  to  be  enlarged  consid- 


niOGRAPH/ES.  515 

erably  a  building  fronting-  on  Harvard  square  and  formerly  used  as  a 
railroad  station.  As  thus  reconstructed  it  was  called  "  Thayer  Com- 
mon Hall."  Dviring  the  same  year  substantially  in  service  of  the 
University,  he  generously  assumed  the  Avhole  cost  of  Professor  Agas- 
siz's  vigorous  and  most  fruitful  visit  of  exploration  and  research  in 
vSouth  America  known  as  the  "Thayer  Expedition."  This  was  in  the 
interest  of  high  science  and  it  has  proved  the  basis  and  instigation  of 
advanced  stages  already  reached,  and  of  infinite  progress  still  inviting 
its  pupils.  It  is  believed  that  the  only  hesitancy  in  facing  the  known 
and  possible  obligations  to  which  Mr.  Thayer  committed  himself  in  this 
enterprise,  was  in  his  humorous  lament  to  Professor  Agassiz  as  to  the 
enormous  amount  of  alcohol  needed  to  prepare  the  fishes  of  which  he 
appeared  to  empty  the  ocean. 

Thayer  Hall,  erected  in  1870,  was  designed  by  the  donor  as  a 
memorial  gift  commemorative  of  his  father  and  of  his  brother,  John  E. 
Thayer.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  structures  on  the  college  grounds,  and 
is  used  as  a  dormitory.  Another  of  the  admirable  provisions  made  by 
Mr.  Thayer,  through  his  friend  Professor  Gra}',  in  meeting  the  ever 
multiplying  needs  of  the  university,  was  in  erecting  and  furnishing  in 
1874  the  fire-proof  herbarium  on  the  grounds  of  the  Botanic  Garden. 
In  1866  he  received  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  from  Harvard  College, 
and  in  1868  was  elected  a  Fellow  of  the  Corporation,  a  very  exceptional 
compliment  but  once  before  paid  to  one  not  an  alumnus.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  vSciences  and  Massa- 
chusetts Historical  Society,  and  honorary  member  of  the  Berlin 
Geographical  Society.  He  served  as  president  of  the  corporation  of  the 
Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  of  which  institution  he  was  also  a 
liberal  benefactor. 

Mr.  Thayer  was  married  June  10,  1816,  to  Cornelia,  daughter  of 
General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  They  had  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  The 
latter  years  of  Mr.  Thayer's  life  were  spent  mostly  at  Lancaster,  where 
he  had  built  a  fine  home  among  the  elms  that  shaded  the  old  parsonage 
where  his  revered  father  and  mother  lived  and  died.  He  was  tenderly 
loyal  to  old  acquaintanceships  and  greatly  enjoyed  revisiting  and  renew- 
ing the  memories  of  his  boyhood  days.  He  was  ever  a  cheerful  giver 
to  all  philanthropic  objects.  His  liberality  was,  however,  wisely  dis- 
criminate in  its  aims  and  independent  in  method,  while  the  modest 
dignity  associated  with  his  every  act  prompted  him  to  shim  all  public- 


51G  .   SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ity.  In  personal  appearance  and  in  character  Mr.  Thayer  was  a  man 
to  command  respect.  He  was  tall  and  broad  shouldered ;  dignified  in 
manner,  and  with  a  face  that  was  marked  both  by  amiability  and  decision 
of  character. 


JAMES    LOYELL    LITTLE. 

James  Lovell  Little,  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  prominent 
factors  in  the  business  life  of  Boston,  was  born  in  Marshfield,  Mass., 
April  4,  1810,  and  was  a  son  of  Captain  Luther  and  Hannah  (Lovell) 
Little.  The  first  ancestor  of  the  family  in  America  was  Thomas  Lit- 
tle, who  came  from  Devonshire,  England,  and  settled  in  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  in  1G30,  and  is  said  to  have  been  a  lawyer.  He  married  in 
1033  Ann,  daughter  of  Richard  Warren,  one  of  the  Mayfloivcr  pilgrims, 
and  in  1650  removed  to  East  Marshfield,  where  he  built  a  house  still  in 
the  possession  of  his  descendants,  and  where  he  died  March  12,  1671. 
That  he  was  a  man  of  respectable  and  affluent  family  is  reasonably 
conjectured  from  the  fact  stated  in  some  old  papers  that  he  brought 
with  him  to  Plymouth  four  bound  men  servants.  The  name  of  his 
wife's  father,  Richard  Warren,  is  found  in  the  Mayfloivcr  list  of  pas- 
sengers in  Prince's  Chronology,  in  which  his  death  is  thus  recorded: 
"This  year  (1028)  dies  Mr.  Richard  Warren,  a  useful  instrument,  and 
bears  a  deep  share  in  the  difficulties  attending  the  settlement  of  New 
Plymouth;"  while  the  Plymouth  Colony  Records  contain  frequent 
references  to  him  and  members  of  his  family.  To  Thomas  and  Ann 
(Warren)  Little  were  born  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters. 
Thomas,  the  eldest  son,  was  killed  by  the  Indians  at  the  Rehoboth 
fight  in  1G7G.  The  other  children  in  order  of  birth  were  Samuel, 
Ephraim,  Isaac,  Hannah  (married  Stephen  Tilden),  Mercy  (married 
John  wSawyer).  Ruth  and  Patience. 

Ephraim  Little,  the  third  son  of  the  pilgriin,  Thomas  Little,  and  the 
ancestor  in  direct  line  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Marshfield,  May  17, 
1050.  He  married  in  1072,  Mary,  daughter  of  Samuel  Sturtevant,  of 
Plymouth,  and  had  children  as  follows:  Ephraim,  born  1073,  graduated 
at  Harvard  College  in  1095,  and  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Plymouth 
Church  in  1699;  Ruth,  born  in  1075  and  died  in  infancy;  David,  born 
in  1081  and  settled  as  a  lawyer  at  Scituate;  John,  born  1083;  Ruth, 
born  November  23,  1080,   married   November  23,    1710,   John   Avery, 


BIOGRAPHIES.  517 

son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Lane)  Avery,  of  Dedham;  Ann  and 
Mary.  Ephraim  Little,  sr. ,  died  November  24,  1717,  and  his  wife 
February  10,  1717.      Both  were  buried  at  Scituate. 

J(jhn  Little,  son  of  Ephraim,  and  great-grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  magistrate,  a  large  land  owner,  and  had  several  slaves.  He 
married  in  1707  Constant  Fobes,  of  Little  Compton,  R.  L,  and  was  a 
valuable  and  highh'  useful  citizen.  Of  their  eight  children,  Fobes,  the 
eldest,  was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1724,  became  a  physician  at  Little 
Compton;  John  removed  to  Windham;  William  to  Lebanon,  Conn. 
To  each  of  these  three  sons  the  father  gave  a  farm :  to  Fobes  one  in 
Little  Compton,  to  John  one  in  Columbia,  Conn.,  and  to  William  one 
in  Lebanon,  Conn.  To  each  of  his  three  other  sons,  Ephraim,  Thoinas 
and  Lemuel,  was  given  a  farm  in  East  Marshfield.  Of  the  two  daugh- 
ters, Anna  married  a  White,  and  Ruth  an  Oakman.  John  Little  died 
February  2G,  1707,  and  his  wife  June  20,  17T1. 

Lemuel  Little,  youngest  son  of  John  and  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  December  8,  1724,  and  December  28,  1747,  was  married  to 
Penelope  Ames.  He  died  December  30,  1798,  and  his  wife  August  20, 
1803.  Their  children  were  Lemuel,  jr.,  Olive,  George,  Luther,  James, 
Mercy,  Mary,  Persis,  William  and  Jane.  Of  these  George  and  Luther 
distinguished  themselves  as  commanders  in  the  navy  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  A  son  of  the  former,  Edward  P. ,  was  a  greatly  re- 
spected and  influential  citizen  of  Marshfield  during  the  first  half  of  the 
present  century,  and  also  representative  in  Congress.  He  left  several 
children  among  whom  is  Amos  R.  Little,  a  prominent  business  man  of 
Philadelphia. 

Captain  Luther  Little,  son  of  Lemuel  and  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  April  15,  1756,  and  lived  in  the  old  homestead  at  East  Marshfield. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  while  serving  as  a  naval  officer  under  his  more 
distinguished  brother,  he  received  a  grape-shot  wound  in  the  face  dur- 
ing the  action  between  the  Protector  and  the  Admiral  Duff.  He  was 
long  disabled,  losing  his  speech  for  two  years,  but  it  eventually  was 
almost  entirely  recovered.  After  his  recovery  he  made  many  voyages 
as  a  merchant  captain.  Captain  Little  was  twice  married:  first  in  1788 
to  Susanna  White,  a  direct  descendant  of  Peregrine  White.  The  issue 
of  this  marriage  were  two  children,  Luther,  jr.,  and  Susanna.  His 
second  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  January  4,  1798,  was  Hannah 
Lovell,  a  daughter  of  the  distinguished  General  Solomon  Lovell,  who 
was  a  descendant  in  the  fifth  generation  from  Robert  Lovell,  who  was 


518  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

a  member  of  the  company  led  by  Rev.  Joseph  Hull  which  was  gathered 
in  Somerset,  Worcester  and  Dorchester,  England,  and  came  to  America 
in   the   summer   of   1635,    settling  at  Wessaguscns   (now  Weymouth 
Mass. ) 

During  the  French  and  Indian  war  General  Lovell  rendered  valuable 
service,  and  early  entered  actively  into  the  military  service  of  the  State 
of  Massachusetts  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  his  commission  as  colonel 
of  the  Second  Regiment  being  dated  February  7,  1770.  On  the  24th 
of  June,  1777,  he  was  elected  by  the  Council  brigadier-general  of  the 
militia  of  Suffolk  county,  a  position  of  the  highest  importance,  since  it 
made  him  subordinate  only  to  the  department  officer  appointed  by  the 
Continental  Congress,  the  military  commander  of  Boston,  and  virtually 
of  the  Eastern  District,  which  covered  nearly  the  whole  of  New  Eng- 
land, a  position  that  he  retained  to  the  close  of  the  war^ — a  period  of  six 
years  of  constant  watchfulness  and  preparation ;  sufficient  proof  that 
his  services  were  eminently  satisfactory  to  the  people  over  whom  he 
was  placed,  and  in  whom  was  vested  the  power  of  removal  at  any  time. 
He  was  commander  of  the  famous  Penobscot  expedition,  and  in  every 
station  admirably  acquitted  himself  as  a  brave  and  efficient  soldier. 

The  children  of  Captain  Little  by  his  second  marriage  were  Sarah 
Lovell,  William  Fobes,  Solomon,  Hannah,  Priscilla,  Lydia,  James 
Lovell  and  Olive.  Captain  Little  died  March  22,  1842,  living  to  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-six,  retaining  up  to  the  time'  of  his  death  re- 
markable vigor  of  mind  and  body.      His  second  wife  died  May  3,  1826. 

James  Lovell  Little,  the  seventh  child  of  Captain  Little  and  Hannah 
(Lovell)  Little,  was  born  at  the  old  homestead,  on  the  spot  first  settled 
by  the  common  American  ancestor,  Thomas  Little.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Marshfield  during  the  winter  months,  the 
remainder  of  the  year  being  spent  in  agricultural  pursuits  on  the 
paternal  farm.  The  first  eleven  years  of  his  life  were  those  of  the  boy 
of  those  times  upon  the  New  England  farm.  He  was  then  apprenticed 
to  a  cabinet  maker  in  Weymouth,  but  the  trade  was  not  to  his  liking, 
and  after  seven  months'  trial  he  ran  awa}'  and  returned  home,  where 
he  remained  till  November  3,  1825,  when  he  came  to  Boston  to  begin 
a  business  career  in  which  he  was  destined  to  achieve  notable  success. 
The  journey  from  Marshfield  to  Boston  in  those  days  was  something 
of  an  undertaking  and  little  appreciated  at  this  advanced  period  of  rail- 
road traveling.  It  was  made  by  stage  and  consumed  the  time  from 
seven  in  the  morning  until  eight  or  nine  in  the  evening.      Upon  his 


BIOGRAPHIES.  519 

arrival  in  Boston  young"  Little  entered  the  store  of  B.  I.  Leeds,  a  retail 
dry  goods  and  notion  dealer  on  Washington  street  below  Boylston 
street,  the  position  of  general  utilit}^  boy  having  previously  been 
secured  for  him  by  his  uncle,  W.  H.  Montague.  Here  he  remained  for 
two  years,  receiving  as  compensation  $25  per  annum  and  his  board, 
his  duties  consisting  of  being  on  hand  at  0  a.m.,  opening,  closing  and 
sweeping  the  store,  making  fires,  cleaning  lamps,  and  such  other 
similar  work  he  might  be  called  upon  to  perform.  It  is  evident  that 
he  kept  his  eyes  and  ears  open,  for  when  in  December,  1827,  he  was 
asked  by  his  cousin,  Mr.  Montague,  of  the  firm  of  Montague  &  Guild, 
also  retail  dry  goods  dealers,  to  assume  the  lease  and  stock  of  their 
firm,  as  they  desired  to  move,  he  went  to  Mr.  Leeds  and  told  hiru  of 
the  offer.  Leeds  sought  to  persuade  him  from  assiiming  such  an 
undertaking,  when  in  reply  he  told  Mr.  Leeds  he  did  not  like  the  way 
his  business  was  looking  and  that  he  thought  he  would  fail.  Leeds 
then  said  he  thought  he  had  better  go.  Sixty  days  thereafter  Leeds 
did  fail,  proving  the  correctness  of  young  Little's  prediction.  Little 
accepted  the  proffer  of  Montague  &  Guild,  and  thus  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  we  find  the  country  lad  fairly  launched  in  business  for  him- 
self. He  ran  the  business  very  successfully  and  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all  parties  concerned  till  the  lease  expired,  when  he  began  the  same 
business  on  his  own  account  and  continued  in  it  up  to  1835.  In  the 
autumn  of  that  year,  when  the  firm  of  George  Howe  &  Co.  was  organ- 
ized for  the  importation  of  dry  goods,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm. 
Being  particularly  adapted  to  the  duties  of  purchasing  agent  abroad, 
he  was  selected  by  his  partners  to  represent  them  in  that  capacity  in 
England,  vScotland  and  France.  While  thus  engaged  he  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  the  leading  manufacturers  and  bankers  in  those  coun- 
tries, and  derived  no  small  benefit  from  his  association  with  them  in 
the  disastrous  panic  of  1837. 

He  remained  in  Europe  until  the  fall  of  183G,  and  on  his  return  home 
severed  his  connection  with  the  firm  of  George  Howe  &  Co. ,  which  was 
then  dissolved.  He  next  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Eliphalet 
Baker  &  Co. ,  also  importers  of  dry  goods,  and  again  repaired  to  Eu- 
rope in  1837  to  represent  the  new  firm  in  his  old  capacity.  It  was  then 
that  his  previous  fiscal  and  manufacturing  acquaintanceship  proved  to 
be  so  advantageous.  He  was  able  to  obtain  large  invoices  of  goods  on 
his  own  credit,  and  these,  when  sold  in  the  United  States,  netted  hand- 
some profits.  His  connection  with  Eliphalet  Baker  &  Co.  lasted  until 
1843. 


520  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

In  January  of  the  year  named  Mr.  Little,  in  connection  with  Paul 
Alden  and  William  Munroe,  jr.,  formed  the  firm  of  Little,  Alden  &  Co., 
and  began  the  business  of  dry  goods  importation  at  Old  Julian  Hall, 
corner  of  Milk  and  Congress  streets,  which  was  remodeled  into  one  of 
the  finest  business  buildings  then  in  Boston.  The  importations  of  the 
firm  were  large,  the  deinands  for  their  goods  being  great  even  from 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  firms.  The  firm  remained  unchanged  un- 
til the  death  of  Mr.  Alden,  when  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  James 
L.  Little  &  Co.,  their  business  quarters  in  the  mean  time,  however,  hav- 
ing been  removed  to  Federal  street.  Importations  from  Europe  were 
made  by  the  firm  until  1858,  when  this  branch  of  trade  was  relin- 
quished. The  firm  was  dissolved  in  1883,  when  Mr.  Little  retired  to 
private  life. 

Mr.  Little  was  one  of  the  original  incorporators  of  the  Pacific  Mills 
of  Lawrence,  and  when  they  went  into  operation  in  1853  the  firm  of 
Little,  Alden  &  Co.  became  the  selling  agents  of  their  products.  This 
relation  was  vested  principally  in  the  senior  partner,  who  by  his  active 
efforts  had  materially  contributed  to  the  inauguration  of  that  great  in- 
dustry. The  first  product  of  the  Pacific  Mills  came  upon  the  market 
after  a  period  of  suspension,  and  similar  mills  at  that  time  were  not  do- 
ing a  profitable  business.  By  the  energy,  enterprise  and  good  judgment 
of  Mr.  Little,  however,  the  Pacific  Mills  were  made  to  pay  a  handsome 
dividend  at  the  close  of  the  first  year's  biisiness,  and  it  was  to  hiin  in  a 
great  measure  that  they  owed  their  subsequent  prosperity. 

In  the  panic  of  1857  the  Pacific  Mills  Company  was  compelled  to  ask 
for  an  extension  of  its  obligations.  The  firm  of  Little,  Alden  &  Co., 
being  endorser  to  a  large  amount  of  this  paper,  was  in  consequence 
obliged  to  suspend  payment  for  a  while ;  but  in  three  months  all  its 
obligations  were  met  with  the  interest  accrued.  At  that  momentous 
crisis,  the  courageous  determination  of  Mr.  Little  to  sustain  this  man- 
ufacturing organization  inspired  the  wavering  with  confidence,  and 
gave  new  zeal  to  many  who  had  been  dispirited  by  the  numerous  de- 
pressing circuiTistances  to  which  all  business,  and  particularly  the  new 
branches  of  American  industrial  art,  were  subjected. 

After  the  death  in'  1877  of  Hon.  J.  Wiley  Edmands,  who  had  been 
treasurer  and  purchasing  agent  of  the  Pacific  Mills,  Mr.  Little  was 
chosen  to  that  position,  which  he  held  until  his  resignation  in  1880. 
His  incumbency  of  this  iinportant  trust  represented  perhaps  the  inost 
prosperous  period  in   the  history  of  the  mills.     When   Mr.  Little  re- 


BIOGRAPHIES.  521 

sig"ned  the  Pacific  Mills  were  the  best  equipped,  as  far  as  machinery  was 
concerned,  of  any  mill  in  the  county.  During-  the  last  year  of  his  ad- 
ministration there  was  more  new  machinery  put  in  than  in  any  previous 
year  in  the  history  of  the  corporation.  Despite  this  consequent  large 
expenditure,  there  was  paid  that  year  a  dividend  of  twenty-two  per 
cent,  out  of  the  earnings,  and  a  considerable  addition  was  made  to  the 
surplus  fund.  During  the  ten  years  ending  with  Mr.  Little's  adminis- 
tration, over  $300,000  a  year  had  been  spent  in  new  machinery  and  in 
making  repairs.  To  this  great  corporation  he  gave  most  earnest  and 
thoughtful  care,  and  to  his  mercantile  sagacity  and  rare  business  judg- 
ment in  the  most  critical  period  of  its  history,  its  final  success  was 
largely  due.  These  mills  now  constitute  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
and  useful  industrial  organizations  in  the  United  States,  or  even  in 
the  world.  Associated  with  Mr.  Little  in  their  operations  during  the 
earlier  years  of  their  existence  were  some  of  the  foremost  business 
men  of  New  England,  prominent  among  whom  were  Abbott  Lawrence, 
J.  Wiley  Edmands  and  others  equally  well  known  for  their  connection 
with  the  inauguration  of  the  cotton  and  woolen  mills  of  New  England. 

AVhile  holding  the  responsible  and  onerous  position  as  treasurer  of 
Pacific  Mills,  Mr.  Little  continued  as  the  controlling  and  directing  spirit 
of  the  firm  of  James  L.  Little  &  Co.,  the  selling  agents  of  that  organiza- 
tion. Several  years  previously  a  branch  house  had  been  established  at 
New  York,  and  from  these  two  centers  an  immense  business  was  trans- 
acted all  over  the  United  ^States.  Mr.  Little  also  was  president  of  the 
Kearsage  Mills  at  Portsmouth,  the  Middlesex  Corporation,  and  of  the 
Boston  Gas  Light  Company.  He  was  also  a  director  in  the  Second  Na- 
tional Bank,  and  during  the  3'ear  of  absence  of  President  Jas.  H.  Beal,  Mr. 
Little  assumed  the  duties.  He  was  overseer  of  the  poor  of  Boston, 
trustee  of  Mt.  Auburn  Cemetery,  and  held  various  other  important 
positions.  In  comparatively  recent  years  he  acquired  valuable  real  es- 
tate in  the  business  center  of  Boston,  to  the  improvement  of  which  he, 
aided  by  his  sons,  devoted  much  time  and  attention. 

During  his  active  business  life,  Mr.  Little  found  time  to  advance  the 
interest  of  the  community  at  large  m  various  ways.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  corporators  of  the  Institute  of  Technology,  and  for  years  served  as 
an  efficient  trustee  of  this  valuable  educational  institution.  By  Gov- 
ernor Bullock  he  was  appointed  trustee  of  the  Massachusetts  General 
Hospital ;  held  the  office  acceptably  for  some  years,  and  took  deep  in- 
terest in  the  objects  and  prosperity  of  that  worthy  State  charity.      For 

(16 


522  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  reorganized  board  of  overseers  of 
the  poor.  The  Agassiz  Museum  at  Cambridge  also  received  his  hearty 
support,  while  his  contributions  to  private  charity  and  philanthropic  ob- 
jects were  constant  and  liberal. 

In  politics  Mr.  Little  was  originally  a  Whig,  and  subsequently  an 
earnest  Republican,  but  he  never  sought  nor  desired  political  prefer- 
ment, although  man}'  times  strongly  urged  to  take  prominent  political 
offices.  A  man  of  his  positive  characteristics,  however,  could  not  be 
indifferent  to  the  claims  of  his  country,  nor  neutral  in  the  strife  of  par- 
ties when  the  contest  raged  around  clearly  defind  and  influential  issues. 
Throvighout  the  late  civil  war  his  thoughts  and  energies  were  tasked  to 
the  uttermost  in  securing  recruits  for  the  patriotic  armies,  in  minister- 
ing to  the  wants  of  soldiers'  families,  and  in  encouraging,  by  voice  and 
example,  all  who  were  doubtful  and  faint-hearted  to  rouse  themselves 
to  the  support  of  the  national  government,  and  to  give  it  their  warmest 
sympathies.  Indeed,  he  gave  his  time,  money  and  talents,  without 
stint,  to  push  the  struggle  to  a  victoinous  close.  He  was  one  of  eight 
gentlemen  in  Boston  who  in  February,  18G3,  organized  the  Union 
Club,  a  patriotic  organization,  similar  to  the  Union  League  of  Phila- 
delphia. This  club  ran  through  a  prosperous  and  influential  career ; 
lent  effective  aid  to  the  Union  cause,  and  did  much  to  suppress  latent 
and  avowed  disaffection  to  the  administration  of  President  Lincoln. 

During  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  Mr.  Little  lived  at  his  handsome 
residence  on  the  corner  of  Commonwealth  avenue  in  the  winter,  and 
at  Swampscot  in  summer.  The  latter  place  he  did  much  to  improve, 
the  group  of  cottages  under  his  ownership  being  ainong  the  most 
noted  on  the  coast.  He  had  practically  retired  from  business  for  sev- 
eral years  preceding  his  death,  but  was  confined  to  his  bed  only  a  w'eek 
previous  to  the  ending  of  his  life,  which  occurred  June  10,  1889,  at 
vSwampscot. 

In  many  respects  the  career  of  Mr.  Little  was  remarkable  and 
worthy  of  emulation.  By  his  own  unaided  efforts  he  rose  from  an 
humble  position  to  be  one  of  the  foremost  business  men  of  his  time. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  energy,  of  incorruptible  integrity  and  of  a 
superior  order  of  business  abilit}'.  He  possessed  that  rare  moral  cour- 
age which  would  sanction  no  resort  to  subterfuge  nor  permit  him  to  be 
diverted  from  a  covirse  his  conscience  approved,  on  the  ground  of  sim- 
ple expediency  or  policy.  What  he  believed  to  be  right  he  did,  regard- 
less of  consequences.       Calmness   in    difficulty,   combined   with  great 


BIO  GRA  PHIES.  533 

fertilit}"  of  expedients,  constituted  one  of  his  chief  merits.  Like  a  skill- 
ful general  he  was  neither  too  sanguine  nor  yet  easily  discouraged  as 
to  the  success  of  any  enterprise.  He  was  alwa^^s  actuated  by  high 
motives,  and  he  has  left  behind  him  a  record  worthy  to  be  had  in  per- 
petual remembrance. 

Mr.  Little  was  married  October  18,  1843,  to  Julia  Augusta,  daughter 
of  Zebedee  Cook,  jr.,  and  Caroline  (Tuttle)  Cook,  who  died  at  Swamp- 
scot,  July  14,  1883.  They  had  eight  children,  of  whom  two  died  in 
infancy  and  six  are  now  living,  five  sons  and  one  daughter. 


JOSHUA    SEARS. 

Joshua  Sears,  for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Bos- 
ton, was  born  at  Yarmouth,  Mass.,  in  August,  1791.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  he  came  to  Boston  to  seek  his  fortune,  and  entered  as 
an  apprentice  in  the  counting-room  of  Charles  Hood  on  Long  Wharf. 
Here  he  remained  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  About  this 
time,  in  consequence  of  the  embargo  and  the  war  which  soon  followed, 
mercantile  business  was  gfeatly  depressed,  and  Mr.  Sears  returned  to 
his  native  town  on  Cape  Cod,  where  he  remained,  teaching  school,  un- 
til the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  returned  to  Boston  and  was  employed 
in  the  counting-room  of  George  Hallett,  where  he  remained  one  year. 
At  the  end  of  this  time  he  formed  a  copartnership  with  Oliver  Hallett, 
a  brother  of  George  Hallett,  under  the  firm  name  of  Sears  &  Hallett, 
at  No.  10  Long  Wharf,  which  continued  for  two  years,  About  this 
time  Solomon  Burt,  of  the  firm  of  Burnham  &  Burt,  died,  and  Mr. 
Burnham  took  Mr.  Sears  in  as  a  special  partner,  which  relationship 
continued  until  two  years  later,  when  Mr.  Burnham  retired  and  Mr. 
Sears  then  became  sole  proprietor  of  the  business,  continuing  to  con- 
duct it  alone  with  conspicuous  success  until  his  death,  February  7, 
1857.  He  was  one  of  the  foremost  merchants  of  Boston  during  the  era 
when  this  city  was  commercially  the  first  of  American  cities.  He 
possessed  great  sagacity,  which,  combined  with  remarkable  business 
talent,  and  indomitable  perseverance  and  industry,  enabled  him  to  ac- 
cumulate one  of  the  largest  private  fortunes  of  his  day.  Frederick 
Freeman  in  his  "Annals  of  Yarmouth,"  writing  of  jNIr.  Sears's  personal 
characteristics,  sa3^s:  "  He  was  always  just  in  his  dealings,  painstaking, 


524  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

frug-a],  temperate,  assiduous  and  far-seeing  Of  entire  independence 
of  character,  he  was  also  a  keen  and  accurate  observer  of  the  character 
of  others ;  and  as  a  private  banker,  was  also  of  great  service  to  his 
neighbors  in  trade  by  sustaining  their  issues.  Whilst  exact  in  trade 
and  cautious,  he  never  shrank  from  a  friend  in  whom  he  had  reason 
to  have  confidence.  Though  not  a  politician  he  was  ever  firm  in 
adherence  to  Democratic  principles  'of  the  Jackson  stamp.'  Known 
to  the  public  only  in  commercial  transactions,  few  were  conversant 
with  his  private  life  and  leisure  hours;  but  those  who  were  knew  him 
not  only  as  an  original  thinker,  but  a  great  reader,  with  a  memory 
remarkably  tenacious,  enabling  him  to  repeat  much  that  he  had  read — 
even  whole  pages  of  Homer's  Iliad,  as  translated  by  Pope.  Articles 
of  noticeable,  ability  were  often  written  by  him  for  the  papers;  and 
there  is  little  room  to  doubt  that  he  would  have  stood  high  in  any  pro- 
fession that  he  might  have  chosen.  " 

Mr.  Sears  was  married  in  February,  1854,  to  Miss  Phebe  vSnow, 
daughter  of  Deacon  vSnow  of  Brewster,  Mass.,  an  estimable  woman, 
who  died  January  1,  1855,  after  having  given  birth  to  a  son,  Joshua 
Montgomery  Sears,  who  survives.  Mr.  wSears  was  buried  in  his  native 
town  of  Yarmouth,  for  which  he  always  maintained  a  deep  regard. 
This  was  manifested  repeatedly  during  his  lifetime  by  generous  gifts  to 
the  poor  and  needy  of  that  town,  and  by  a  bequest  in  his  wiil  for  the 
establishment  at  that  point  of  a  nautical  school. 


THEOPHILUS  W.   WALKER. 

Theophilus  W.  Walkkr  w^as  a  conspicuous  representative  of  the  old 
time  Boston  merchants,  who  during  the  past  half  century  and  more 
gave  character  and  standing  to  the  business  interests,  the  commerce 
and  the  capital  of  Boston.  He  was  born  in  South  Danvers,  Mass., 
February  22,  1813.  His  father  was  the  Rev.  Samuel  Walker,  a  well 
known  minister  of  wSouth  Danvers,  and  his  mother,  Sophia  Wheeler  of 
Worcester.  From  this  Puritan  stock  Mr.  Walker  inherited  the  many 
sterling  equalities  which  were  conspicuous  in  his  life  and  contributed 
so  largely  to  his  business  success.  His  father  desired  him  to  enter 
upon  a  professional  career,  but  he  early  evinced  such  a  decided  taste 
for  a  business  life  that  he  w-as  permitted  to  make  his  own  selection  of  a 


BIOGRAPHIES.  525 

pursuit.  He  began  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  the  emplov  of 
Charles  Brook  &  Co.,  at  that  time  one  of  the  leading  hardware  firms  in 
Dock  square.  As  a  boy  he  exhibited  keen  business  sagacity  and  those 
self-reliant  traits  of  character  which  in  later  3'ears  were  so  marked  in 
his  career.  When  he  was  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  the  head  of  a  well 
known  hardware  finn  committed  forgery  and  fled  the  city.  He  was 
declared  a  bankrupt,  and  his  stock  was  offered  for  sale.  Young  Walker 
after  looking  over  the  stock  was  convinced  it  was  worth  purchasing. 
He  had,  however,  no  capital,  and  not  being  of  age  his  notes  would  not 
be  taken.  In  this  strait  he  applied  to  Deacon  John  C.  Proctor,  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  his  father,  and  his  uncle,  Moses  Wheeler,  and  asked 
them  to  endorse  his  notes.  The  boldness  of  the  request  carried  the 
day,  and  the  notes  were  duly  endorsed.  The  young  merchant  began 
his  independent  business  career  in  the  store  corner  of  Exchange  street 
and  Dock  square.  From  the  first  success  followed  him,  and  within  fif- 
teen months  not  only  was  the  bankrupt  stock  paid  for,' but  a  lucrative 
business  had  been  established.  His  brother,  Nathaniel,  became  asso- 
ciated with  him  at  this  time  as  a  clerk,  and  afterwards  as  partner,  the 
firm  name  in  the  early  forties  being  known  as  Walker  &  Brother,  at 
which  time  it  ranked  among  the  best  hardware  firms  of  Boston.  Later 
on  the  firm  removed  to  Pearl  street,  and  was  better  known  at  that 
period  as  the  agent  of  the  Essex  Ghie  Company.  About  this  time  Mr. 
Walker  became  acquainted  with  a  notable  ship  builder  of  Belfast, 
Me.,  and  was  induced  to  embark  in  navigation.  The  final  issue  of 
this  was  the  barque  Sophia  Walker,  named  in  honor  of  his  mother. 
Her  first  voyage  was  to  vSmyrna,  in  cominand  of  Captain  Grafton,  son 
of  ]\Iajor  Grafton,  for  many  years  surveyor  of  the  port  of  Boston.  At 
the  time  she  was  built  she  was  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  naval 
architecture  afloat,  and  the  fastest  sailer.  Later  she  obtained  inter- 
national reputation  while  in  command  of  Captain  John  Codman.  The 
success  of  this  vessel  tempted  her  owner  to  embark  further  in  naviga- 
tion, and  from  the  time  when  the  great  tide  of  emigration  to  California 
began,  down  to  the  commencement  of  the  late  civil  war,  he  was  the 
owner  of  several  of  the  finest  clipper  ships  which  sailed  from  Boston. 
With  the  decline  of  the  shipping  interest,  which  began  in  the  late  fifties, 
Mr.  Walker  became  largely  interested  in  the  principal  cotton  and 
woolen  manufactories  of  New  England,  and  in  this  then  comparatively 
new  field  of  activity  his  great  business  abilities  found  congenial  em- 
ployment.     At  one  time  he  owned  the  celebrated  mills  at  North  Vassa- 


52(1  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

boro,  the  V^ictoria  Mills  at  Newbiiryport,  the  Annisquam  Mills  at 
Rockport,  and  the  Danvers  Bleachery,  while  he  held  the  controlling  in- 
terest in  the  Androscoggin  Mills,  and  was  its  president  for  twenty-five 
years.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the 
largest,  individual  owner  of  textile  fabric  manufactories  in  the  United 
States. 

vSome  forty  years  ago  Mr.  Walker  purchased  the  Governor  Gore  es- 
tate in  Waltham  from  Rev.  J.  S.  Copley  Green,  which  made  him  the 
proprietor  of  one  of  the  finest  estates  in,  Massachusetts,  being  almost 
colonial  in  its  style  of  architecture  and  in  its  landscape  surroundings. 
He  expended  a  small  fortune  in  keeping  up  this  estate,  and  here  amid 
his  beautiful  surroundings,  practically  retired  from  active  business,  he 
quietly  ^nd  serenely  passed  the  latter  years  of  his  life.  He  died  April 
15,  1890,  surviving  most  of  his  business  contemporaries,  few  if  any  now 
remaining  who  were  active  participants  in  the  period  when  he  was  an 
active,  positive  force  in  the  business  life  of  Boston. 

In  his  early  manhood  Mr.  Walker  was  a  foremost  figure  in  the  social 
life  of  Boston.  Those  who  remember  him  at  this  period  recall  a  man 
of  fine  personal  appearance,  always  faultlessly  attired,  whose  polished 
manners  and  whose  engaging  and  winning  conversational  powers  made 
him  a  conspicuous  figure  in  any  group  or  company.  He  belonged  to 
the  Independent  Corps  of  Cadets,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  one 
of  the  oldest  members  of  this  famous  organization.  With  the  increase 
of  business  cares  and  responsibilities  he  became  more  reserved  in  man- 
ner, and  was  even  considered  eccentric,  but  his  very  idiosyncrasies  had 
a  peculiar  charm  for  those  who  knew  him  well  and  those  whom  he 
cared  to  know.  He  was  a  great  reader,  a  close  observer  and  a  thorough 
judge  of  human  nature.  "  Had  he  followed  his  father's  wishes,"  says 
one  writer,  "and  chosen  a  professional  instead  of  a  biisiness  career,  and 
bent  the  energies  and  resources  of  his  powerful  intellect  to  the  study 
and  pursuit  of  the  law  or  political  economy,  he  would  have  been  an 
acknowledged  leader  of  men."  One  who  intimately  knew  Mr.  Walker 
for  many  years  wrote  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  following  tribute  to 
his  memory,  whicli  is  here  reproduced  as  the  verdict  of  one  justly 
entitled  to  speak  of  his  life  and  character: 

Mr.  Walker  belonged  to  that  class  of  old-time  Boston  merchants  which  has  now 
nearly  passed  away.  Very  few  contemporaries  in  his  active  business  life  remain. 
He  was  a  man  of  indomitable  will  and  great  indiistry,  and  these  qualities  early  laid 
the  fotindations  of  his  large  fortune;  and  by  his  strict  and  honorable  dealing  with 


>^^R  '^B^^ 


r^ 


in,' 


BIOGRAPHIES.  527 

his  fellow-men  he  acquired  an  influence  in  the  meixantile  world  which  will  long  sur- 
vive him.  After  deciding  upon  the  honorable  and  proper  course,  he  was  very  per- 
sistent in  accomplishing  the  end  he  had  in  view.  He  had  one  special  qualitv,  which 
few  of  the  present  generation  except  his  most  intimate  friends  would  be  likely  to 
perceive  or  appreciate.  He  was  modest  and  retiring,  almost  to  a  fault.  It  was  in 
his  unpretentious  counting-room  in  ^Merchants'  Row  that  many  successful  business 
enterprises  originated,  which  owed  their  inception  to  his  keen  business  judgment, 
but  for  which  he  never  claimed  personal  credit.  He  was  a  faithful  and  untiring 
worker  for  every  interest  intrusted  to  hirn,  and  he  spent  Tuesday,  the  last  day  of  his 
life,  at  his  desk,  doing  the  day's  work  with  his  usual  vigor  and  earnestness.  He 
shirked  no  responsibility,  and  he  had  a  direct  waj'  of  doing  a  thing,  fearless  of  con- 
sequences, if  it  seemed  right  to  him.  Conservative  by  nature,  possibly  to  the  casual 
observer  he  might  have  had  a  stern  aspect  and  demeanor,  but  this  was  only  his 
modest  dignity  of  character,  which  outwardly  covered  the  true  inner  man.  He  had 
no  sympathy  for  modern  shams  and  deceits,  and  this  perhaps  at  times  gave  him  an 
uncompromising  air  towards  many  of  the  methods  of  business  dealings  of  the  present 
day.  To  do  what  was  honorable  and  just  was  his  aim,  without  sounding  a  trumpet 
to  announce  his  intention  to  the  world.  He  has  in  more  than  one  instance  in  corpo- 
rations in  which  he  was  interested  assumed  grave  liabilities  in  order  to  protect  the 
interests  of  the  smaller  stockholders.  His  genial  presence  will  be  missed  in  business 
circles. 


GEORGE    BATY    BLAKE. 

The  branch  of  the  Blake  family  from  which  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  descended  was  first  established  in  New  England  in  the  person  of 
William  Blake  (a  near  relative  of  the  famous  English  admiral,  Robert 
Blake),  who  landed  at  Nantasket,  May  30,  1630,  and  soon  after  fixed 
his  residence  at  Dorchester,  Mass.,  in  that  part  now  called  Milton. 

Our  subject,  the  youngest  of  nine  children  of  John  Welland  and 
Abigail  (Jones)  Blake,  was  born  at  Brattleborough,  Vt.,  May  19,  1808. 
His  grandfather,  Joseph  Blake  (born  February  5,  1739;  died  July  21, 
1818),  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  arm}"  at  an  early  age,  and  saw  some 
service  at  Crown  Point.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Deborah, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Smith,  a  physician  of  Sandwich,  Mass.,  her 
mother,  Bethiah  Chipman,  being  reported  by  tradition  to  be  a  direct 
descendant  of  John  Carver,  the  first  governor  of  Plymouth  Colony. 
His  father,  John  Welland  Blake,  a  lawyer  by  profession,  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Brattleborough,  having  established  his  residence  there 
in  1790.  He  was  one  of  the  first  postmasters  in  this  place,  represented 
the  town  in  the  State  Legislature,  and  was  at  one  time  a  large  owner 


528  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

of  real  -estate  in  the  vicinity.  He  married,  May  24,  1T90,  Abii>ail, 
daughter  of  Judge  Daniel  Jones,  of  Hinsdale,  N.  H.,  and  died  October 
27,  1818.  His  wife  died  December  14,  1808,  within  a  few  months  after 
George's  birth. 

George,  thus  left  an  orphan,  was  nursed  and  cared  for  during  his 
infancy  in  the  famih'  of  Major  vStephen  Greenleaf,  a  highly  respected 
citizen  in  the  west  village  of  Brattleborough,  and  in  after  years  he 
held  the  memory  of  this  estimable  man  and  his  family  in  grateful  re- 
membrance. Subsequently  he  lived  at  the  homestead  until  the  age  of 
thirteen.  His  eldest  sister,  Ann  Sophia,  who  in  1814  married  Henry 
Cabot,  son  of  Hon.  George  Cabot,  of  Boston,  had  charge  of  the  house- 
hold during  George's  childhood,  until  her  removal  to  Boston  upon  her 
marriage,  and  there  lived  until  her  death  in  1845. 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  George  was  for  a  few  years  particularly 
under  the  charge  of  his  brother,  John  Rice  Blake.  These  brothers 
long  survived  the  other  children,  and  were  for  twenty  years  partners 
in  the  banking  business  which  George  undertook  about  1850  in  Boston, 
and  to  which  the  energies  of  the  remaining  years  of  his  life  were  chiefly 
given.  Although  George's  father  had  been  at  one  time  a  man  of  con- 
siderable wealth  for  the  period,  at  his  death  the  family  was  left  quite 
poor,  so  that  wdien  Mr.  Dickinson,  a  dry  goods  dealer  of  Boston, 
offered  the  boy,  then  thirteen  years  of  age,  a  place  in  his  store,  the 
family  gladly  availed  themselves  of  the  offer,  and  he  wxnit  to  Boston. 
He  lived  at  first  with  his  sister,  Mrs.  Cabot,  in  High  street,  and  for 
two  or  three  years  received  from  his  brother  John  and  this  sister  fifty 
dollars  a  year,  wdiich  was  the  only  pecuniary  help  he  ever  received. 
He  w^as  in  Mr.  Dickinson's  employ  a  few  years,  and  then  secured  a 
place  with  his  ]:)rother-in-law,  Edward  Clarke,  of  the  firm  of  Edward 
Clarke  &  Co.,  dry  goods  importers,  and  before  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age  Mr.  Clarke  took  him  into  the  firm  as  a  partner,  and  he  went  at 
once  to  England  to  buy  goods.  From  this  time  to  1828  he  was  con- 
stantly going  to  England  and  the  Continent  in  the  pursuance  of  his 
business,  making  many  acquaintances  and  some  life  long  friendships. 
Among  others,  he  thus  became  acquainted  with  the  late  George  Pea- 
body,  at  that  time  a  buj^er  of  dry  goods  for  his  Baltimore  firm,  and 
afterward  long  resident  in  London,  with  whom  Mr.  Blake  continued  in 
w^arm  relations  of  friendship  until  Mr.  Peabody's  death,  and  for  several 
years  their  respective  firms  had  extensive  business  relations. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  5-29 

May  24,  1833,  Mr.  Blake  married  his  cousin,  Anna  Hull,  daughter 
of  Joshua  Blake,  of  Boston,  a  prominent  and  successful  merchant  doing 
business  with  the  Mediterranean  ports.  They  were  married  at  her 
father's  house  in  Winthrop  Place,  by  the  Rev.  F.  W.  P.  Greenwood,  of 
King's  Chapel,  at  which  church  Mr.  Blake  then,  and  during  his  whole 
life,  attended  service,  acting  for  several  years  as  vestryman,  and  always 
taking  a  deep  and  lively  interest  in  the  church  and  its  several  clergy- 
men. 

During  his  earlier  visits  to  England,  Mr.  Blake  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Richard  Cobden,  the  distinguished  English  statesman,  then, 
about  1835,  partner  in  a  cotton  printing  establishment  near  Manchester 
where  he  had  built  up  a  prosperous  business.  Mr.  Blake  at  this  time 
bought  goods  of  Mr.  Cobden,  and  had  a  great  admiration  for  the 
qualities  which  later  won  him  such  distinction  as  a  legislator  and  polit- 
ical economist.  Mr.  Blake  gave  full  adherence  to  Mr.  Cobden 's  free 
trade  views,  and  was  always  of  the  opinion  that  for  any  country  custom 
duties  were  only  to  be  justified  by  the  need  of  revenue.  He  recog- 
nized, however,  for  the  United  States  that  reform  in  this  direction,  in 
justice  to  large  vested  interests,  must  be  somewhat  gradual,  but  he 
looked  confidently  to  absolute  free  trade  as  the  true  policy  for  all 
nations,  and  he  believed'  under  such  a  free  interchange  of  commodities 
the  United  States  would  soon  become  cotton  manufacturers  for  the 
world. 

Mr.  Blake  had  nine  children,  of  whom  the  first  two  died  in  infancy, 
and  the  seventh,  Henry  Jones  Blake,  died  October  11,  1880.  He  served 
as  a  lieutenant  in  the  United  States  navy  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
and  had  an  excellent  record  in  the  important  engagements  in  which  he 
participated.  The  youngest  son,  John  Willard  Blake,  bearing  the 
name  of  his  paternal  grandfather,  died  in  18G1,  aged  nearly  fifteen 
years.  Arthur  Wellington  Blake,  the  last  son,  died  in  March,  1893. 
Two  daughters  are  the  only  surviving  members  of  the  family. 

Mr.  Blake,  after  leaving  the  firm  of  Edward  Clarke  &  Co. ,  formed  a 
copartnership  for  the  importation  of  dry  goods  with  William  Almy, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Almy,  Blake  &  Co. ,  and  during  this  time,  and 
subsequently,  he  continued  his  frequent  passages  to  Europe,  having 
crossed  the  Atlantic  upwards  of  eighty  times  during  his  life.  He  next 
formed  a  copartnership  with  the  late  David  Nevins  and  Edward  H.  R. 
Lyman,  under  the  firm  name  of  George  B.  Blake  &  Co.,  also  importers 
of  dry  goods.     About   the  year  1846   Mr.  Blake's  health,    which  had 


530  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

always  been  delicate,  failing  him,  he  was  obliged  to  retire  from  active 
business,  and  in  the  spring  of  1847  he  bought  an  estate  in  Brookline, 
near  Boston,  where  he  resided  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  except- 
ing the  winters  of  the  last  few  years ;  these  were  passed  at  his  home  in 
Boston.  During  this  three  or  four  years'  interval  in  his  active  business 
career  Mr.  Blake  became  a  director  in  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Rail- 
road Company,  and  took  a  most  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  that  corpo- 
ration. He  was  one  of  the  very  earliest  to  favor  and  promote  the 
joining  of  this  railroad  with  the  Western  Railroad.  The  first  steps 
taken  by  this  corporation  towards  a  rail  connection  with  East  Boston 
were  chiefly  instigated  by  Mr.  Blake  at  a  time  when  few  foresaw  the 
prospective  growth  of  the  export  trade  from  the  West,  which  his 
sagacity  enabled  him  t<j  anticipate.  The  construction  of  the  Brookline 
branch  of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad  was  largely  due  to  his 
energy  and  foresight. 

In  1850  Mr.  Blake  associated  himself  with  Mr.  Addison  Gilmore, 
president  of  the. Western  (now  Boston  and  Albany)  Railroad,  and 
George  Cabot  Ward,  son  of  Thomas  G.  Ward,  Boston  agent  of  Messrs. 
Baring  Brothers  &  Company,  of  London,  for  the  prosecution  of  a 
foreign  and  domestic  banking  business.  The  firm  name  was  Gilmore, 
Blake  &  Ward.  Mr.  Gilmore  dying  very  suddenly  shortly  after  this 
firm  was  established,  the  name  was  changed  to  Blake,  Ward  &  Com- 
pany, and  later  to  Blake,  Howe  &  Company.  At  this  time  his  brother, 
John  Rice  Blake,  came  from  Brattleborough  and  jtnned  him  as  a  part- 
ner, the  firm  name  being  later  changed  to  Blake  Brothers  &  Company, 
the  three  eldest  sons  joining  as  partners  about  the  year  18G0. 

One  of  the  leading  aims  of  Mr.  Blake  throughout  his  business  career 
was  to  advance  in  every  possible  way  the  commercial  interests  of  Boston. 
He  was  largely  instrumental  in  securing  and  maintaining  the  regular 
visits  of  the  Cunard  steamers  to  this  port.  During  the  civil  war  he  was 
always  most  warmly  interested  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  and 
actively  aided,  both  with  his  purse  and  by  personal  service,  the  Sanitary 
Commission  and  other  organizations  for  the  relief  and  welfare  of  the 
soldiers. 

Originally  a  Whig  in  politics,  and  voting  for  Henry  Clay  in  the  presi- 
dential election,  Mr.  Blake  early  sympathized  in  the  views  of  Garri- 
son, Sumner  and  the  others  who  looked  upon  African  slavery  in  the 
United  States  as  a  barbarism.  With  many  other  law  abiding-  citizens 
of  Massachusetts,  his  sense  of  justice  was  shocked  b}^  the  enforcement 


BIOGRAPHIES.  531 

of  the  fugitive  slave  law  in  Boston  in  returning  Anthon}^  Burns  to 
servitude.  He  endeavored  to  prevent  this  by  offering,  through  a 
friend,  to  buy  Burns  of  his  owner,  who  then  refused  to  sell  his  property 
at  any  price. 

When  the  State  of  Massachusetts  was  rapidly  forwarding  troops  for 
the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion,  and  was  incurring  a  large  debt  for 
bounties  and  other  war  expenses,  the  money  market  had  become  ex- 
ceedingly active,  so  that  the  State  for  providing  money  on  its  notes, 
having  a  few  months  to  run,  paid  as  high  as  twelve  per  cent,  per 
annum.  At  this  time  it  became  necessary  for  funding  its  indebtedness 
that  the  vState  should  promptly  secure  some  three  or  four  millions  of 
dollars.  This  was  finally  done  by  a  sale  to  Mr.  Blake's  fii'm,  by  Gov- 
ernor Andrew  and  his  Council,  of  three  million  of  dollars  of  five  per 
cent,  sterling  bonds,  and  Mr.  Blake  was  appointed  by  the  State 
authorities  agent  for  the  State,  with  authority  to  domiciliate  the  loan 
with  either  of  several  London  banking  firms,  selected  by  him,  foremost 
among  whom  were  the  Messrs.  Baring  and  Rothschild.  Mr.  Blake 
went  at  once  to  London  on  this  mission,  but  found  the  time  most  un- 
favorable for  such  negotiations,  the  Bank  of  England  having  suddenly 
advanced  the  rate  of  interest  to  ten  per  cent.  He,  however,  finally 
succeeded  in  making  arrangements  with  the  Messrs.  Baring,  through 
whom  the  loan  was  successfully  negotiated.  Mr.  Blake  always  felt 
that  the  deserved  high  credit  of  Massachusetts  was  largely  due  to  the 
high  integrity  and  strong  sense  of  Governor  Andrew  in  insisting  iipon 
gold  for  the  payment  of  both  principal  and  interest  of  the  funded  debt 
of  the  State  throughout  the  general  suspension  of  specie  payments  in 
the  United  States  during  the  Rebellion. 

Possessed  of  a  character  of  unswerving  integrity,  Mr.  Blake  stood  as 
an  example  of  the  highest  commercial  honor,  and  the  many  young 
men  whom  he  educated  during  his  long  business  career  all  testify  to 
the  warm  interest  he  took  in  lending  a  helping  hand  to  those  who 
needed  his  assistance.  Devoted  and  affectionate  in  his  family,  it  was 
perhaps  in  the  home  circle  that  his  character  appeared  to  best  advan- 
tage, and  those  who  were  in  the  habit  of  meeting  him  there  will  ever 
cherish  the  pleasant  memories  of  his  sprightly  humor  and  friendly 
interest.  Reverent  and  devout  by  temperament,  he  was  a  regular 
attendant  upon  religious  services,  and  although  he  never  identified  him- 
self with  the  church  by  active  membership,  his  whole  life  testified  to 
his  sincere  and  earnest  belief  in  the  truths  of  Christianitv. 


o33  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Mr.  Blake  died  at  his  residence  in  Brookline,  August  6,  1875,  his 
death  resulting  from  an  attack  of  paralysis  at  his  office  in  Boston  two 
days  previous.  He  was  interred  in  the  family  burial  lot  at  Mount 
Auburn  Cemeter}^  His  wife  died  two  years  before,  June  7,  1873,  at 
the  Brookline  home. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Blake  called  forth  numerous  notices  not  only  from 
home  journals,  but  from  papers  in  many  sections  of  the  country.  The 
following  condensed  extract  from  the  Boston  Globe  of  August  7,  1875, 
will  perhaps  best  serve  to  illustrate  the  estimation  in  which  he  was  held 
in  the  community  where  he  w^as  best  known  and  where  most  of  the 
years  of  his  useful  life  were  passed: 

The  announcement  of  the  death  of  George  Baty  Blake,  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Blake  Brothers  &  Co. ,  bankers,  will  cause  wide-spread  feeling  of  sorrow  in 
the  business  and  social  circles  of  Boston.  It  is  not  often  that  we  are  called  upon  to 
record  the  death  of  a  Boston  merchant  who  has  quietly  and  unostentatiously  pro- 
moted the  substantial  interests  of  this  city  in  the  effective  manner  that  was  char- 
acteristic of  Mr.  Blake.  .  .  .  George  Baty  Blake  was  a  strong  man,  one  whose 
clearly  defined  individuality  and  indomitable  will  would  have  made  his  power,  nerve, 
and  brain  felt  in  axvy  walk  in  life  which  he  might  have  chosen.  In  both  the  dry  goods 
trade  and  the  banking  business  he  was  ver^^  successful,  although  through  nearly  his 
whole  life  he  labored  with  the  disadvantage  of  a  physical  infirmity  which  would  have 
paralyzed  the  efforts  of  men  with  weaker  will  or  less  active  brain. 

What  he  has  done  for  Boston  can  hardly  be  summed  up  in  a  few  words  or  partic. 
ularized  in  any  special  manner,  since  one  of  the  leading  aims  of  his  life  has  always 
been  to  advance  her  interests.  He  was  early  a  director  in  the  Boston  and  Albany 
Railroad,  where  his  ripe  judgment  and  eminent  business  qualifications  were  utilized 
to  advance  the  interests  of  the  road  and  of  Boston.  He  was  also  largely  instrumental 
in  securing  the  regular  visits  of  the  European  steamers  to  this  port,  and  in  numer- 
ous ways  used  his  utmost  influence  to  promote  Boston's  welfare.  During  the  dark- 
est days  of  the  war  Mr.  Blake  never  lost  courage,  but  remained  firm  in  his  conviction 
and  hope  that  the  Union  would  be  preserved  intact,  and  he  was  in  those  trying  times 
ever  self-sacrificing,  patriotic  and  generous  in  upholding  the  cause  he  believed  in  so 
thoroughly. 

Mr.  Blake  was  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity,  was  upright  in  all  of  his  dealings 
with  men  of  all  classes,  and  gentlemen  who  have  dealt  with  and  associated  with  him 
more  or  less  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  or  more,  speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  his 
capacity  and  fidelity  to  principle,  fairness  and  justness. 

Boston  has  certainly  lost  in  Mr.  Blake  one  of  her  most  positive,  self-reliant  and 
enterprising  business  men — one  who  achieved  where  many  others  failed,  and  one 
whose  integrity,  industry  and  perseverance  may  well  be  copied  by  the  younger  men 
of  the  city  who  are  coming  into  the  places  he  and  others  like  him  are  vacating  as  the 
weeks,  months,  and  years  pass  on. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  533 

SAMUEL    CROCKER   COBB. 

Samuel  Crocker  Cobb  was  a  descendant  in  the  fifth  generation  from 
Austin  (or  Augustine)  Cobb,  who  first  appears  as  a  resident  of  Taun- 
ton, Mass.,  in  1670,  and  who  received  a  deed  of  his  farm  in  that  town 
from  John  Cobb,  his  cousin,  August  13,  1679.  General  David  Cobb, 
the  great-grandson  of  Augustine,  was  born  in  Attleborough,  Mass., 
September  14,  174S,  and  died  in  Taunton,  April  14,  1830.  He  was  a 
man  of  varied  accomplishments,  and  played  a  conspicuous  part  during 
and  following  the  period  of  the  Revolutionar}^  War.  After  graduating 
from  Harvard  College  in  the  class  of  1766,  he  studied  medicine  under 
Dr.  Nathaniel  Perkins  in  Boston,  and  was  practicing  his  profession  in 
Taunton  when  called  upon  to  serve  with  Robert  Treat  Paine,  his 
brother-in-law,  in  the  Provincial  Congress,  so  called,  which  held  its  first 
meeting  in  Salem,  October  o,  1774.  In  1775  he  appears  as  a  member 
of  the  Committee  of  Inspection  and  Correspondence  for  Taunton.  Dur- 
ing a  part  of  the  year  1776  his  name  is  borne  vipon  the  rolls  of  Col. 
Thomas  Marshall's  regiment  as  "  Surgeon."  In  Januar)',  1777,  he  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  Sixteenth  Regiment,  and  later 
was  assigned  to  duty  on  General  Washington's  staff.  He  was  a  gallant 
and  meritorious  officer ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  his  services  were 
rewarded  by  a  grant  of  land  and  the  brevet  rank  of  brigadier-general. 
As  soon  as  he  was  relieved  from  military  service,  he  was  appointed 
(June  7,  1784)  by  Governor  Hancock  to  be  special  justice  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  in  Bristol  county;  and  in  the  following  year  (Janu- 
ary 28,  1785)  he  was  commissioned  as  one  of  the  standing  justices  of 
that  court.  In  December,  1785,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  to 
be  major-general  of  the  Fifth  Division  of  the  Massachusetts  Militia.  It 
was  while  holding  these  positions  of  judge  and  general  that  he  won 
something  more  than  a  local  reputation,  by  his  firmness  in  checking 
the  riotous  demonstrations  against  the  law  courts  of  the  Commonwealth 
in  the  autumn  of  1786. 

General  Cobb's  subsequent  career  in  the  public  service  has  been 
described  elsewhere,  and  does  not  call  for  extended  notice  here.  He 
was  speaker  of  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives  for  four 
years  (1789-1792);  member  of  the  Third  Congress  of  the  United  States 
(December  2,  1793,  to  March  3,  1795) ;  president  of  the  State  Senate 
four  years  (1801-1804) ;  member  of  the  Executive  Council  eight  years 
(1805,   1808,    1812-1817);  lieutenant-governor  of  the  Commonwealth, 


534  SUPFOLK  COUNTY. 

1809 ;  chief  justice  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  Hancock  county, 
District  of  Maine,  from  June  14,  1803,  till  1809.  He  removed  from 
Taunton  to  Gouldsborough,  Me.,  in  1795,  having  been  appointed  agent 
of  the  "  Bingham  Purchase."  In  1709  he  was  appointed  agent  of  the 
proprietors  of  Gouldsborough.  His  own  grant  of  land  for  military 
service  was  in  vSullivan,  Me.  In  1821  he  returned  to  Taunton,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life — a  kind-hearted  but  somewhat  chol- 
eric old  gentleman,  who  did  much  to  promote  the  educational  and 
religious  interests  of  his  townsmen,  and  made  it  unpleasant  for  those 
who  did  not  walk  in  the  path  which  he  appointed  He  received  the 
honorary  degree  of  A.M.  from  New  Jersey  College  in  1783,  and  from 
Brown  University  in  1790;  was  a  member  of  the  American  Academ)'- 
of  Arts  and  Sciences,  of  the  Massachusetts  Medical  Society,  and  of  the 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  of  which  he  was  vice-president  in  1810. 

General  Cobb  married  in  1760  Eleanor  Bradish,  and  had  six  sons  and 
five  daughters.  The  youngest  son  (born  January  14,  1790;  died  Feb- 
rviary  27,  1832)  was  named  George  Washington;  but  after  the  death  of 
his  brother  David,  who  was  killed  by  the  Indians  on  the  northwest 
coast,  October  24,  1794,  he  took  the  name  of  David  George  Washing- 
ton. He  was  educated  as  a  lawyer.  In  1810  he  was  chosen  to  repre- 
sent the  town  in  the  General  Court,  and  in  the  following  year  was 
appointed  register  of  probate  for  Bristol  county.  He  held  that  office 
until  his  death  in  1832.  He  married  Abby,  daughter  of  Hon.  Samuel 
Crocker,  of  Taunton,  and  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Samuel  Crocker  Cobb,  was  the  second 
son,  and  was  born  in  Taunton,  May  22,  182G.  Among  other  private 
schools  which  he  attended  in  his  early  youth  was  the  one  kept  by  Rev. 
E.  M.  P.  Wells,  in  South  Boston.  His  stay  there  was  brief  and  un- 
satisfactory. He  was  then  sent  to  the  Bristol  Academy,  in  Taunton,  of 
which  his  grandfather,  General  Cobb,  was  the  founder  in  1792.  He 
was  fitted  for  college  there,  and  expected  to  enter  Harvard  College  in 
1842;  but  much  to  his  regret  then,  and  indeed  throughout  his  life,  he 
was  obliged  to  give  up  his  studies  and  begin  earning  his  own  living. 
On  September  19,  1842,  being  then  only  a  little  over  sixteen  years  of 
age,  he  became  a  clerk  in  the  service  of  Messrs.  A.  &  C.  Cunningham, 
foreign  shipping  merchants,  at  No.  15  Rowe's  Wharf  in  Boston.  On 
April  27,  1847,  he  formed  a  business  connection  with  a  former  clerk- 
mate,  J.  Henr}'  Cunningham,  under  the  firm  name  of  Cunningham  & 
Cobb,  and   took  an  office   in  a  brick   building,  then  new,  opposite  the 


.    BIOGRAPHIES.  535 

head  of  Rowe's  Wharf,  1G9  Broad  street.  Their  place  of  business  was 
subsequently  removed  to  IG  Rowe's  Wharf.  On  July  1,  1848,  Charles 
W.  Cunningham,  an  older  brother  of  Henry,  was  admitted  as  partner, 
and  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Cunninghams  &  Cobb. 

On  November  21,  1848,  he  married  (at  Belfast,  Me.)  Aurelia  L. 
Beattie,  of  East  Thomaston,  Me.,  third  daughter  of  William  and  Jane 
D.  Beattie  of  that  town. 

The  firm  of  Cunninghams  &  Cobb  was  dissolved  in  1850,  when  the 
house  of  A.  Cunningham  &  Sons  was  formed.  ]Mr.  Cobb  then  made 
arrangements  to  go  to  the  East  Indies  and  remain  there  as  the  agent 
of  Weld  &  Baker ;  but  on  the  eve  of  sailing  he  had  some  difficulty  with 
his  principals,  and  withdrew  from  their  service. 

In  1851  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Josiah  Wheelwright  for  the 
prosecution  of  a  foreign  shipping  and  commission  business.  The  firm 
occupied  the  store  No.  47  Central  Wharf.  This  connection  continued 
till  August,  1858,  when  the  firm  was  by  mutual  consent  dissolved, 
Mr.  Wheelwright  retiring  from  active  business. 

From  1858  until  1878  Mr.  Cobb  carried  on  bi;siness  alone  and  in  his 
own  name,  first  on  Central  Wharf,  afterward  at  No.  3  Merchants'  Row, 
and  later  in  the  New  England  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Building  on  Milk 
street. 

During  the  twenty  years  he  was  alone  in  business  he  was  engaged 
principalh'  in  the  Sicily  trade,  and  with  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands  and 
Northwest  Coast  of  Africa  (Senegal  and  Garhbia) ;  but  to  some  extent 
prosecuted  the  Brazil  trade  (Pernambuco  and  Bahia),  and  also  that  of 
Russia  and  Malaga. 

From  1860  to  1877  ^Ir.  Cobb  gave  considerable  time  to  the  public 
service,  often  at  the  expense  of  his  private  interests.  He  was  origi- 
nalh^  a  member  of  the  Whig  party,  and  voted  for  the  candidates  of  that 
party  as  long  as  it  existed  in  sufficient  strength  to  make  nominations. 
He  never  felt  at  home  in  any  other  party.  After  1860  he  generally 
acted  with  the  Democratic  organizations  on  State  and  national  ques- 
tions ;  but  on  questions  of  local  government  he  refused  to  be  bound  by 
any  party  caucus  or  convention.  He  was  essentially  a  business  man, 
and  held  and  expressed  very  decided  opinions  on  the  absurdity  of  bring- 
ing national  party  politics  to  bear  in  the  determination  of  questions 
relating  to  roadways,  sewers,  water-supply,  and  local  police.  In  his 
public  speeches  and  addresses  he  lost  no  opportunity  of  trying  to  im- 
press the  voters  with  the  fact  that  in  the  management  of  the  affairs  of 


5;3G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

municipal  corporations  the  same  rules  should  apply  as  in  the  manage- 
ment of  large  business  corporations,  and  that  the  introduction  of  party 
tests  which  have  no  relation  to  local  affairs  has  done  much  to  corrupt 
the  service  and  bring  our  system  of  local  government  into  disrepute. 

In  1860  Mr.  Cobb  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Roxbury  Board  of 
Alderman,  and  served  for  two  years  with  credit  to  himself  and  his  con- 
stituents. He  was  then  called  to  Evirope  on  business  connected  with 
his  shipping  interests,  which  had  been  seriously  affected  by  the  war. 
On  the  annexation  of  Roxbury  to  Boston,  in  1867,  he  was  elected  to 
the  Boston  Board  of  Aldermen.  At  that  time  the  members  of  the 
board  were  voted  for  on  a  general  ticket,  and  it  is  a  striking  evidence 
of  the  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  neighbors,  and  of  the 
position  he  then  occupied  as  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Boston, 
that  he  was  chosen  by  a  nearly  unanimous  vote.  The  charter  under 
which  the  city  was  then  ruled  provided  that  the  executive  powers  of 
the  government  should  be  exercised  by  the  Board  of  Aldermen ;  but  the 
Common  Council  had  usurped  a  large  share  of  the  executive  functions 
by  having  a  stronger  numerical  representation  upon  joint  committees 
which  practically  controlled  many  of  the  departments.  Mr.  Cobb  was 
one  of  the  first  to  see  the  weakness  of  the  existing  system  and  to  urge 
a  greater  concentration  of  power  and  responsibility.  He  foimd  that 
the  duties  of  the  aldermanic  office  demanded  the  larger  part  of  his 
time,  and  that  the  results  of  his  labor  were  far  from  satisfactory.  For 
these  reasons  he  declined  a  re-election.  But  in  the  following  year  he 
accepted  a  position  on  the  Board  of  Public  Institutions,  where  his  firm- 
ness of  purpose  and  business  ability  were  brought  to  bear  with  practi- 
cal results  which  the  average  citizen  could  well  appreciate.  A  very 
determined  effort  was  being  made  to  commit  the  city  to  the  building 
and  maintenance  of  a  great  institution  for  the  insane  on  a  lot  of  land 
which  the  best  expert  opinion  had  condemned  as  unsuitable.  Mr.  Cobb 
took  the  ground  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  State  to  provide  such  insti- 
tutions; and  that,  in  any  case,  the  site  selected  and  the  plans  submitted 
were  defective  and  ought  not  to  be  approved.  During  his  service  of 
about  four  years  and  a  half  on  the  board  he  introduced  some  reforms 
in  the  purchase  of  supplies  and  in  the  business  management  of  the 
institutions  which  were  of  lasting  value. 

On  November  11,  1873,  at  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Boston,  which 
included  prominent  members  of  the  two  leading  political  parties,  Mr. 
Cobb  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the  office  of  mayor.     The  city 


BIOGRAPHIES.  537 

committees  of  the  Democratic  and  Republican  parties  also  nominated 
him  at  a  later  day;  and  on  the  day  of  election  he  received  10,191  votes, 
while  his  only  opponent,  a  Prohibitionist,  received  508.  Although  the 
local  politicians  had  no  liking  for  him,  the  popular  demand  for  his  re- 
election in  the  following  year  was  so  strong  that  the  leaders  of  the  two 
parties  felt  obliged  to  nominate  him  again,  and  he  was  chosen  for  a 
second  term  by  a  nearly  unanimous  vote.  In  1875  the  party  leaders 
made  a  desperate  effort  to  get  possession  of  the  office,  and  with  that 
view  succeeded  in  getting  both  the  Deinocratic  and  Republican  city 
committees  to  unite  on  another  candidate.  Mr.  Cobb  had  stated  that 
he  should  not  be  a  candidate  for  a  third  term,  but  a  paper  asking  him 
to  serve  another  year  received  the  sigTiatiires  of  some  tv/o  thousand 
prominent  citizens,  and  he  did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  decline  such  a  call. 
A  spirited  contest  followed,  resulting  in  the  election  of  Mr.  Cobb  by  a 
plurality  of  2,574  votes.  He  states  in  his  journal  that  he  did  not  con- 
tribute, nor  was  he  solicited  to  contribute  any  money,  directly  or  in- 
dii'ectly,  towards  the  expenses  of  his  election. 

At  the  time  Mr.  Cobb  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  government  the 
population  of  the  city  had  reached  a  point  which  made  a  change  in  the 
methods  of  administration  almost  as  imperative  as  it  was  when  the 
representative  system  was  substituted  for  the  popular  assembly.  The 
annexation  of  Charlestown,  West  Roxbury  and  Brighton  had  nearly 
doubled  the  municipal  area,  and  had  added  about  44,000  inhabitants. 
The  first  city  charter  was  drawn  on  lines  as  close  to  the  town-meeting 
system  as  the  representative  plan  would  allow.  The  revision  of  1854, 
necessitated  to  some  extent  by  the  amendments  to  the  State  Constitu- 
tion, tended  to  weaken  what  indeed  had  most  need  of  strengthening — 
the  executive  power  and  responsibility  of  the  chief  executive.  Hon. 
Henry  L.  Pierce,  who  had  preceded  Mr.  Cobb  in  the  office  of  mayor, 
had  been  so  impressed  with  the  inefficiency  of  the  old  system  that  he 
had  recommended  the  appointment  of  a  commission  to  revise  the 
charter.  The  recommendation  was  adopted  by  the  City  Council,  and 
the  commission  appointed  in  the  latter  part  of  1873. 

The  two  branches  of  the  City  Council  were  unable  to  agree  either 
upon  the  charter  recommended  by  the  commission  or  upon  any  modi- 
fication of  it ;  but  some  of  its  provisions  were  subsequently  incorporated 
into  special  laws  relating  to  the  city.  It  was  fortunate,  perhaps,  that 
the  plan  of  government  submitted  by  the  commission  was  not  adopted 
as  a  whole.      It  was  too  elaborate ;  it  provided  for  too  many  heads  of 

<J8 


538  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

departments,  and  it  undertook  to  limit  and  define  their  duties  so  closely 
that  there  was  no  room  left  for  discretion,  and  no  inducement  to  take 
the  initiative  in  an}-  new  work.  The  need  of  a  strong"  and  responsible 
executive  was  not  so  generally  recognized  then  as  it  was  at  a  later  day. 
It  was  necessary  that  the  inefficiency  and  wastefulness  of  the  old  sys- 
tem should  be  brought  out  more  clearly  before  anything  like  an  ade- 
c|uate  remedy  could  be  applied.  Mr.  Cobb  and  others,  who  heartily 
supported  the  plan  as  reported,  did  not  regard  it  as  a  measure  good  for 
all  time,  but  simply  as  a  step — ^and  at  that  time  it  was  looked  upon  as  a 
long  step — -in  the  direction  of  separating  and  defining  the  powers  of 
government  and  securing  a  better  system  of  accountability.  Ten  years 
later  Mr.  Cobb,  as  chairman  of  a  commission  appointed  by  the  mayor, 
recommended  a  plan  which  went  much  further  in  the  direction  of 
strengthening  the  power  of  the  chief  executive  and  curtailing  the 
powers  of  the  legislative  department ;  and  pu1)lic  opinion  had  so  far 
changed  in  the  mean  time  that  the  leading  propositions  were  adopted 
without  serious  opposition,  and  incorporated  into  the  act  under  which 
the  city  is  now  governed. 

A  number  of  important  acts  affecting  the  future  welfare  of  the  city 
were  adopted  during  Mr.  Cobb's  administration.  In  his  first  message 
to  the  City  Council,  January  5,  1874,  he  said: 

I  am  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  establishment  of  several  public  squares  in  different 
sections  of  the  city,  to  be  connected  together  if  practicable,  and  which  shall  be  easily 
accessible  to  the  people;  and  I  believe  this  to  be  a  suitable  time  to  decide  on  some 
definite  plan,  with  a  view  to  proceeding  with  the  work  at  an  early  day  The  first 
outlay,  though  distributed  over  several  years,  will  no  doubt  be  large,  but  the  experi- 
ence of  other  cities  can  be  cited  to  .show  that,  as  a  business  transaction,  aside  from 
the  sanitary  benefits,  it  would  be  a  financial  success. 

Upon  this  recommendation  a  petition  was  sent  to  the  General  Court, 
and  in  the  following  year  an  act  was  passed  which  authorized  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  present  system  of  public  parks. 

It  was  also  upon  his  recommendation  that  the  important  department 
of  water  supply  was  transferred  from  the  unpaid  and  inefficient  board 
(composed  of  members  of  the  City  Council  and  of  citizens  at  large 
elected  by  the  City  Council)  to  a  commission  of  thi^ee  persons  selected 
by  the  ma3'or  and  paid  for  their  services. 

During  the  second  year  of  his  administration,  and  largely  perhaps 
through  his  influence,  an  act  was  passed  to  regulate  and  limit  munic- 
ipal  indebtedness.      This  enabled  him  to  introduce  what  he  tersely 


BIOGRAPHIES.  63!) 

described  as  "the  pay-as-you-go  policy," — that  is,  to  raise  sufficient 
money  by  taxation  annually  to  pay  all  expenses  except  those  incurred 
for  the  enlargement  of  the  water  works,  for  which  a  separate  tax  is 
levied.  What  he  was  able  to  do  in  that  direction  gave  him  more  satis- 
faction as  a  business  man  than  all  the  rest  of  his  work  in  the  mayor's 
office. 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  three  years'  service  he  was  able  to  say  that 
the  tax  levy  had  been  reduced  ^3,775,098;  and  that  the  rate  of  taxation 
had  been  reduced  from  $15.60  on  a  thousand  dollars  to  $12.70,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  valuation  of  real  and  personal  property 
had  been  reduced  in  the  mean  time  b}^  the  amount  of  $49,870,950. 

Soon  after  retiring  from  the  mayor's  office,  Mr.  Cobb  went  to  Europe, 
where  he  spent  some  months  in  traveling.  On  his  return  he  was 
chosen  (September  1,  1877)  president  of  the  Revere  National  Bank,  to 
succeed  the  Hon.  Samuel  H.  Walley,  who  had  recently  deceased.  ]\Iuch 
to  the  regret  of  the  directors  of  the  bank,  he  resigned  the  presidency 
on  March  30,  1878,  to  accept  the  position  of  actuary  in  the  Massachu- 
setts Hospital  Life  Insurance  Company,  formerly  held  by  the  Hon. 
George  Tyler  Bigelow.  Of  his  services  in  this  office — which  is  one  of 
much  dignitv  and  responsibility,  but  by  no  means  one  of  ease  in  these 
da3\s  of  accumulated  capital  competing  for  investment — the  Board  of 
Control  placed  on  their  records,  after  his  death,  the  folknving  state- 
ment : 

During  the  thirteen  years  that  Mr.  Cobb  was  connected  with  the  company  he  con- 
ducted its  affairs  with  ability,  prudence  and  skill ;  with  conscientious  fidelity  to  the 
duties  of  his  responsible  position,  and  entire  devotion  to  the  administration  of  the 
trust  confided  to  him.  His  high  manly  character,  his  sagacity  and  public  spirit,  his 
genial  temper,  generous  disposition,  and  courteous  bearing,  united  to  win  the  love 
and  esteem  of  all  who  were  associated  with  him,  while  throughout  the  community  he 
was  recognized  and  honored  as  aloj^al,  far-seeing,  influential,  and  useful  citizen. 

Mr.  Cobb  well  illustrated  the  saying  that  it  is  the  busy  man  who 
finds  time  for  everything.  His  intimate  and  peculiar  knowledge  of 
commercial  affairs  and  of  the  financial  standing  of  his  business  contem- 
poraries led  to  a  constant  demand  for  his  services  in  positions  of  public 
and  private  trust,  and  on  boards  of  arbitration  selected  by  the  courts  or 
by  the  parties  in  interest.  He  gave  much  time,  and  often  to  the  injury 
of  his  health,  in  aid  of  the  various  charitable,  religious  and  educational 
institutions  to  which  he  belonged.  He  had  a  keen  sense  of  his  respon- 
sibility in  every  position  in   which  he  happened   to  be  placed.      The 


54(1  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Massachusetts  vSociety  of  the  Cincinnati,  of  which  at  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  president,  placed  on  record  the  statement  that  ' '  his 
services  to  the  society  as  an  officer  for  more  than  twenty-five  years,  and 
as  a  meinber  of  its  standing-  committee  since  18(11,  is  a  history  of  con- 
stant and  disinterested  devotion.  None  took  a  higher  pride  in  its 
membership  than  he;  none  watched  more  constantly  over  the  main- 
tenance of  its  traditions  and  usages;  none  guarded  it  more  jealously 
against  an}'  tendencies  toward  the  destruction  of  ancient  and  useful 
landmarks." 

Mr.  Cobb  was  for  some  years  an  active  and  influential  member  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  Institute  of  Technology.  He  was  also  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  Company,  a  trustee  of  the 
Bay  State  Trust  Company,  and  of  the  Forest  Hills  Cemetery;  chairman 
of  the  commission  to  select  a  site  and  build  the  Danvers  Hospital  for 
the  Insane,  and  treasurer  of  the  Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel 
among  the  Indians. 

He  was  often  called  upon  to  speak  in  public  as  the  representative  of 
the  city  or  of  some  organization  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and  al- 
though without  either  special  training  or  natural  aptitude  for  such 
service,  he  acquitted  himself  well.  On  occasions  for  which  he  was  able 
to  make  some  preparation  beforehand,  the  matter  and  form  of  his  ad- 
dresses were  excellent.  His  address  of  welcome  to  the  city's  guests  at 
the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  (June  10, 
1875),  his  oration  on  the  centennial  anniversary  of  the  Massachusetts 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati  (July  4,  1883),  and  his  speech  at  the  banquet 
of  the  General  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  in  Baltimore  (Ma)^,  1800)  con- 
tain matter  of  historical  value. 

During  the  greater  part  of  his  business  life  Mr.  Cobb  lived  on  High- 
land street  in  Roxbury,  having  for  his  next-door  neig^hbor  Rev.  George 
Putnam,  D.D.,  of  whose  church  he  was  long  one  of  the  most  active  and 
valued  members.  In  1878  he  removed  to  Boylston  street  in  Boston, 
and  subsequently  becaine  a  member  of  the  First  Church,  Berkeley 
street. 

Until  middle  life  he  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinarily  strong  and 
vigorous  constitution.  In  1870  he  had  a  serious  illness,  growing  out  of 
his  arduous  services  in  the  Board  of  Aldermen  in  addition  to  his  large 
private  business.  He  never  fully  recovered  his  former  vigor,  although 
outwardly  he  showed  no  signs  of  impaired  health  until  the  spring  of 
1890.      He  was  then  suffering  intense  pain  from  an  internal  disease,  but 


jUJjm^^ 


CSKfe^^ 


BIOGRAPHIES.  ■      541 

continued  to  perform  his  usual  amount  of  work  until  the  peremptory 
orders  of  his  physician  obliged  hiin  to  desist.  The  nature  and  extent 
of  his  illness  were  not  full}'  known  until  near  the  end.  After  many 
weeks  of  suffering,  which  he  bore  with  admirable  courage,  "sustained 
and  soothed  by  an  unfaltering  trust,"  he  passed  away  peacefully  and 
apparently  without  pain  on  February  18,  1801.  He  was  buried  at 
Forest  Hills  Cemeter}'. 

Mr.  Cobb's  character  was  not  one  that  calls  for  elaborate  analysis. 
He  was  a  thoroughly  healthy-minded  man,  to  whom  life  was  sweet. 
He  possessed  a  singularly  frank  and  open  nature,  and  was  candid  and 
direct  in  motive  and  purpose.  He  had  a  good  knowledge  of  character 
and  sound  business  instincts.  His  mental  and  ph3'sical  courage  were 
equal  to  any  emergency;  and  his  promptness  in  action,  and  contempt 
for  anything  like  trifling  or  a  want  of  resolution,  showed  that  he  had 
inherited  the  prominent  traits  which  history  and  tradition  had  assigned 
to  his  paternal  grandfather. 

At  a  very  early  age  he  began  to  keep  a  diary,  in  which  he  noted,  at 
first  in  the  briefest  form,  his  own  doings  from  day  to  day.  Later  he 
introduced  some  comments  on  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact, 
and  on  the  principal  events  of  the  times.  He  also  kept  in  addition, 
during  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  a  journal,  in  which  he  gave  biograph- 
ical notices  of  his  contemporaries  and  some  account  of  the  affairs  in 
which  he  took  part  or  in  which  he  felt  a  special  interest.  The  value  of 
the  work  is  somewhat  impaired  by  the  form  in  which  it  was  put,  and 
by  the  difficulty  of  separating  the  statements  made  on  the  writer's  per- 
sonal knowledge  from  those  copied  from  the  newspapers  of  the  day.  It 
has,  however,  considerable  historical  value,  and  is  well  worth  preser- 
vation as  a  work  of  reference. 


OSBORN    HOWEvS. 

Mr.  Osborn  Howes  is  one  of  the  few  living  representatives  of  a 
class  of  men  who  during  several  generations  gave  to  Boston  the  greater 
part  of  its  prominence  as  a  business  center.  From  a  period  antedating 
the  Revolution  down  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  Bos- 
ton was  essentially  a  commercial  city,  and  those  of  her  merchants  whose 
reputation  extended  beyond  her  borders,  were  in  most   instances  en- 


54.-2  SUP  FOLK  COUNTY. 

gaged  in  the  shipping  business.  This  interest  has  of  later  years  fallen 
to  such  meagre  proportions  that  it  is  hard  to  realize  that  it  was  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  business  life  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  the 
most  important  factor  in  the  mercantile  affairs  of  this  city. 

Mr.  Howes  was  born  the  26th  of  September,  180G,  in  the  town  of 
Dennis,  on  Cape  Cod,  where  the  first  American  progenitor  of  the  family 
had  settled  in  IGoO.  The  latter,  Mr.  Thomas  Howes,  was  a  cadet 
member  of  a  family  that  owned  an  estate  at  Besthrope,  Norfolk  coun- 
ty, England,  where  it  had  established  itself  in  1457,  being  at  that  time 
a  migrating  branch  of  a  Berkshire  family,  descended  from  John  de 
Huse,  a  Norman  knight,  who  received  from  William  the  Conqueror  in 
1066  the  gift  of  a  manor  in  the  county  of  Berks. 

Mr.  Thomas  Howes  left  England  in  1637  with  his  wife  and  two  sons 
(another  son  was  born  on  the  passage  over)  at  the  time  when  the  relig- 
ious persecutions,  instituted  by  Archbishop  Laud  and  approved  by 
Charles  I,  were  driving  so  many  of  the  Puritans  out  of  England. 
From  the  published  papers  of  Governor  Winthrop  it  appears  that  one 
of  his  intimate  correspondents  was  a  member  of  the  Howes  family,  and 
it  is  not  improbable  that  this  led  to  the  choice  by  Mr.  Thomas  Howes 
of  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay  as  a  place  of  settlement. 

The  partial  destruction  by  fire  in  1674  of  the  early  colonial  records 
of  the  family  makes  it  impossible  to  say  why  it  was  that  Mr.  Thomas 
Howes  left  the  settlement  at  Salem,  where  he  landed;  but  in  1639,  with 
Mr.  Anthony  Thacher  and  Mr.  John  Crow,  afterwards  Crowell,  he  set- 
tled, under  a  grant  from  the  Plymouth  Colony,  on  Cape  Cod,  giving  to 
the  newly  formed  town  the  name  of  Yarmouth,  from  the  town  of  the 
same  name  in  his  native  county  in  England,  a  name  afterwards  changed, 
so  far  as  the  eastern  section  of  the  town  is  concerned,  to  Dennis. 

This  first  American  ancestor  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was,  like  his 
descendant,  a  vigorous,  sturdy  individual.  His  standing  in  the  colony 
is  indicated  by  the  prefix  Mr.  that  appears  with  his  name  wherever 
written,  which  was  the  only  colonial  title  of  distinction,  and  which  was 
reserved  for  those  possessed  of  rank  through  birth  or  education.  In 
this  detached  section  of  the  country  Mr.  Thomas  Howes  brought  up  a 
family  in  conformity  with  their  surroundings,  for  although  his  de- 
scendants took  part  in  King  Philip's  war — one  of  them  acting  as  cap- 
tain in  that  colonial  campaign — their  tastes  turned  naturally  toward  the 
sea,  which  almost  surrounded  them,  and  through  succeeding  gener- 
ations they  appear  to  have  been  hardy  and  venturesome  seamen. 


BIO  GRA  PHIES.  543 

The  father  of  Mr.  Osborn  Howes,  Capt.  Elisha  Howes,  was  an  ex- 
perienced seaman,  for  many  years  sailing-  from  the  port  of  Boston  as 
commander  of  vessels  trading  with  Europe,  South  America  and  the 
West  Indies,  and  visiting  his  Cape  Cod  home  only  at  intervals  between 
his  long  voyages.  During  the  war  of  1812  he  was  three  times  taken 
prisoner  by  the  English,  on  one  occasion  recapturing  the  vessel  and 
taking  the  English  prize  crew  as  prisoners  to  Portland.  The  wish  to 
have  his  family  located  so  that  he  could  visit  them  more  conveniently 
led  him,  in  October,  1818,  to  move  them  to  a  home  in  Dedham,  where 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  remainder  of  his  school  days,  which 
were,  however,  chiefly  confined  to  the  winter  months  of  the  year. 

In  18'23  the  latter  went  into  the  employ  as  clerk  of  David  and  Rufus 
Ellis,  who  had  a  store,  a  cotton  factory,  a  rolling-mill  and  a  nail  factory 
at  Newton  Upper  Falls.  The  business  carried  on  at  this  establishment 
was  largely  illustrative  of  the  times.  When  the  quarterly  settlements 
were  made  with  the  men  employed  in  the  mills  and  the  factoiy  it  was 
commonly  found  that  quite  one-third  of  their  entire  earnings  had  been 
paid  by  charges  for  liquor  which  they  had  purchased  at  the  store,  and 
yet,  at  that  time,  these  men  were  nearly  all  native-born  citizens. 

After  a  stay  of  about  two  years  at  Newton  Upper  Falls,  Mr.  Howes 
received  a  letter  from  his  father,  written  at  Konigsburg,  Prussia,  say- 
ing that  the  business  of  purchasing  a  cargo  for  his  vessel  would  detain 
him  there  over  one  trip,  and  that  if  his  son  cared  to  come  out  there  in 
the  brig,  on  her  return  voyage,  he  could  do  so.  This  was  the  first  of  a 
large  number  of  voyages  made  by  the  latter.  On  his  return  from  this 
trip  he  went  into  the  office,  in  Boston,  of  Messrs.  Edmund  Baylies  and 
Thomas  B.  Curtis,  merchants,  engaged  in  exporting  and  importing 
goods  to  and  from  the  ports  on  the  Baltic  vSea,  from  Copenhagen  to  St. 
Petersburg.  In  less  than  twelve  months'  time,  and  when  twent}^  years 
of  age,  he  was  sent  by  them  up  the  Baltic  as  supercargo,  on  the  brig; 
Cipher,  Captain  Winter  (father  of  William  Winter,  the  poet)  command- 
ing, to  sell  a  cargo  of  coffee,  rice,  sug-ar,  cotton,  indigo  and  cigars. 
Having  sold  this  and  other  cargoes  sent  out  on  other  vessels  at  Copen- 
hagen and  Konigsburg,  and  having  purchased  return  cargoes,  he  came 
back  for  instructions,  after  an  absence  of  fifteen  months,  in  the  fall  of 
1827. 

It  was  known  that  in  all  probability  a  high  protective  tariff  would  be 
enacted  by  Congress  early  in  the  following  year,  and  his  employers, 
Messrs.  Baylies  &  Curtis,  wished  him  to  hurry  back  to  Prussia  and  pur- 


544  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

chase  cargoes  of  wool,  hemp,  horse  hair,  etc. ,  before  the  proposed  cus- 
toms laws  went  into  effect.  For  this  reason  he  set  sail  on  January  1, 
1828,  from  New  York  on  one  of  the  line  of  London  packet  ships,  ar- 
rived off  Dover  in  twenty  days,  and  from  there  via  London,  Hamburg 
and  Berlin,  hurried  on  to  Konigsburg.  Having  sold  the  cargoes  of  the 
vessels  that  were  consigned  to  him  by  his  Boston  principals,  and  hav- 
ing purchased  cargoes  to  reload  them,  he  received  orders  to  return 
home.  The  so-called  "  Tariff  of  Abominations,"  that  of  1828,  had  been 
enacted,  and  was  framed  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  making  its  pro- 
visions obnoxious  to  New  England;  it  placed  extraordinary  taxes  upon 
importations  from  the  Baltic,  thus  interdicting  Boston  trade  with  the 
countries  bordering  on  that  sea.  The  business  which  Mr.  Howes  had 
been  working  to  build  up,  had  therefore  to  be  abandoned. 

An  indication  is  given  of  the  uncertainties  attendant  upon  sea-going 
at  that  period  by  the  statement,  that  while  it  had  taken  him  but  one 
month  and  three  days  to  go  from  New  York  to  Konigsburg  on  his  out- 
ward passage,  on  his  return,  sailing  from  Konigsburg  the  last  of  Octo- 
ber, it  was  five  months  before  he  arrived  in  Boston,  and  even  then 
the  trip  of  the  vessel  he  was  on  was  among  the  shortest  made  b}'-  the 
considerable  fleet  of  American  vessels  that  left  the  Baltic  at  about  the 
same  time. 

After  a  short  stay  on  shore  he  went  as  supercargo  on  the  brig  Hcbc 
to  Gibraltar,  and  on  returning  from  there  was  requested  by  the  owners- 
of  the  vessel  to  take  charge  of  her  as  captain  as  well  as  supercargo. 
This  was  a  serious  responsibility  to  impose  upon  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
three,  who,  although  he  had  made  several  voyages  across  the  ocean, 
had  never  served  as  sailor  or  ship's  officer.  But  as  during  his  four  trips 
to  Europe  he  had  studied  navigation,  and  had  acquainted  himself  with 
the  practical  work  of  sailing  a  ship,  he  found  less  difficulty  than  he  had 
anticipated  in  meeting  the  requirements  of  this  new  position. 

This  voyage  to  Brazil  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  voyages  which  he 
made,  voyages  which  kept  him  almost  constantl)^  at  sea,  and  which 
took  him  several  times  to  Western  Asia,  to  South  America,  the  West 
Indies  and  Europe.  On  these  trips  he  was  often  obliged  not  only  to 
navigate  the  vessel  when  at  sea,  but  when  in  port  to  sell  her  cargo  and 
use  his  judgment  in  purchasing  a  cargo  to  load  her  with  for  her  return 
voyage. 

On  one  of  his  voyages  across  the  Atlantic  in  the  summer  of  1832,  he 
took  with  him   the  late  George  L.  Brown,  the   artist,   then  a  lad  of 


BIOGRAPHIES.      »  545 

eighteen  years  of  age,  who,  having  shown  considerable  talent,  had  been 
given  the  money  needed  to  pay  his  passage  to  Europe.  The  voyage 
ended  at  Antwerp,  and  when,  a  week  after  arriving,  the  brig  was  about 
to  leave  port  for  England,  young  Brown  came  on  board  and  begged  to 
be  taken  back,  saying  that  he  was  homesick,  had  spent  all  of- the  money 
that  he  had,  and  that  if  left  in  that  foreign  country  he  should  die  of 
starvation.  Mr.  Howes  pointed  out  to  him  the  weakness  and  folly  of 
such  a  surrender  and  gave  him  the  money  needed  to  get  to  Paris  and 
to  support  himself  for  a  short  time.  It  was  more  than  twenty  years 
before  the  two  men  met  again,  but  the  subject  of  this  sketch  has  in  his 
possession  a  painting,  a  gift  of  the  artist,  in  remembrance  of  an  event 
which  was  the  turning  point  in  the  life  of  the  latter. 

Arriving  in  Boston  from  Cadiz  in  February  of  1836,  Mr.  Howes  con- 
cluded that  he  had  had  enough  of  sea  life,  and  from  that  time  forward 
never  went  on  a  sea  voyage  except  as  a  passenger. 

In  the  month  of  June  of  that  year  he  started,  in  company  with  the 
late  Joseph  Xiekerson,  of  Boston,  on  an  enterprise  which  was  then  as 
formidable  as  any  sea  voyage.  This  was  a  trip  through  the  West, 
made  to  consider  the  advisability  of  purchasing  western  land.  The 
journey  from  Boston  to  Philadelphia  was  made  partly  b}^  rail  and  partly 
by  steamer.  From  Philadelphia  for  some  sevent}'  miles  westward  the 
route  was  by  railroad,  then  a  transfer  was  made  to  canal  boat,  which 
carried  the  travelers  up  to  the  foot  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  The 
ascent  of  these  was  made  on- an  inclined  railway,  up  which  the  cars  were 
dra\\'n  by  a  stationar}'  engine  at  the  top ;  there  stages  were  taken  up  to 
the  point  of  descent,  where  another  inclined  railway  was  taken,  and  then 
by  canal  boat  to  Pittsburg.  The  time  required  from  Philadelphia  to 
this  point  was  four  days,  with  two  days  more  to  reach  Cincinnati  by 
steamer  down  the  Ohio  River. 

Cincinnati  then  had  a  population  of  about  ten  thousand.  From  there 
the  travelers  went  by  steamboat  to  Louisville,  St.  Louis  and  Alton, 
then  up  the  Illinois  River  to  Peoria,  and  from  thence  across  the  prairie 
in  a  wagon  to  Chicago  over  a  country  where  there  was  not  the  least  sign 
of  a  road,  and  where  it  was  necessary  to  ford  streams  and  watercourses. 
Chicago  had  at  that  time,  if  the  statements  of  its  citizens  were  to  be 
trusted,  about  2,500  inhabitants,  but  after  a  careful  enumeration  these 
visitors  came  to  the  conclusion  that  1,000  was  a  fair  estimate  of  their 
number.  The  site  of  the  city  was  low  and  sandy,  the  place  had  been 
flooded  by  recent  rains,  the  land  was  held  at  what  seemed  extravagant 

09 


546  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

prices,  and  Mr.  Howes  and  his  companion,  Mr.  Nickerson — who  after- 
wards proved  himself  to  be  one  of  the  shrewdest  investors — congratu- 
lated themselves  that  they  had  made  arrangements  to  buy  real  estate 
at  such  a  promising  place  as  Alton,  and  had  not  waited  to  invest  their 
money  in  land  in  and  around  Chicago. 

After  a  week's  stay  in  this  latter  place,  the  travelers,  in  company 
with  others,  chartered  a  schooner  of  some  sixty  tons,  which  took  them 
across  the  lake  to  St.  Joseph,  Mich.  From  this  point  the  route  lay 
over  a  corduro}^  road  to  Kalamazoo,  the  distance,  fifty  miles,  the  means 
of  conveyance,  a  long  open  wagon,  and  the  time  required,  about  thirty- 
six  hours.  From  there  to  Detroit  the  roads  were  better,  but  the 
journe}^  occupied  four  days.  From  Detroit  a  steamer  was  taken 
through  Lake  Erie  to  Buffalo,  from  thence  canal  boat  to  Utica,  there 
steam  railroad  to  Albany,  then  stage  to  Worcester,  and  finally  railroad 
to  Boston.  The  time  required  to  make  this  trip  was  two  and  a  half 
inonths,  and  the  conditions  surrounding  it  were  almost  as  wearisome 
and  perilous  to  health  as  those  which  now  obtain  in  making  a  trip 
across  Central  Asia. 

On  returning  to  Boston  in  the  fall  of  1836,  Mr.  Howes  entered  into 
the  ship-chandlery  business  with  Captain  Willis  Howes,  an  uncle  of 
his.  This  business  relation  lasted  for  some  three  years,  after  which  he 
formed,  in  1839,  the  firm  of  Howes  &  Crowell,  taking  his  wife's  brother 
as  a  partner,  the  last-named  partnership  lasting  thirty-four  years,  or 
until  the  former  retired  from  active  bitsiness  life. 

The  new  firm  carried  on  the  shipping  business,  and  also  dealt  in  corn 
and  floiir,  which  was  purchased  in  the  Southern  markets.  At  first  its 
shipping  ventures  were  modest  enterprises,  as  indeed  were  most  of 
those  at  that  time,  when  a  ship  of  400  tons  burden  was  considered  a 
large  vessel;  but  Mr.  Howes  was  quick  to  perceive  the  change  which 
the  discovery  of  gold  in,  and  the  acquisition  by  the  United  vStates  of, 
California  was  destined  to  cause  in  the  shipping  business  of  the  country, 
and  the  benefit  that  American  commercial  interests  were  to  derive  from 
the  low  tariff  of  1846. 

The  firm  of  which  he  was  the  head  had  established  favorable  financial 
connections  on  Cape  Cod,  and  could,  if  they  had  wished  more  money, 
have  obtained  it  from  Boston  capitalists,  who  soon  came  to  recognize 
the  good  judgment  shown  by  it  in  the  conduct  of  its  business. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


547 


The  firm  began  building  ships  for  its  own  use  in  1845,  and  the  fol- 
lowing is  a  list  of  the  vessels  which  diiring  the  next  twenty-five  years 
it  either  built  or  bought : 


Bark  Flora, 

Bark  Leda, 

Ship  Newton, 

Bark  Autoleon, 
iBark  Kilby, 
2 Ship  Revere, 

Ship  John  Quincy  Adams, 

Ship  Climax, 

Ship  Robin  Hood, 

Ship  Grotius, 

Ship  Winged  Arrow, 

Ship  Ellen  Foster, 

Ship  Regent. 


Ship  Ericsson, 
Ship  Helicon, 
Ship  Ringleader  2d, 
Ship  Fleetwing, 
Ship  Edith  Rose, 
Steamer  St.  Louis, 
Steamer  Concordia, 
Ship  George  Hallett, 
Brig  Josephine, 
Ship  Kedron, 
Ship  Isaiah  Crowell, 
Ship  Australia, 
Ship  Hamlet, 


Ship  Hortensia, 
Ship  Ringleader, 
Ship  Rival, 
Brig  Globe, 
Bark  Tiberius, 
vShip  John  Tucker, 
Ship  Audubon, 
Ship  Garibaldi, 
Ship  Importer, 
Ship  Comet, 
Ship  Osborne  Howes, 
Ship  Manlius, 
Steamer  Kensington. 


The  tonnage  of  these  ranged  all  the  way  from  300  or  400  for  the  first 
three  or  four,  to  2,000  for  those  last  on  the  list.  Mr.  Howes  has  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  ship  construction,  and  the  vessels  that  his  firm 
constructed  were  built  from  the  keel  upwards  under  his  immediate 
supervision.  For  a  number  of  years  the  firm  had  constantly  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  ships  under  its  control,  at  the  time  as  large  if  not  a 
larger  number  than  any  other  Boston  firm,  and  its  house  signal — a  white 
flag  with  a  red  star  in  the  center — could  be  seen  at  the  foremast  of  its 
.ships,  not  only  in  the  harbors  of  New  York,  Boston  and  San  Francisco, 
but  in  the  docks  of  Liverpool  and  London,  and  lying  at  anchor  at  Cal- 
cutta, Hong  Kong,  Melbourne  and  Callao. 

The  period  from  1845  to  1861  was  the  high  watermark  of  the  Amer- 
ican merchant  marine;  the  American  merchants  were  constantly  im- 
proving the  size,  model  and  speed  of  their  ships,  American  merchant 
tonnage  was   constantly  increasing,  American  sailors  were  showing  an 

'  The  bark  Kilby  was  the  vessel  which  was  so  fortunate  as  to  discover,  while  on  a  voyage  from 
New  Orleans  to  New  York,  the  disabled  steamship  San  Francisco.  Quite  a  part  of  the  cotton  with 
which  the  Kilby  was  laden  was  thrown  overboard  to  make  room  for  the  passengers  and  crew  of 
the  ill-fated  vessel.  Quite  a  number  of  these  were  transferred,  when  darkness  coming  on  the  work 
of  the  boats  was  suspended  to  await  the  morning,  but  during  the  night  the  steamer  went  down 
with  the  several  hundred  persons  who  were  left  on  board  of  her. 

-  The  double  topsail,  a  device  now  in  general  use  on  square-rigged  sailing  vessels  all  over  the 
world,  was  first  applied  to  the  ship  Revere,  Messrs.  Howes  &  Crowell  giving  to  the  inventor, 
Capt.  Frederick  Howes,  who  was  then  the  captain  of  the  vessel,  an  opportunity  to  in  this  way 
prove  the  value  of  his  invention.  The  use  of  double  topsails  has  permitted  of  the  carrying  of 
smaller  crews,  and  has  also  been  the  means  of  saving  from  destruction  the  lives  of  a  large  number 
of  sailors. 


548  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

unrivaled  aptitude  for  their  business,  and  American  ship  merchants  a 
willingness  to  make  the  most  of  their  opportunities.  In  this  industrial 
development,  which  if  it  had  not  been  arrested  by  the  war  and  its  re- 
sults, would  long  before  this  have  made  of  the  United  States  the  mis- 
tress of  the  ocean,  Mr.  Howes  took  a  prominent  part.  The  house  of 
which  he  was  the  chief  partner  was  one  of  the  leading  shipping  firms 
of  Boston,  and  with  its  associates  in  business  gave  the  city  a  world- 
wide reputation  for  wealth,  sagacity  and  enterprise — a  reputation  that 
has  since  been  lost  because  evidences  of  these  equalities  are  not  now 
seen,  as  they  once  were,  in  every  seaport  in  the  world.  That  the  suc- 
cess of  the  American  merchant  marine  depends  upon  the  cheapness  of 
the  ships,  and  the  ability  of  those  in  charge  of  them,  was  and  still  is  his 
firm  conviction.  While  in  active  business  he  was  always  annoyed  at 
any  attempt  at  interference  on  the  part  of  Congress.  ' '  If  Congress 
would  only  give  us  free  ships  and  let  us  alone,"  he  was  accustomed  to 
sa}^  "we  should  ask  favors  of  no  one." 

During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  the  vessels  which  he  controlled, 
unlike  those  of  some  of  his  associates  in  business,  were  continued  in 
their  voyages  under  the  American  flag,  and  although  frequently  sailing 
within  the  range  of  the  depredations  of  the  Confederate  privateers, 
were  all  fortunate  in  escaping  capture.  But  the  insurance  against  war 
risks,  and  the  disadvantages  in  procuring  charters,  which  American 
vessels  then  labored  under  when  compared  with  foreign  craft,  led  to 
the  sale  to  foreigners  of  a  number  of  the  ships  controlled  by  his  firm, 
so  that  when  the  war  closed  its  shipping  business  had  been  reduced  to 
narrow  dimensions. 

In  this  respect  its  position  did  not  differ  from  that  of  other  Boston 
ship  merchants.  The  Welds,  the  Bakers,  the  Nickersons,  the  Forbeses 
and  others  had  also  reduced  the  tonnage  that  they  owned  or  controlled 
till  it  neared  the  vanishing  point,  and  it  was  with  all  a  c|uestion  of 
whether  they  should,  with  the  changed  conditions  brought  about  by 
peace,  enter  again  upon  the  work  of  redeveloping  the  shipping  busi- 
ness, or  should  turn  their  attention  to  other  lines  of  industry.  A  num- 
ber of  the  leading  Boston  ship  merchants  chose  the  latter  of  these  al- 
ternatives; they  invested  the  money  received  from  the  sale  of  their 
vessels  in  western  railroad  enterprises,  and  in  this  way,  by  a  definite 
abandonment  of  the  sea,  laid  the  foundation  of  enormous  fortunes 
which  were  built  up  during  the  two  subsequent  decades. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  540 

Mr.  Howes  could  not  bring  himself  to  make  this  change,  particularly 
as  the  members  of  his  firm  were  solicitous  that  the  shipping  business 
should  be  continued.  Arrangements  were  therefore  made  at  Medford 
and  elsewhere  to  build  new  vessels  to  take  the  place  of  those  that  had 
been  lost,  condemned  or  sold,  and  realizing  that  steamships  were  soon 
to  take  the  place  of  sailing  craft,  his  firm  became  one  of  the  chief  sub- 
scribers to  the  stock,  and  the  business  managers  of  a  compan}^  formed 
to  build  and  run  steamships  between  Boston  and  Liverpool. 

The  American  Steamship  Company,  as  it  was  called,  had  a  brief  and 
unfortunate  experience.  A  number  of  mistakes  were  made,  not  the 
least  of  which  was  in  beginning  operations  before  a  sufficient  amoinit 
of  capital  had  been  subscribed,  and  in  using  wood  instead  of  iron  for 
the  hiills  of  the  steamers.  Two  steamships  were  built,  the  Ontario  and 
Eric ;  the  former  made  several  voyages  across  the  Atlantic,  and  then 
the  insufficiency  of  the  financial  resources  of  the  companv  becoming 
apparent,  it  was  necessary  to  suspend  operations,  and  after  wearisome 
delay  the  steamers  were  sold  at  a  mere  fraction  of  their  first  cost. 

The  experience  of  the  firm  in  the  efforts  made  to  resuscitate  the  sail- 
ing merchant  marine  in  the  United  States  was  more  prolonged,  but 
hardly  more  satisfactory.  Xew  ships  were  built  or  purchased  and  sent 
upon  the  accustomed  deep  sea  voyages ;  but  under  the  system  of  war 
taxes  the  cost  of  construction  and  of  home  repairs  was  so  great  that 
the  vessels  could  not  successfully  compete  with  the  iron  ships  that  were 
then  coming  out  in  great  numbers  from  the  ship-yards  on  the  Clyde 
and  the  Tyne.  Realizing  that  unless  he  could  obtain  the  right — which 
was  impossible — to  purchase  iron  ships  built  in  Great  Britain,  it  was 
useless  to  continue  in  the  shipping  business,  since  it  was  certain  to 
eventuate  in  failure,  Mr.  Howes,  after  largely  reducing  his  resources 
by  his  ineffectual  efforts  to  restore  the  American  flag  to  its  old-time 
position  upon  the  high  sea,  definitely  retired  from  active  business  life 
in  the  spring  of  1874,  and  passed  the  next  'rear  with  a  part  of  his  family 
in  Europe. 

Since  taking  this  step  he  has  led  a  quiet  and  uneventful  life.  For  a 
time  he  continued  his  connection  with  the  commercial  world  by  serving 
as  director  of  three  Boston  insiirance  companies,  the  China,  the  India 
and  the  New  England,  and  temporarily  took  the  position  of  president 
of  the  latter.  He  is  still  a  director,  the  oldest  one,  of  the  Second  Na- 
tional Bank  and  of  the  Simpson  Dry  Dock  Company,  and  is  also  an  ex- 
president  and  the  oldest  living  member  of  the  Boston  Marine  Society. 


ooO  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

His  recognized  practical  good  sense  and  impartiality  led  during  the 
the  years  of  his  business  life  to  his  selection  as  referee  in  a  number  of 
mercantile  controversies,  involving  the  payment  of  large  amounts  of 
money. 

Mr.  Howes's  public  services  have  been  confined  to  one  year's  term 
(1859)  in  the  Boston  Common  Council,  and  to  several  years'  member- 
ship on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  State  School  vShips.  He  has  been 
interested  as  contributor  in  a  number  of  charitable  enterprises,  and 
during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  was  a  large  subscriber  to  the  funds 
raised  in  aid  of  the  soldiers. 

Mr.  Howes  has  been  married  three  times,  and  has  had  nine  children, 
eight  of  whom  are  still  living. 


HORATIO  HARRIS. 

Horatio  Harris,  son  of  Joseph  Harris,  was  born  in  Boston,  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1821.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  early  m 
life,  leaving  the  English  High  School,  he  entered  the  commission  house 
of  Thomas  W.  vSears  Sc  Co.  His  natural  activity  and  aptitude  for  busi- 
ness made  him  at  once  valuable  to  his  employers,  who  admitted  him  a 
member  of  the  firm  when  he  attained  his  majority,  though  he  was  with- 
out capital.  In  1847  the  well-known  firm  of  Horatio  Harris  &  Co.  was 
established,  which  continued  until  his  death. 

Mr!  Harris  was  largely  interested  in  the  Oxnard  and  Continental 
Sugar  Refineries,  and  in  connection  with  his  commission  business  was 
agent  for  the  buying  and  selling  of  the  products  of  these  refineries. 

His  success  in  life  was  achieved  by  a  manly,  straightforward  course, 
and  his  competition  admitted  no  devious  methods.  As  a  merchant  he 
belonged  to  that  class  who  believed  in  the  commercial  importance  of 
Boston,  and  who  were  ready  at  all  tiines  by  act  and  deed  to  prove  such 
belief.  With  an  intuitive  sagacity  for  business,  followed  by  an  almost 
unchecked  career  of  business  success,  he  never  made  himself  conspicu- 
ous, and  would  never  accept  a  public  office.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling 
integrity,  with  a  frank  and  honest  manner.  He  was  a  lover  of  nature, 
and  also  a  natural  musician,  possessed  of  a  quick  ear  and  ready  touch, 
and  a  devoted  admirer  of  the  best  music. 

His  charities  w^ere  most  ample,  and  scores  of  young  persons  were 
helped  by  him  in  their  musical  education. 


BIOGRA  PHIES.  551 

By  the  will  of  the  late  Joshua  Sears,  Mr.  Harris  was  appointed  one 
of  the  three  trustees  of  the  large  property,  which  has  become  famous 
as  the  Sears  estate,  and  through  his  taste  and  exertions  were  built  the 
first  ornamental  business  buildings  in  Boston,  which  during  his  life 
were  successively  erected  by  the  Sears  estate. 

In  1857  Mr.  Harris  completed  his  elegant  mansion  at  the  corner  of 
Walnut  avenue  and  Townsend  street,  Roxbury,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death,  February  29,  1876.  This  house,  built  at  great  expense,  was 
one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  city  of  Boston  at  that  time.  It  was 
surrounded  by  nearly  thirty  acres  of  grounds,  beautifully  laid  out  with 
walks  and  drives,  which  were  always  open  for  the  enjoyment  of  the 
public. 

In  1847  he  married  Eunice  Elizabeth  Crehore,  daughter  of  Edward 
Crehore,  of  Dorchester,  who  died  March  22,  1873.  Mr.  Harris  had  four 
children-  Horatio  Harris,  jr.,  bom  Februar)^  12,  1848,  died  February 
13,  1871.  Edw^ard  C.  Harris,  born  June  29,  1849,  died  Jtme  27,  1890; 
married  Florence  E.  Howe,  and  left  one  son,  Horatio  Harris.  Minnie 
Harris,  born  August  25,  1854,  married  Joseph  Stone,  and  has  one 
daughter,  Marion  vStone.  Georgia  Anna  Harris,  born  June  27,  1860, 
died  August  15,  1890,  married  Dr.  Frederick  W.  Kennedy,  and  left  one 
son,  George  Harris  Kennedy. 


PHINEAS  J.  STONE. 

Phineas  Jones  vStone,  eldest  son  of  Colonel  Phineas  and  Hannah 
(Jones)  Stone,  w^as  born  in  Weare,  New  Hampshire,  May  23,  1810. 
Colonel  Stone,  his  father,  a  lineal  descendant  of  Gregory,  brother  of 
Rev.  Samuel  Stone,  who  came  to  this  country  from  Hertford,  England, 
in  1635,  was  born  in  that  part  of  Harvard,  Mass.,  now  known  as  Box- 
boro'.  He  was  a  captain  of  a  company  of  New  Hampshire  detached 
militia  of  the  First  Regiment,  under  Lieut. -Col.  N.  Fisk  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  was  subsequently  chosen  colonel  of  the  regiment.  In  1824 
he  removed  with  his  family  from  Weare  to  Charlestown,  Mass.,  where 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  until  his  death,  January  9,  1852,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  The  boyhood  of  Phineas  J.  Stone  was 
passed  at  Weare  until  his  fourteenth  year,  when,  as  previously  stated, 
the  family  moved  to  Charlestown.  He  began  business  in  the  West  In- 
dia goods  trade  in  1834,  and  by  untiring  industry  and  perseverance  laid 


553  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  foundation  of  his  success  in  after  life.  He  retired  from  this  occu- 
pation in  1851,  and  devoted  his  time  to  his  real  estate  interests.  He 
was  selectman  of  Charlestown  in  1839  and  1840;  member  of  the  Lower 
House  of  the  Legislature  in  1840,  1856,  1862  a'^d  1863;  and  inspector  of 
the  Massachusetts  vState  Prison  three  years,  from  I'-'oh  to  1850.  It  was 
during  this  time  that  Deput}-  Warden  Walker  and  Warden  Tenny  were 
murdered,  and  Mr.  Stone  had  charge  of  the  prison  for  six  weeks,  pend- 
ing the  appointment  of  new  officials  by  the  governor.  In  this  position 
he  displayed  great  executive  ability,  and  gave  courage  to  the  officers 
under  him  by  keeping  in  order  the  prisoners,  excited  and  almost  de- 
moralized as  they  were  by  this  double  act  of  blood.  "Will  there  be 
services  in  the  chapel  this  morning?"  he  was  anxiously  asked  after  the 
murder  of  Warden  Tenney.  "  Most  certainly,"  he  replied,  and  provid- 
ing arms  and  ammunition  for  each  officer,  gave  order  for  their  immedi- 
ate use  in  case  of  any  indication  of  a  revolt.  He  was  mayor  of  Charles- 
town  in  1862,  1863  and  1864,  and  was  instrumental  in  raising  and 
forming  several  companies  for  the  defence  of  the  country  during  the 
civil  war,  which  did  actual  service  in  the  army  of  the  North.  During 
his  administration  was  completed  the  introduction  of  water  from  Mystic 
Pond,  yielding  an  ample  supply  to  the  inhabitants,  not  only  of  Charles- 
town,  but  of  several  surrounding  towns.  He  was  United  vStates  asses- 
sor, Sixth  Massachusetts  District,  from  1867  to  1873,  when  the  office 
was  abolished  by  act  of  Congress.  He  was  one  of  the  original  movers 
for  the  act  of  incorporation,  authorizing  the  improvement  of  about  one 
hundred  acres  of  flats  lying  between  the  north  and  south  channels  of 
the  Mystic  River,  upon  which  to-day  there  is  taxable  property  of  more 
than  $1,000,000,  and  which  eventually  will  increase  to  many  millions, 
as  it  is  the  terminus  of  the  northern  railroads  to  the  deep  water  of 
Boston  harbor.  At  the  organization  of  the  Charlestown  Five  Cent 
Savings  Bank  in  1854,  he  was  elected  its  president,  a  position  he  held 
until  his  death,  on  August  12,  1891.  He  was  also  a  director  of  the 
Charlestown  Gas  Company,  and  the  Mutual  Protection  Fire  Insurance 
Company.  He  was  a  man  of  commanding  presence,  loyal  to  his  coun- 
try in  its  hour  of  peril,  of  sterling  integrity  of  character,  upright  and 
honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  sympathetic  with  distress,  his  hand  being 
open  to  relieve  suffering  without  ostentation  or  publicity.  His  wife 
was  Ann  Maria  (Lindsey),  a  native  of  Charlestown,  who  died  in  1851. 
They  had  four  sons:  Phineas  J.,  jr.,  born  in  1842,  who  served  as  pay- 
master in  the  Federal  army  during   the  civil  war,  and  died  in   1889 ; 


BIOGRAPHIES.  553 

Joseph,  born  in  18-48,  who  was  formerly  agent  of  the  Manchester  (N. 
H.)  Mills,  and  of  the  Pacific  Mills  of  Lawrence,  Mass.,  who  married 
Minnie  Harris,  a  daughter  of  the  well-known  merchant  of  Boston, 
Horatio  Harris,  and  now  resides  in  'Roxbiuy.  The  other  two  sons 
died  in  infancy. 


DAVID    SNOW. 

David  Snow,  for  many  years  prominently  connected  with  the  com- 
mercial and  shipping  interests  of  Boston,  and  later  in  his  career  an  act- 
ive factor  in  financial  affairs,  was  born  in  that  part  of  Old  Eastham 
now  known  as  Orleans,  Barnstable  county,  in  November,  1799.  He 
was  a  descendant  in  the  sixth  generation  of  Nicholas  Snow,  who  came 
to  Plymouth  in  the  ship  Ann  in  1623,  and  had  a  share  in  the  division  of 
land  at  Plymouth.  On  the  maternal  side  he  was  a  descendant  of  Richard 
Higgins,  of  French  Huguenot  extraction,  whose  name  appears  among 
the  list  of  freemen  of  Plymouth  as  early  as  1633.  Both  of  these  American 
ancestors  were  among  the  seven  original  purchasers  from  the  Indians  of 
Nauset.  In  1612  the  settlers  of  Plymouth,  on  account  of  the  barrenness 
of  the  soil,  having  become  dissatisfied  with  their  situation,  a  removal  of 
the  whole  colony  to  Nauset  (afterwards  Eastham)  was  seriously  contem- 
plated. Nauset  was  frequently  visited  up  to  164:3  by  the  Plymouth  set- 
tlers for  the  purpose  of  procuring  means  of  subsistence;  but  no  effort 
was  made  until  the  year  last  named  to  begin  a  plantation  at  this  place, 
which  was  then  owned  and  occupied  by  the  Indians.  It  was  felt  that  it 
would  be  a  more  eligible  situation  than  Phmiouth,  consequently  the 
church  appointed  a  committee  of  seven,  composed  of  Thomas  Prince, 
John  Doane,  Josiah  Cook,  Richard  Higgins,  John  vSmalley,  and  Edward 
Bangs,  to  inspect  this  locality  more  fully.  This  committee  not  only 
purchased  Nauset  from  the  Indians,  but  became  the  first  settlers  of  the 
place  and  were  known  as  "the  seven  proprietors  of  Nauset."  Both 
Nicholas  Snow  and  Richard  Higgins  were  men  of  prominence  in  the 
Plymouth  Colony,  they  and  their  descendants  also  occupying  various 
positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  in  the  town  of  Nauset.  Nicholas 
Snow  was  one  of  Governer  Prince's  associates,  and  served  as  deputy, 
town  clerk  and  selectman  of  Nauset  for  many  years.  His  son  Mark, 
who  married  a  daughter  of  Governor  Prince,  was  town  clerk  for  twelve 


554  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

years;  Mark's  son,  Jabez,  for  ten  years,  while  Joseph  Snow,  jr.,  Mica- 
jah  Snow,  Jabez  Snow,  jr.,  and  James  Snow  also  held  this  position. 

David  Snow,  the  father  of  our  subject,  married  Lucia  Higgins,  the 
daughter  of  Richard  Higgins,  a  descendant  of  Richard  Higgins,  who 
was  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  Nauset.  He  was  lost  on  a  voyage 
fi'om  Boston  to  the  West  India  Islands  when  his  son,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  but  three  weeks  old.  The  son  grew  to  manhood 
in  the  home  of  his  mother  and  sister  Ruth,  devoting  his  time  to 
various  interests  until  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  thirty-five,  when  with  his 
small  capital  he  came  to  Boston.  Here  for  a  time  he  engaged  in  the 
West  India  trade,  but  later  embarked  in  the  flour  commission  business. 
In  1843  he  formed  a  copartnership  with  Isaac  Rich,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Snow  &  Rich,  which  continued  for  ten  years,  during  which 
time  a  number  of  ships  were  built,  which  became  the  nucleus  of  quite  a 
fleet.  Through  the  success  of  this  enterprise  the  reputation  of  the  firm 
became  favorably  known,  not  only  in  this  country,  but  also  extensively 
abroad.  In  1853  the  firm  of  Snow  &  Rich  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Rich  tak- 
ing the  business  and  real  estate,  which  included  Constitution  Wharf,  for 
his  share,  and  Mr.  Snow  taking  the  fleet  of  ships  as  his  part.  During 
the  next  decade  Mr.  Snow  built,  owned  and  controlled  fourteen  ships, 
ranging  froin  one  thousand  to  fourteen  hundred  tons  burden.  Among 
the  number  were  the  Storm  King^  Reporter^  N^auset,  Idaho,  Astcrion 
and  others.  In  1800  the  entire  fleet  of  ships  was  sold  to  Mr.  Thomas 
Nickerson,  at  that  time  also  largely  interested  in  navigation.  Mr.  Nick- 
erson  later  was  well  known  by  his  connection  with  the  Mexican  Cen- 
tral and  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Sante  Fe  Railroads.  This  was  in  war 
times,  and  with  the  penetration  which  characterized  most  of  his  acts, 
Mr.  Snow  thought  it  wise  to  sell  out  his  shipping  interest.  At  about 
this  time  he  obtained  a  charter  for  and  organized  the  National  Bank  of 
the  Republic.  The  success  and  reputation  of  this  institution  is  well 
known.  He  was  elected  its  president  by  his  contemporaries,  which 
office  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  death,  a  period  of  sixteen  years. 

It  is  a  remarkable  thing  that  during  a  business  career  of  nearly  fifty 
years,  Mr.  Snow  met  with  singularly  few  reverses.  Throughout  his 
business  career  he  never  failed  to  meet  fully  and  promptly  all  of  his 
business  obligations.  Of  his  high  moral  and  religious  character  much 
might  be  written  in  deserved  praise.  His  integrity  was  never  ques- 
tioned. He  was  honest,  truthful,  and  a  high-minded  Christian  gentle- 
men, contributing  with  liberal  hand  from  his  resources  to  the  poor  and 


BIOGRAPHIES.  555 

needy,  and  to  the  religious  institutions  which  he  loved.  His  private 
life  was  pure  and  unspotted,  and  his  memory  is  enshrined  in  the  hearts 
of  his  descendants.      He  died  in  Boston,  January  12,  187G. 


DANIEL    LOTHROP. 

Daniel  Lothrop  was  a  typical  American  ptiblisher.  What  this 
means  in  the  advancement  of  American  literature  but  few  among  the 
millions  of  American  readers  ever  pause  to  consider,  esteeming  the 
publisher  as,  at  best,  only  the  middleman,  the  medium  through  which 
the  author  is  introduced  to  the  reader.  But  the  true  American  pub- 
lisher is  much  more  than  a  medium ;  he  is  a  cause,  a  creator,  an  in- 
spirer.  As  such  he  must  be  considered  and  studied;  as  such  he  is 
recognized  and  received  by  inquiring  and  classifying  minds.  To  his 
energies  and  his  exertions  are  due  the  development  and  bettering  of 
American  literature ;  he,  quite  as  much  as  the  writer,  is  the  means  of 
refuting  vSidney  vSmith's  famous  sneer  of  a  half-century  ago,  "  In  the 
four  cpiarters  of  the  globe,  who  reads  an  American  book?  "  The  steps 
in  advance  that  American  literature  is  taking  with  each  new  year  are 
the  results,  as  they  are  also  the  reasons,  of  the  chapters  of  effort  that 
mark  the  story  of  the  publisher's  busy  and  helpful  life. 

Daniel  Lothrop,  of  Boston,  was  a  typical  American  publisher.  He 
was  a  typical  American.  He  was  a  typical  New  Englander.  He  was 
born  in  the  old  New  England  town  of  Rochester,  in  the  State  of  New 
Hampshire,  well  up  toward  the  foothills  of  the  White  Mountains.  It 
is  related  that  an  observant  traveler  was  one  day  passing  through  that 
rocky  and  semi-sterile  section  of  New  Hampshire's  rolling  country — 
that  region  so  poorly  planned  for  successful  agriculture,  so  apparently 
a  soil  needing  that  eternal  vigilance  that  is  the  price  of  paying  crops  as 
well  as  of  liberty.  The  traveler,  viewing  the  landscape  in  mingled 
surprise  and  skepticism,  asked  one  of  the  farmers,  who  seemed  to  be 
harvesting  only  rocks,  "What  can  3'ou  raise  here,  anyhow?"  And 
back  came  the  instant  answer,  "  We  raise  men!  "  It  was  one  of  these 
real  men  of  New  Hampshire's  rocky  raising  that  was  given  to  the  world 
in  Daniel  Lothrop,  the  son  of  Daniel  Lothrop,  the  elder,  and  Sophia 
Home  Lothrop,  of  the  town  of  Rochester,  and  the  county  of  Strafford, 
where  he  was  born  on  the  11th  of  August,  1831. 


550  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Daniel  Lothrop  came  of  sturdy  English  stock.  In  his  veins  ran  the 
blood  of  Priscilla  Alden,  fairest  and  most  famoiis  of  the  Plymouth 
Pilgrims.  His  distant  ancestor,  John  Lothrop,  of  the  Riding  of  York, 
in  Old  England,  was  the  man  who  dared  assert  his  manhood  and  with- 
stand the  aristocratic  arrogance  of  the  famous  Archbishop  Laud,  in  the 
days  of  the  first  Charles  Stuart,  and  who  suffered  imprisonment  rather 
than  abate  one  jot  of  his  sturdy  and  determined  independence.  His 
maternal  ancestors,  the  Homes,  were  vigorous  pioneers  in  the  early 
New  Hampshire  days,  one  of  whom,  on  the  "distaff  side,"  Elizabeth 
Hull  Heard,  of  Dover,  was  known  as  "the  brave  gentlewoman,"  be- 
cause she  courageously  held  and  successfully  defended  the  old  garrison 
house  of  Dover  against  the  flood  of  Indian  massacre  of  Dover  that 
well-nigh  depopulated  that  feeble  New  Hampshire  settlement  in  the 
dreadful  summer  of  IGSO.  Springing,  then,  from  such  "forbears" — 
from  brave  women  and  stalwart  men  who  could  both  dare  and  do — 
Daniel  Lothrop  had  behind  him  generations  of  that  heroic  blood  that 
flowed  into  and  filled  the  veins  of  pioneers  and  patriots  and  contributed 
to  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  a  free  and  vigorous  republic. 

^Daniel  Lothrop  was  the  youngest  of  three  brothers,  to  whom  were 
given,  as  was  the  custom  then,  the  three  "Bible  names"  of  James, 
John  and  Daniel.  Under  the  influence  of  a  practical  American  father, 
who  repeatedly  served  the  State  in  its  Legislature,  and  was  one  of  the 
original,  three  who  founded  the  famous  Free  Soil  Party,  under  the 
guidance  of  a  wise  American  mother,  he  developed  into  a  wade-awake, 
thoughtful  and  ambitious  American  boy,  whose  dreams  of  a  successful 
career  were  active  almost  in  his  baby  days,  for  it  is  stated  that  when 
but  five  years  old  he  scratched  upon  a  piece  of  tin  the  prophetic  words 
"  D.  Lothrop  &  Co. "  and  tacked  the  sign  upon  the  door  of  his  play- 
house. The  mathematical,  which  is  so  largely  the  basis  of  the  business 
faculty,  was  also  developed  in  Daniel  Lothrop  at  an  early  age,  giving 
him  a  grasp  of  the  values  and  mysteries  of  the  "baffling  numbers" 
that  w^as  almost  remarkable — so  much  so  that  at  the  age  of  seven  he 
could  demonstrate  a  problem  in  cube  root  to  the  "big  boys  and  girls  " 
of  the  upper  class,  alike  to  their  astonishment  and  the  delight  of  the 
teacher.  With  this  qtiickness  of  reasoning,  with  a  relative  and  accurate 
memory,  and  with  the  habit  of  study  early  fastened  upon  him,  he  was 
ready  for  college  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  but  his  physique  was  not  con- 
sidered equal  to  the  college  demands  of  those  days,  when  athletics  was 
not  a  part  of  the  college  curriculum.      He  therefore  went  into  the  drug 


BIOGRAPHIES.  557 

store  which  his  brother  James  had  opened  in  the  town,  and  when  that 
brother  desired  to  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  of  attending  medical 
lectures  in  Philadelphia,  the  charge  of  the  drug-  store  was  given  to 
Daniel  Lothrop,  the  bright  bo}'  of  fourteen.  As  an  extra  inducement 
to  assume  this  responsibility,  the  older  brother,  James,  agreed  to  give 
to  Daniel  an  equal  division  of  the  profits  of  the  drug  stoi'e  and  to  place 
above  the  door  the  firm  name  "  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.,"  an  early  realization 
of  Daniel's  dream. 

Daniel  Lothrop,  therefore,  before  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  had 
founded  the  firm  of  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  and  given  to  the  world  a  business 
name  that  has  stood  as  the  synonym  for  integrity  and  truth  for  nearly 
fifty  years.  He  proved  a  success  in  the  drug  business,  as  his  brother 
James  foresaw  he  would.  More  than  this,  he  looked  aroimd  for  new 
opportunities.  These  speedily  came.  He  hired  and  stocked  a  drug 
store  in  the  village  of  New  Market,  not  far  away,  and  inviting  his  second 
brother,  John,  to  enter  the  firm  as  one  of  the  "Co.,"  he  stocked  and 
started  another  drug  store  in  the  village  of  Meredith  Bridge.  These 
three  brothers  continued,  until  death  broke  the  combination,  in  a 
unique  partnership ;  each  conducting  separate  business  ventures  in 
difi^erent  business  centers  and  yet  sharing  their  profits  irrespective  of 
direction  and  the  volume  of  individual  business.  It  was  a  unity  of 
interests  and  of  brotherly  fidelity  that  is  not  often  recorded  in  the  busi- 
ness annals  of  the  world. 

In  1850  Daniel  Lothrop,  watchful  for  opportunities,  bought  out  the 
stock  of  Elijah  Wadleigh,  a  bookseller  of  Dover,  N.  H.  The  details  of 
the  drug  business,  in  those  days  as  now,  involved  other  things  than 
drugs.  Fancy  goods  and  stationery  wer^  a  part  of  every  drug  dealer's 
stock,  and  to  deal  in  books  is  but  a  logical  development.  Before  he 
was  twenty,  therefore,  Daniel  Lothrop  was  established  in  an  important 
trade  center  as  a  successful  druggist  and  bookseller,  with  "  branches  " 
in  Berwick,  Portsmouth  and  Amesbury,  and  with  the  intention  of 
branching  out  in  publishing  when  the  right  opportunity  offered.  In 
the  interests  of  his  business,  as  well  as  of  his  health,  he  undertook  a 
Western  trip,  \vhich  ended  in  the  then  prevalent  "Western  fever." 
He  saw  and  appreciated  the  opportunities  for  successful  business  ven- 
tures offered  by  the  growing  "  New  West  " — the  West  that  then  called 
Chicago  an  outpost  and  Minnesota  territory  the  frontier.  In  1856 
Daniel  Lothrop  was  in  the  new  settlement  of  St.  Peter  in  southern 
Minnesota.      It  gave  promise  of  being  a  "booming  western  city,"  and 


558  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

yielding  to  the  fascination  of  the  "fever,"  he  resolved  to  locate  there 
and  open  a  store  in  St.  Peter.  He  bought  out  a  stock  of  drugs  in  St. 
Paul,  and,  though  the  rivers  were  ice-bound,  moved  his  goods  in  sledges 
and  opened  his  store  on  the  first  day  of  December  according  to  an- 
nouncement. The  drug  store  grew  into  a  banking  business.  Branch 
drug  and  book  stoi-es,  to  which  he  called  his  tmcle,  Jeremiah  Home, 
were  also  opened  in  the  new  country,  and  Daniel  Lothrop's  busi- 
ness ventures  were  exhibiting  his  rare  business  ability  when  the  panic 
of  1857  burst  upon  the  coimtry,  and  the  failure  of  others  reacted  upon 
him.  He  met  and  paid  every  dollar  of  his  liabilities,  but  it  broke  his 
health  and  well-nigh  closed  his  career. 

Returning  health  found  him  in  the  East  again  in  his  Dover  book 
store.  With  health  came  energy,  and  out  of  both  was  evolved  the 
realization  of  his  life-long  dream — to  become  an  American  book  pub- 
lisher. Carefully  maturing  his  plans,  which  were  based  upon  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  and  experience  of  the  demands  of  the  American  book 
market,  the  tastes  of  the  American  people,  and  the  possibilities  of 
American  literature,  he  entered  upon  his  new  career  as  an  American 
publisher,  and  in  1808  removed  his  business  to  Boston. 

The  corner-stone  of  his  plan  of  work  was  good  literature  for  the 
young.  He  took  as  his  motive  these  rules  of  procedure  which  years 
afterward  he  put  into  two  pertinent  and  practical  phrases :  First,  never 
to  publish  a  purely  sensational  book,  no  matter  what  chances  of  money 
it  has  in  it ;  second,  always  to  publish  books  that  will  make  for  true, 
steadfast  growth  in  right  living.  As  the  proper  channels  for  the  develop- 
ment of  this  class  of  literature,  he  selected  the  family  and  the  vSunday- 
school  libraries,  heretofore  given  up  largely  to  literature  that  was  at 
once  weak,  disappointing  and  unattractive. 

So  he  came  to  Boston,  opened  a  large  and  handsome  book-store  at  38 
and  40  Cornhill,  opened  his  list  of  new  books  with  "  Andy  Luttrell  " — 
a  book  that  is  still  having  a  steady  sale — and  followed  it  up  with  other 
good  and  attractive  books.  Thus,  still  pursuing  his  plan  of  combining 
liberality  with  wise  selection,  he  announced  a  series  of  generous  prizes 
of  one  thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars  each — a  then  almost  unheard 
of  thing — for  books  for  the  young,  and  by  thus  stimulating  literary 
creation  he  had  speedily  in  hand  manuscripts  of  merit  that  led  to  pop- 
ular and  meritorious  publications. 

From  that  day  forward  this  line  of  effort  was  followed  out.  His  name 
became  accepted  as  a  trade   mark  of  excellence,  and  in  all  the  years  of 


BIOGRAPHIES.  559 

his  work  as  a  publisher  he  could  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
wherever  went  a  book  bearing  the  legend  "  D.  Lothrop  &  Co."  on  its 
title  page,  those  who  were  to  choose  reading  matter  for  the  young 
knew  that  they  could  accept  it  unhesitatingly  and  present  it  to  their 
children  without  query  or  investigation. 

The  list  of  books  thus  started  grew  with  each  year  of  effort  and 
selection,  and  though  largely  devoted  to  publications  intended  for 
young  people,  it  contained  also  books  of  merit  for  older  readers.  These 
books,  for  young  and  old  alike,  touch  almost  every  branch  of  literar}' 
endeavor,  and  it  is  estimated  that  Daniel  Lothrop,  during  the  years  he 
was  in  the  publishing  business  in  Boston,  introduced  more  American 
writers  to  public  attention  and  has  added  to  his  list — now  including 
more  than  two  thousand  titles — more  American  writers  than  any  other 
American  publishing  house. 

Once  on  the  road  to  successful  book  publishing,  Mr.  Lothrop's  energy 
sought  expression  in  another  branch  of  the  publishing  field,  and  one 
that  had  also  been  a  part  of  his  'long-cherished  plans.  This  was  the 
publication  of  periodicals  for  children.  Out  of  this  desire  came,  in 
1875,  the  initial  numbers  of  a  monthly  magazine  for  young  people  in 
their  "teens,"  now  known  to  the  whole  English  speaking  world  as 
Wide  Aioakc.  For  nearly  a  generation  this  magazine  has  regularly 
appeared,  going  into  thousands  of  hoines  with  its  monthly  budget  of 
good  and  bright  and  attractive  and  interesting  things,  and  has  called 
into  its  service  the  best  literary  and  artistic  workers  in  America.  Fol- 
lowing the  publication  of  Wide  Awake,  other  and  subsidiary  publica- 
tions were  conceived  and  started,  intended  for  the  helping  and  inter- 
esting of  still  younger  readers.  These  were  Babyland,  On?-  Little  Men 
and  IWviien,  and  Pansy,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  four  Lothrop 
magazines  reach  a  larger  constituency,  and  have  a  larger  following — 
spanning  as  they  do  the  space  that  stretches  from  the  cradle  age  to  the 
college  age — than  any  other  reputable  children's  periodicals  in  the 
world. 

The  year  that  followed  the  launching  of  Wide  Aivake  in  1875  was  the 
year  for  a  removal  of  the  establishment,  for  Mr.  Lathrop,  finding  the 
Cornhill  store  too  small  for  the  demands  of  his  increasing  business, 
secured  other  quarters  and  the  large  building  on  the  corner  of  Frank- 
lin and  Hawley  streets  became  the  home  of  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Here 
the  business  interests  of  the  concern  found  opportunity  for  growth  and 
extension. 


5G0  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

In  1SS7  Mr.  Lothrop  determined  to  perpetuate  the  name  he  had 
made  in  the  business  world  and  to  develop  his  company  into  a  corpora- 
tion. This  was  accordingly  done,  new  blood  was  added  to  his  own 
indomitable  energy,  and  in  March,  1887,  the  D.  Lothrop  Company  was 
organized  with  Daniel  Lothrop  as  president.  In  1889  the  company  re- 
moved its  business  offices  and  salesrooms  to  304  and  366  Washington 
street,  and  occupied  this  same  year  with  its  large  manufacturing  and 
wholesale  departments  at  118  and  120  Purchase,  street.  Here  the  busi- 
ness has  developed  and  grown  along  the  lines  laid  down  by  its  founder, 
and  the  house  of  D.  Lathrop  Company  occupies  a  foremost  and  dis- 
tinguished position  among  the  best  book  publishing  establishments  of 
America. 

The  home  life  of  Daniel  Lothrop  was  characteristic  and  delightful. 
In  1881  he  married  Miss  Harriett  Mulford  Stone  of  New  Haven,  known 
to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  American  readers  under  her  pen  name  of 
Margaret  vSidney!  In  1883  he  purchased  an  historic  estate  in  Concord, 
Mass.,  known  as  the  Wayside,  the  home  of  Hawthorne  and  the  Alcotts. 
Here  he  dispensed  a  charming  and  unfailing  hospitality  and  gave  to  an 
already  famous  spot  new  and  delightful  associations. 

All  too  early  in  his  life  of  achievement  and  influence,  the  end  came. 
After  a  brief  illness,  and  while  occupying  his  winter  quarters  in  Bos- 
ton, Daniel  Lothrop  died  on  the  eighteenth  of  March,  1892,  and  thus 
at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  when  it  was  supposed  and  hoped  that  he  still 
had  many  years  of  usefulness  and  achievement  before  him,  he  laid 
down  the  life-work  with  which  for  forty-six  years  he  had  been  so  closely 
identified,  and  entered  into  rest. 

Daniel  Lothrop  combined  in  himself  the  elements  of  probity,  per- 
severance, purpose  and  devotion  to  a  high  ideal.  It  was  these  acting 
in  and  through  him  that  held  him  steady  to  his  plan  of  work  and  ac- 
tion, that  brought  him  recognition,  advancement  and  success,  and  that 
have  given  him  a  position  and  a  name  in  the  world  of  x\merican  letters 
and  business  activity,  or,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  the  typical 
American  publisher. 


HENRY  L.   PIERCE. 

Hox.  Henry  Lillie  Pierce,  manufacturer  and  man  of  public  affairs, 
was  born  in  Stoughton,  Mass.,  August  23,   1825.      He  is  a  descendant. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  5G1 

in  the  eighth  generation,  from  John  Pierce,  who  came  from  England 
in  IGoT,  and  was  admitted  a  freeman  in  Watertown,  Mass.,  in  ]\Iarch, 
1(j3.S. 

Col.  Jesse  Pierce,  the  father  of  Henry,  was  born  in  Stoughton,  No- 
vember 7,  1788.  He  was  a  man  of  high  character  and  of  more  than 
ordinary  ability.  He  began  to  teach  school  while  yet  a  minor,  and 
pursued  that  vocation  for  twenty  years,  first  in  the  public  schools  of 
Norfolk  county,  and  later  as  the  head  of  highh^  successful  private 
schools  in  Milton  and  Stoughton.  He  took  an  active  part  in  town 
affairs,  served  in  the  militia  in  all  capacities  froin  ensign  to  colonel, 
and  represented  his  town  during  six  terms  in  the  State  Legislature. 
Although  originally  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  he  was  among 
the  first  to  make  a  stand  against  the  aggressions  of  the  slave  power, 
and  became  identified  with  the  party  which  supported  Birney  for  the 
presidency  in  1844.  He  married  in  1824  Eliza  S.  Lillie,  daughter  of 
Captain  John  Lillie,  who  served  with  distinction  in  the  war  of  the 
Revolution  as  an  artillery  officer  and  as  aid  to  Major-General  Knox, 
and  who,  some  years  after  the  war,  was  appointed  chief  officer  at  the 
West  Point  ]\Iilitary  Academy. 

Henry  L.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  received  a  good  English  educa- 
tion at  the  public  school  in  his  native  town,  at  the  academy  in  Milton, 
and  also  at  the  academy  and  State  Normal  School  at  Bridgewater.  In 
1850  he  became  connected  with  the  chocolate  manufactory  of  Walter 
Baker  &  Co. ,  at  Dorchester,  to  which  place  the  family  had  moved  the 
previous  year.  In  1854  he  took  charge  of  the  entire  business,  and  from 
that  time  to  the  present  has  been  the  sole  manager.  At  an  early  age 
he  took  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  while  a  school-boy  he 
contributed  articles  to  some  of  the  country  papers.  L'ntil  1848  he 
sympathized  with  and  supported  the  Democratic  party.  In  that  year 
he  joined  with  enthusiasm  in  the  organization  of  the  Free  Soil  party, 
and  in  promulgating  the  principles  set  forth  by  Martin  Van  Buren  in 
his  acceptance  of  their  nomination  for  the  presidency.  From  that  time 
until  the  purpose  for  which  the  party  was  organized  had  been  trium- 
phantly established,  he  stood  by  it  through  good  report  and  through 
evil  report,  aiding  it  by  his  voice,  his  pen,  and  his  money.  In  1860  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  was  instrumental  in  getting  a  bill 
passed  by  both  branches  striking  out  the  word  "  white  "  wherever  it 
occurred  in  the  laws  authorizing  the  organization  of  the  militia.  But 
the  act  was  defeated  by  the  governor's  veto,  and  it  was  not  until  four 

71 


562  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

years  had  passed  that  success  attended  the  efforts  of  those  who  wished 
to  have  the  obnoxious  discrimination  on  account  of  race  removed  from 
the  statute  book.  On  being  re-elected  for  the  following  year,  Mr. 
Pierce  inaugurated  the  movement,  in  which  he  was  sustained  by  a  ma- 
jority of  the  House,  for  instructing  our  senators,  and  recommending 
our  representatives  in  Congress,  to  favor  such  a  change  in  the  national 
laws  as  would  authorize  the  enlistment  of  colored  men  in  the  United 
States  army.  In  the  session  of  1862,  to  which  he  was  re-elected,  Mr. 
Pierce  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Finance,  and  in 
that  capacity  reported  and  carried  through  the  House  two  measures  of 
great  importance,  namely:  The  act  providing  for  the  payment  of  the 
State  bonds  in  gold  (this  was  after  the  Legal  Tender  Act  had  been 
passed  b}'  Congress),  and  the  act  taxing  savings  banks  and  insurance 
companies.  At  the  end  of  his  third  term,  Mr.  Pierce  withdrew  from 
the  House,  but  was  chosen  again  in  1866,  and  appears  in  the  journals 
of  the  day  as  taking  a  leading  part  in  the  business  of  the  session. 

On  the  annexation  of  Dorchester  to  the  city  of  Boston,  in  1860,  he 
was  elected  to  represent  that  section  of  the  city  in  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men. After  serving  two  years  (1870-1871)  he  declined  a  re-election. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  following  year  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Boston, 
being  the  choice  of  the  citizens  without  regard  to  party.  His  address 
at  the  organization  of  the  new  government  was  calculated  to  inspire 
confidence  in  his  abilities  as  an  executive  officer.  To  improve  the 
efficiency  of  the  government,  radical  changes  were  needed  in  some  of 
the  departments,  and  such  changes  he  not  only  recommended,  but  pro- 
ceeded resolutely  to  carry  out.  Against  very  strong  opposition  he  re- 
organized the  Health  and  Fire  Departments,  and  freed  them  from  the 
partisan  influences  to  which  they  had  long  been  subject. 

In  October  of  that  year  he  received  the  nomination  of  the  Republi- 
cans for  representative  in  Congress  from  the  Third  Massachusetts 
District,  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  Forty-third  Congress  occasioned  by 
the  death  of  Honorable  William  Whiting.  The  success  of  his  municipal 
administration  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  the  Democrats  failed  to  nom- 
inate any  candidate  to  oppose  him,  and  his  election  was  substantially 
unanimous.  Having  been  for  many  years  on  terms  of  personal  friend- 
ship with  Charles  Sumner,  and  having  a  large  acquaintance  with  the 
public  men  of  the  day,  he  was  from  the  start  in  a  position  to  exert  a 
strong  influence  upon  the  councils  of  the  government.  Imbued  with 
the  same  spirit  which  led  Sumner,  and  Andrew,  and  Wilson,  to  favor 


BIOGRAPHIES.  563 

a  conciliatory  policy  towards  the  South  in  the  legislation  which  followed 
the  war,  he  threw  his  influence  against  the  harsh  and  unconstitutional 
measures  by  which  a  portion  of  the  leaders  in  the  party  to  which  he 
belonged  sought  to  perpetuate  their  political  ascendancy  over  the  wStates 
lately  in  rebellion.  He  was  thus  placed  in  the  unpleasant  position  of 
being  obliged  to  oppose  many  of  the  measures  which  were  favored  by 
President  Grant's  administration.  But  it  is  evident  that  his  course  was 
in  accordance  with  the  sentiments  of  the  people  of  ]\Iassachusetts,  from 
the  fact  that  in  the  elections  to  the  Forty-fourth  Congress,  which 
occurred  in  the  autumn  of  1874,  he  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority, 
while  in  six  out  of  the  other  ten  districts  in  the  vState,  the  regular  Re- 
publican candidates  were  defeated  for  the  first  time  since  the  beginning 
of  the  war.  Near  the  close  of  the  second  session  of  the  Forty- third 
Congress  (February,  1875),  the  Force  Bill,  so  called,  giving  the  presi- 
dent extraordinary  powers  to  interfere  in  the  internal  affairs  of  the 
States,  and  in  his  discretion  to  suspend  the  privileges  of  the  writ  of 
habeas  corpus,  was  introduced  into  the  House  and  an  attempt  made  by 
the  administration  leaders  to  force  it  through  without  giving  suf- 
ficient opportunity  for  discussion.  The  Republicans  had  control  of  the 
House  by  a  large  majority,  and  as  a  political  measure,  intended,  as 
many  of  them  avowed,  to  give  their  part}'  an  advantage  in  the  presi- 
dential election  to  occur  in  the  following  year,  they  were  substantially 
unanimous  in  its  support.  On  the  27th  of  February  Mr.  Pierce  made 
a  short  speech  in  opposition  to  the  bill,  which  was  highly  commended 
by  all  the  leading  newspapers  throughout  the  country. 

During  the  session  of  the  Forty-fourth  Congress,  Mr.  Pierce  was  at 
the  head  of  the  Republican  members  of  the  Committee  on  Commerce. 
He  made  an  elaborate  report  on  the  subject  of  relieving  vessels  engaged 
in  the  coasting  trade  from  the  unjust  and  discriminating  legislation  of 
some  of  the  States  with  regard  to  pilotage  fees.  He  also  made  speeches 
on  the  proposition  to  amend  the  Constitution  so  as  to  limit  the  term  of 
office  of  the  president;  on  reciprocity  with  Canada,  and  on  counting 
the  electoral  vote  of  Louisiana.  On  the  last  named  question,  Mr.  Pierce 
and  Prof.  Seelye  (the  representative  from  the  Tenth  Massachusetts 
District)  stood  alone  among  the  Republicans  in  opposing  the  counting 
of  the  vote  of  Louisiana  for  either  candidate,  on  the  ground  of  fraud  in 
making  up  the  returns.  The  London  Times  published  Mr.  Pierce's 
speech  at  length,  and  referred  to  it  as  a  "very  able  "  one. 


504  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Some  time  previous  to  the  elections  of  the  Forty-fifth  Congress,  Mr. 
Pierce  announced  to  the  electors  of  the  Third  District,  through  the 
public  press,  his  determination  to  retire  from  public  life  at  the  expira- 
tion of  the  term  for  which  he  then  held  office.  This  decision  was  made 
after  due  deliberation,  and  with  the  firm  resolve  of  adhering  to  it.  It 
was  with  extreme  reluctance,  therefore,  that  he  consented,  in  the 
autumn  of  1877,  to  allow  his  name  to  be  used  as  a  citizens'  candidate 
for  the  office  of  mayor  of  Boston.  The  call  for  his  services  was  signed 
by  twenty-five  hundred  tax-paying  citizens,  representing  all  classes  and 
all  parties.  The  administration  then  in  power  was  charged  with  ex- 
treme partisanship  and  with  being  inefficient.  The  contest  which 
followed  was  in  many  respects  the  most  remarkable  in  the  annals  of 
the  city.  The  number  of  votes  cast  was  largely  in  excess  of  those  at 
any  other  previous  election — municipal.  State  or  national — and  resulted 
in  the  election  of  Mr.  Pierce  by  about  2,300  majority. 

In  his  inaugural  address  Mr.  Pierce  dwelt  at  some  length  upon  the 
powers  and  purposes  of  municipal  corporations,  taking  the  ground  that 
"  they  are  created  and  exist  for  the  public  advantage,  and  not  for  the 
benefit  of  their  officers  or  of  particular  individuals  or  classes."  He  also 
considered  some  of  the  schemes  which  had  been  devised  for  improving 
our  local  governments,  and  denied  the  propriety  or  expediency  of 
attempting  to  raise  the  standard  by  a  limitation  of  the  suffrage,  or  by 
giving  up  to  the  State  powers  which,  from  time  immemorial,  have  been 
exercised  by  the  towns  and  cities.  His  clear  and  business-like  expo- 
sition of  the  true  theory  upon  which  local  governments  were  founded 
and  maintained  in  this  country  was  highly  commended  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  all  parties. 

Having  satisfied  himself  from  a  general  survey  of  the  field  of  his 
labors  that  the  department  of  the  government  most  in  need  of  reform 
was  that  which  had  charge  of  the  police,  he  entered  upon  the  work  of 
reorganizing  it  with  that  courage  and  persistency  which  have  never  yet 
failed  to  achieve  their  purpose.  Against  an  opposition  which  was  at 
times  factious  and  violent,  he  carried  through  his  plan  of  reorganization 
by  which  that  important  department  of  the  city  government  was  placed 
beyond  the  reach  of  personal  and  partisan  influences,  and  a  more  equit- 
able and  intelligent  enforcement  of  the  laws  secured.  The  work  for 
which  his  services  were  demanded  by  the  citizens  having  been  satis- 
factorily accomplished,  Mr.  Pierce  declined  a  re-election  for  another 
term. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  5G5 

Although  urg-ed  on  many  occasions  since  then  to  allow  the  use  of  his 
name  as  a  candidate  for  important  positions,  he  has  felt  constrained  to 
decline  on  account  of  the  increasing  demands  made  upon  his  time  by 
his  great  manufacturing  interests.  He  has  continued,  however,  to  take 
an  active  part  in  the  discussion  of  the  leading  political  questions  of  the 
da}',  and  especially  the  question  of  reforining  the  tariff  on  imports. 
He  has  been  president  of  the  New  England  Tariff  Reform  League  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  has  served  on  many  committees  and  boards  for 
the  furtherance  of  reforms  in  the  civil  service  and  the  ballot,  and  for 
the  maintenance  of  a  sound  currency.  In  the  presidential  contest  of 
1<S84  he  found  himself  unable  to  support  the  Republican  nominee,  and 
although  he  did  not  then,  and  has  not  since,  become  identified  with  the 
Democratic  party,  he  has  generally  given  his  hearty  support  to  their 
nominees  for  the  leading  offices,  and  to  the  reform  principles  for  which 
they  stand.  He  has  visited  Europe  many  times  during  the  past 
twenty-five  years,  and  has  acquired  a  great  fund  of  interesting  infor- 
mation concerning  the  people  and  their  political  institutions. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place,  in  a  work  of  this  kind,  to  give  some  ac- 
count of  the  great  business  which  Mr.  Pierce  has  built  up  and  still 
carries  on.  The  manufacturing  establishment  of  Walter  Baker  &  Co., 
of  which  he  has  for  some  years  been  the  sole  owner,  dates  back  to  the 
period  of  the  American  Revolution.  It  is  stated  in  the  history  of  the 
town  of  Dorchester  that  the  chocolate  mill  erected  on  the  Neponset 
River,  in  17G5,  by  one  John  Hannan,  an  Irish  immigrant,  who  had 
learned  the  business  of  chocolate  making  in  England,  was  the  first  mill 
of  that  kind  established  in  the  British  Provinces  of  North  America.  It 
was  a  very  small  concern,  being  connected  with  a  saw  mill  operated  by 
water-power.  On  the  death  of  Hannan,  in  1780,  the  plant  came  into 
the  possession  of  Dr.  James  Baker,  who  was  succeeded  later  by  his 
grandson,  Walter  Baker,  in  who:;e  name  the  business  has  since  been 
conducted.  The  establishment,  to  which  extensive  additions  have 
been  made  from  time  to  time  during  the  last  fifty  years,  now  comprises 
five  large  mills,  having  a  floor  space  of  about  31o,000  square  feet  (over 
seven  acres),  equipped  with  all  the  latest  and  most  improved  machinery 
for  the  manufacture  of  cocoa  and  chocolate  in  a  variety  of  forms  and 
by  the  most  improved  methods.  A  large  number  of  workmen  are 
employed,  and  the  total  annual  output  reaches  a  ver}'  high  figure. 

In  a  recent  work  on  the  industries  of  Boston  it  is  pointed  out  as  "  an 
extremely  interesting  fact,  and  one  with  scarcely  a  parallel,  perhaps, 


566  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

in  our  industrial  annals,  that  on  the  very  spot  where,  more  than  a  cent- 
ury and  a  quarter  ago,  the  business  of  chocolate  making  was  first 
begun  in  this  country,  there  has  grown  up  one  of  the  largest  establish, 
ments  of  that  kind  in  the  world — an  establishment  which  competes 
successfully  for  prizes  in  all  .the  great  industrial  exhibitions  in  Europe 
and  America,  whose  influence  is  felt  in  the  great  commercial  centers, 
and  whose  prosperity  promotes  the  welfare  of  men  who  labor  under  a 
tropical  sun  in  the  cultivation  of  one  of  the  choicest  fruits  of  the  earth.'' 


THOMAvS    N.    HART. 

Thomas  Norton  Hart,  son  of  Daniel  and  Margaret  (Norton)  Hart, 
was  born  in  North  Reading,  Mass.,  January  20,  1829.  His  ancestors 
settled  in  Lynnfield,  and  his  mother's  father.  Major  John  Norton  of 
Royalston,  fought  in  the  Revolution.  Mr.  Hart  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  town,  and  when  a  kid  of  thirteen  found  employ- 
ment in  the  dry  goods  store  of  Wheelock,  Pratt  &  Co.,  of  Boston,  and 
two  years  later  in  a  hat  store.  Industrious  and  energetic,  he  made  steady 
progress,  and  in  course  of  time  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Philip 
A.  Locke  &  Co.  In  18G0  Mr.  Hart  assumed  control  and  soon  after  found- 
ed the  well-known  house  of  Hart,  Taylor  &  Co.  A  highly  successful 
business  was  done,  and  in  1879  Mr.  Hart  retired  with  a  competency. 
Soon  after  he  assumed  the  presidency  of  the  Mount  Vernon  National 
Bank,  of  which  he  is  still  the  head. 

Mr.  Hart  is  an  earnest  Republican,  and  for  many  years  has  been  an 
active  factor  in  political  life,  not  only  in  Boston,  but  in  the  vState.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Boston  Common  Council  in  1879,  1880,  and  1881, 
and  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  in  1882,  1885,  and  1886.  In  1889  he  was 
elected  mayor  of  the  city,  and  such  was  the  favor  in  which  his  admin- 
istration was  held  that  he  was  renominated  and  elected  for  another 
term  in  1890  by  32,712  votes,  being  the  largest  vote  ever  received  by  a 
Republican  candidate  for  mayor.  In  1891  Mr.  Hart  was  appointed  by 
President  Harrison  postmaster  of  Boston,  which  position  he  held  until 
his  resignation  upon  the  inauguration  of  the  Democratic  administration. 
His  administration  of  the  duties  of  postmaster  received  the  cordial 
endorsement  of  the  citizens  of  Boston  irrespective  of  party  lines.  A 
man  of  excellent  business  attainments   and  possessing  a  high  order  of 


BIOGRAPHIES.  567 

executive  ability,  he  conducted  the  duties  of  the  office  admirably.  An 
ardent  supporter  of  the  civil  service  laws,  he  loyally  applied  them  dur- 
ing- his  term,  and  at  the  same  time  inaugairated  many  reforms  in  the 
conduct  of  the  office  which  were  conducive  to  a  more  efficient  service. 
Mr.  Hart  is  identified  with  a  number  of  societies  and  org-anizations ;  is 
treasurer  of  the  American  Unitarian  Association,  an  officer  of  the 
Church  of  the  Unity,  and  a  member  of  the  Algonquin,  the  Boston  Art, 
and  the  Hull  Yacht  Clubs.  He  was  married  in  1S50,  in  Boston,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Snow,  of  Bowdoin,  Me.  Thev  have  one  child,  a  daug-hter 
(now  Mrs.  C.  W.  Ernst).  Mr.  Hart's  city  home  is  on  Commonwealth 
Avenue,  and  his  summer  home  at  Galloupe's  Point,  Swampscott. 


CHARLES  W.   GALLOUPE. 

Charles  William  (jAlloupk,  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Annis  (Allen) 
Galloupe,  was  born  in  Beverh',  Mass.,  on  the  5th  of  September,  1825, 
and  married,  April  13,  1848,  Sarah  Aug-usta  Kittredg-e,  eldest  daughter 
of  Dr.  Ing-alls  and  Aug-usta  Kittredge,  a  descendant  of  Roger  Conant. 
He  is  a  direct  descendant  of  the  first  settlers  of  Massachusetts  Bay 
upon  his  father's  and  mother's  side,  and,  what  can  now  rarely  be  said, 
in  his  line  of  descent  no  intermarriages  have  taken  place  with  other 
than  the  descendants  of  the  original  Puritan  emigrants. 

His  paternal  ancestor  was  John  Gallop,  for  whom  the  Island  in  Bos- 
ton Harbor  was  named,  who  came  over  (with  his  four  children:  John, 
Samuel,  Nathaniel  and  Joan)  in  the  ship  Mary  and  John  ^  which  arrived 
at  Natascott  (now  Hull),  the  30th  of  May,  1630. 

His  maternal  ancestor  was  William  Allen,  who  was  born  in  Man- 
chester, England,  in  1602,  and  came  over  with  Roger  Conant  about 
1622  ;  he  accompanied  Conant  to  Cape  Ann  in  1625,  afterwards  to  Salem 
in  the  fall  of  1626,  where  he  remained  until  in  1640,  when  he,  in  com- 
pany w4th  others  from  Salem,  obtained  leave  to  found  a  town  at  "  Jef- 
fries Creek,"  which  they  named  Manchester,  in  honor  of  the  place  from 
which  he  came. 

John  Gallop  is  one  of  the  famous  characters  of  our  early  colonial 
history.  He  was  the  descendant  of  John  Gallop,  who  "came  out  of 
the  North  in  1465,"  and  settled  in  County  Dorset,  England,  where  his 
descendants  still  reside  upon  the  estate  (Strode),  which  is  now,  and  has 
been,  owned  and  occupied  by  the  family  for  more  than  four  centuries. 


508  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Arriving  before  Winthrop,  John  Gallop  settled  for  the  time  being"  at 
Natascott  upon  Gallop's  Hill  (still  known  by  that  name),  and  remained 
with  the  Dorchester  Colony,  occupying  temporarily  the  island  until 
the  arrival  of  the  new  governor,  whom  he  accompanied  to  Boston, 
where  he  settled  permanently.  He  built  a  house  upon  the  "Sea 
bancke, "  now  North  street,  and  in  1G3G  it  was  "ordered  that  John 
Gallop  shall  remove  his  payles  at  his  yard  ende  within  fourteen  days  for 
the  preserving  of  the  way  upon  the  Sea  Bancke,"  and,  at  the  same  date, 
"  a  layne  to  go  up  from  the  water  side,  by  John  Gallop's,  a  pole  breadth 
unto  the  next  great  cross  street;"  (Hanover  street)  was  laid  out,  and 
is  now  called  Richmond  street.  The  whole  point  froin  the  "creek" 
(now  Blackstone  street)  to  the  Chelsea  Ferr}',  was  called  "Gallop's 
Point."  The  location  of  his  house  is  numbered  3-4  upon  the  map  in 
the  Book  of  Possessions,  Boston  Records,  from  1634  to  16(30. 

He  constructed  and  commanded  one  of  the  earliest  built  vessels  on 
record,  which,  in  1632,  was  chartered  by  Governor  Winthrop,  Gallop 
being  in  command,  to  "pursue  and  capture  the  notorious  Pirate,  Dixey 
Bull" 

In  1633  he  brought  into  the  harbor  the  ship  Griffin,  of  which  Win- 
throp, in  his  diary,  says:  "Sept.  4,  1633.  The  Griffin,  a  ship  of  300 
tons,  arrived  (having  been  eight  weeks  from  the  Downs),  this  ship  was 
brought  in  by  John  Gallop  a  new  way  by  Lovell's  Island,  at  low  water, 
now  called  Griffin's  Gap.  She  brought  about  two  hundred  passengers. " 
Gallop's  wife  was  undoubtedly  upon  the  ship,  and,  for  his  skillful  man- 
agement of  this,  one  of  the  largest  vessels  that  had  crossed  the  ocean, 
he  obtained  the  reputation  of  a  pilot,  but  he  was  a  pilot  no  farther  than 
sailing  of  his  own  vessels  in  and  out  of  the  harbor. 

In  1636  he  had  an  encounter  with  the  Indians  in  Narragansett  Bay, 
which  Fenimorc  Cooper,  in  his  "Naval  History  of  the  United  States," 
calls  "the  first  naval  battle  fought  in  America."  An  account  of  the 
fight,  written  for  the  Rev.  Increase  Mather  in  1677,  is  exceedingly 
interesting. 

Charles  W.  Elliott,  in  his  New  England  History,  says,  "there  are 
few  instances  in  bush  or  border  warfare  equal  to  it :  fourteen  men  were 
opposed  to  two,  and  twelve  of  the  fourteen  were  destroyed." 

He  joined  the  church  in  1633,  took  the  freeman's  oath  in  1634,  and 
died  December,  1649;  his  will,  as  well  as  that  of  Crestabel,  his  wife, 
are  among  the  earliest  on  record. 


M: 


'K 


BIOGRAPHIES.  569 

Mr.  Galloupe  was  born  at  a  period  when  the  full  effect  of  the  Puri- 
tanical education  of  the  early  settlers  was  still  uncontaminated  by  out- 
side influences,  and  the  every-day  life  of  the  people  was  the  same  as 
that  of  their  ancestors  who  lived  two  hundred  years  before  them. 
Marrying-  and  intermarrying-  only  among  themselves,  the  community 
was  simply  an  ever-enlarging  family,  through  which,  down  succeeding 
generations,  was  transmitted  the  religious  belief  and  the  Puritan  habits, 
manners  and  customs  of  all  who  had  gone  before.  Rising  with  the 
sun,  and  devoting  themselves  to  their  daily  tasks  during  the  whole  of 
the  week,  without  recreation  or  the  thought  of  light  enjoyment  and 
trivial  pleasvires,  when  vSaturday  night  came,  it  was  the  beginning  of  a 
restful  Sunday,  which  was  given  up  to  the  worship  of  God,  without  a 
thought  of  the  burden  of  cares  and  anxieties  which  they  had  borne  dur- 
ing the  week.  At  6  o'clock  on  Saturday  night,  the  children  left  their 
simple  plays  and  sturdily  studied  the  lessons  for  the  Sabbath-school  imtil 
the  ringing  of  the  9  o'clock  bell,  which  sent  them  to  their  beds,  to  be 
awakened  at  early  dawn  for  their  weekly  baths  and  the  donning  of  the 
"  vSunday  clothes  "  in  preparation  for  the  proper  observance  of  the  Holy 
V>2iX.  At  an  early  hour,  the  frugal  breakfast  of  brownbread  and  beans 
was  taken  from  the  brick  oven  where  it  had  been  placed  the  day  before 
(no  cooking  being  permitted  on  Sunday),  and,  after  a  blessing  had  been 
asked,  and  each  had  partaken  of  the  meal,  the  table  was  cleared,  and 
the  family,  gathering  again  aroimd  it,  joined  unitedly  in  the  reading  of 
Scripture  and  a  lengthy  prayer,  all  standing,  as  kneeling  savored  too 
much  of  the  Episcopal  form  of  worship. 

After  morning  prayers,  the  family  filed  in  solemn  procession  to  the 
"meeting-house,"  to  listen  to  the  singing  and  praying  and  a  sermon 
from  an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half  in  duration,  which  constituted  the 
services  of  the  morning.  After  a  cold  dinner  (the  continuation  of  the 
breakfast),  the  same  routine  was  repeated  in  the  afternoon,  with  an 
additional  hour  and  a  half  for  SundaA'-school. 

In  the  evening,  the  reading  of  religious  books  was  permitted ;  and 
every  one  awoke  on  Monday  morning,  commencing  the  new  week  with 
a  feeling  of  relief  that  the  Sunday  was  over,  with  all  its  obligations 
fulfilled. 

The  "  district  "  or  public  school  afforded  the  principal  means  of  edu- 
cation, and,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  the  school-boy  was  called  upon  to 
bear  his  share  of  the  burden  of  life,  by  apprenticeship  until  twenty-one 


570  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

years  of  age  for  the  learning  of  a  trade,  or  whatever  better  means 
might  be  presented  for  gaining  a  livelihood. 

This  was  not  only  the  boyhood  life  of  Mr.  Galloupe,  but  that  of  other 
boys  of  his  age. 

Beverly,  in  1825,  was  built  almost  entirely  upon  one  street,  then 
called  the  Main  Road  (afterwards  Cabot  street),  and  contained  about 
two  thousand  inhabitants.  As  Salem  at  that  time  was  in  a  full  success 
and  monopoly  of  its  India  business,  the  better  class  of  the  Beverly 
people^  almost  without  exception,  were  either  captains  of  vessels  in  the 
India  trade  or  their  connections  or  descendants.  In  the  summer  season 
almost  all  of  the  male  population  not  connected  with  the  India  mer- 
cantile business  in  Salem  were  engaged  in  the  fishing  business,  and 
obtained  their  livelihood  by  spending  their  summers  in  fishing  for  cod 
on  the  banks  of  Newfoundland. 

Having  passed  through  the  different  stages  of  education  afforded 
boys  of  his  position,  that  is,  having  attended  the  preliminary  or  "mis- 
tress" school,  the  "district"  or  "master's"  school  and  a  course  at  the 
"academy,"  the  education  of  Mr.  Galloupe  was  considered  as  finished, 
and  he  was  supposed  to  be  amply  fitted  for  the  battle  of  life,  which  he 
commenced  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  by  entering  the  "  dry-goods  "  store  of 
Mr.  Elbridge  Fisk,  on  Cabot  street,  in  Beverly,  as  a  clerk.  Here  he 
remained  about  two  years,  but  finding  his  native  town  too  limited  a 
field  for  any  one  desirous  of  making  his  way  in  the  world,  after  procur- 
ing letters  of  recommendation  from  the  "minister"  and  the  "select- 
men "  of  the  town,  he  left  Beverly,  and  obtaining  a  situation  in  Boston 
as  a  salesman  with  Messrs.  Carney  &  Sleeper  (then  at  No.  40  Ann,  now 
North  street,  opposite  Merchants'  Row),  he  commenced  his  independ- 
ent and  self -relying  life. 

Boston,  at  that  early  date,  was  so  unlike  our  present  city,  that  a  de- 
scription of  it  from  one  whose  continued  experience  covered  an  un- 
broken period  of  fifty  years  of  active  life  in  its  midst,  is  well  worthy  of 
being  preserved. 

The  Boston  of  half  a  century  ago  (1843)  was  an  entirely  different  city 
in  area  (its  greatest  length  from  north  to  south  was  two  and  three  quar- 
ters miles;  width,  east  to  west,  one  and  one-eighth  miles),  manners 
and  customs,  as  well  as  population  (it  contains  102,000  inhabitants), 
from  the  city  of  to-day. 

Business  was  conducted  in  a  quiet  and  dignified  manner,  and  the 
hustling  method  of   to-day  was  not  only  unknown,  but  undreamed  of. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  571 

Merchants  were  in  their  counting  rooms  as  early  or  earlier  than  nine 
o'clock,  occupying-  themselves  busily  until  two,  when,  dining  at  their 
own  houses,  they  returned  in  the  afternoon  to  see  that  the  business 
of  the  day  was  properly  completed,  and  spent  their  evenings  in  social 
entertainments ;  but  little  ostentation  was  displayed  and  comparatively 
few  private  carriages  were  kept. 

The  system  of  "drumming"  for  business,  which  prevails  so  exten- 
sively throughout  our  country  at  present,  was  unknown  and  unthought 
of.  Buyers  from  a  distance  (the  West  and  South)  came  regularly  to 
market  twice  (spring  and  fall)  in  each  year,  and  purchased,  after  per- 
sonal examination,  what  merchandise  they  required,  while  buyers 
nearer  home  (New  England)  came  to  town  as  they  needed  goods,  per- 
haps once  a  week  or  oftener,  and  selected  their  goods  themselves.  The 
ordinary  term  of  credit  for  those  who  purchased  for  the  retail  trade 
was  six  months,  with  a  discount  of  four  per  cent,  oif  for  cash  in  thirty 
days,  and  for  those  who  "jobbed  "  (or  sold  at  wholesale),  eight  months, 
and  often  a  special  inducement  of  twelve  months  with  interest  at  six 
per  cent,  after  eight  months,  was  conceded. 

Central  and  Kilby  streets  (extending  to  Milk  street)  were  the  head- 
quarters of  the  dry  goods  jobbing  trade,  and  the  principal  dry  goods 
commission  business  was  done  in  ]\Iilk  street,  below  Atkinson  (Con- 
gress) street. 

The  upper  part  of  Milk  street,  with  Morton  Place  (now  Arch  street) 
and  Sewall  Place,  was  occupied  principally  by  dwelling  houses.  At 
the  corner  of  Devonshire  and  Milk  streets  was  a  fine  old  colonial  man- 
sion, which  had  found  its  fate  in  becoming  a  hotel  or  tavern,  called  the 
"  Stackpole  House,"  which  was  famous  for  its  soups  and  Welsh  rare- 
bit. It  is  said  that  Julian,  for  whom  the  famous  soup  was  named,  was 
once  the  cook  or  "  chef  "  of  the  house. 

In  Devonshire  street,  directly  opposite  the  front  entrance  of  the  post- 
office,  was  the  extensive  blacksmithing  establishment  of  ' '  Dea.  Saf- 
ford,"  and  the  neighborhood  resoimded  with  the  ringing  of  the  sturdy 
blows  upon  the  anvil. 

Opposite  Devonshire  street,  leading  from  Milk  street  to  Franklin 
street,  was  a  passageway  called  Theatre  alley,  some  five  or  six  feet  in 
width,  well  known  to  all  good  citizens  as  containing  "  Mother  Dun- 
lap's  "  store,  whose  famous  snuff  was  in  the  pockets  of  many  of  her 
merchant  neighbors. 


572  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Under  the  administration  of  Mayor  Rice,  Theatre  alley  was  ol^liter- 
ated  by  the  extension  of  Devonshire  street. 

Opposite  Theatre  alley,  upon  the  other  side  of  Franklin  street,  ad- 
joining- the  Catholic  cathedral,  was  an  opening,  protected  by  stone 
posts,  so  arranged  as  to  admit  of  the  passage  of  individuals,  but  not 
carriages,  into  Winthrop  and  Otis  Places,  both  of  which,  leading  from 
Summer  street,  connected  with,  and  were  entered  from  the  passage- 
way from  Franklin  street.  It  was  an  exceedingly  genteel  neighbor- 
hood, and  the  Winthrops,  Hunnewells,  Daniel  Webster,  Rufus  Choate, 
Edward  Everett  and  other  distinguished  citizens  dwelt  in  either  one  of 
the  two  places,  or  their  immediate  vicinity. 

At  the  junction  (or  connection)  of  the  two  places,  opposite  the  open- 
ing for  foot  passengers,  was  the  stately  granite  mansion  of  "  Madame  " 
Blake,  with  areas  upon  the  sides  and  front,  and  entered  through  an  im- 
posing columned  portal,  guarded  by  tw^o  life-size  statues  of  lions 
in  metal. 

Franklin  street,  from  Hawdey  street  to  Theatre  alley,  formed  a  cres- 
cent, in  the  center  of  which  was  a  \vell  kept  lawm,  surrounded  b)^  an 
ornamental  iron  fence,  and  the  brick  houses  (painted  white)  were  set 
back  far  enough  from  the  sidewalk  to  form  a  very  pretty  lawn  or  flower 
garden  in  front  of  each.  These  areas  were  protected  by  iron  fences 
similar  to  that  around  the  center,  and  the  houses  were  entered  through 
iron  arches  of  ornamental  design.  It  was  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
streets  in  Boston,  and  w^as  the  home  of  the  Perkinses,  Wigglesworths 
and  other  prominent  families.  John  vSimmons,  by  erecting  two  granite 
warehouses  upon  lots  near  Arch  street,  purchased  by  him  at  auction, 
wrecked  the  street  for  residential  purposes,  and  brought  it  into  a  new 
life  as  a  business  street. 

The  wholesale  clothing  business  was  done  in  Ann  street,  and  that 
portion  from  Union  street  to  North  Square,  as  well  as  a  part  of  Black- 
stone  street,  was  filled  wdth  both  wholesale  and  retail  stores. 

Fulton  street  and  a  portion  of  Blackstone  street  was  filled  with  leather 
stores,  and  Merchants'  Row,  next  to  Ann  street,  contained  many  w^hole- 
sale  and  retail  boot  and  shoe  stores.  The  crockeryw^are  business  w^as 
largely  done  in  South  Market  street  and  the  southern  end  of  Merchants' 
Row.  The  principal  wholesale  liquor  firms  were  located  at  the  foot  of 
State  street,  w^hile  the  upper  part,  then  as  now,  w^as  filled  with  mer- 
chants' offices,  insurance  offices  and  financial  institutions.  The  "  Mer- 
chants  Exchange,"  a  fine  granite  building,  occupied  the  site  of  the 


BIOGRAPHIES.  573 

present  "Exchange  Building',"  and  all  days  of  the  week,  from  one  to 
two  o'clock,  was  crowded  with  merchants  from  all  parts  of  the  city, 
who  inet  to  discuss  business  affairs  and  negotiate  with  each  other  for 
the  exchange  of  such  commodities  as  they  desired  to  dispose  of.  The 
interior  of  the  building  contained  a  fine  reading  room,  well  supplied 
with  papers  from  all  quarters  of  the  world.  The  usual  place  of  meet- 
ing was  in  the  street,  which  W' as  crowded  from  sidewalk  to  sidewalk ; 
in  rainy  or  inclement  weather  the  reading  room  was  made  use  of.  No 
merchant  of  good  standing  ever  failed,  if  within  his  power  to  be  present, 
to  daily  meet  his  fellow  merchants  "on  change." 

Washington  street  from  Dock  square  to  Winter  street  was  filled  with 
retail  stores  of  various  kinds,  and  the  inauguration  of  the  present  sys- 
tem of  large  and  monopolizing  dry  goods  stores,  w^as,  by  a  new  depart- 
ure, instituted  by  George  W.  Warren,  upon  the  premises  (the  store  was 
burned  in  the  great  fire)  now  occupied  by  Macullar,  Williains  &  Com- 
pany's clothing  store.  No.  -100  Washington  street.  The  store  was  of 
granite,  two  stories  in  height,  and  covered  about  one-half  of  the  area  of 
the  present  building. 

An  old,  gable-roofed  wooden  building,  with  projecting  stories,  cov- 
ered the  lot  at  the  corner  of  Winter  and  Washington  streets,  and  was 
occupied  by  Clark  &  Plympton,  who  sold  laces  and  ladies'  trimmings. 
Both  Winter  and  Summer  street,  particularly  the  latter,  were  filled 
with  genteel  residences,  as  were  Franklin,  Winthrop  and  Otis  Places, 
Federal,  High  and  Pearl  streets. 

The  grocery  business  was  done  principally  in  Commercial  street  and 
around  the  wharves,  what  is  now  Atlantic  avenue  being  covered  with 
water.  "Wilde's  Tavern,"  situated  in  Elm  street  (absorbed  by  the  ex- 
tension of  Washington  street)  was  the  starting  point  of  many  lines  of 
stage-coaches  to  the  surrounding  towns. 

Watchmen  patrolled  the  streets  at  night,  wrapped  from  head  to  heels 
in  long  caped  coats,  carrying  a  rattle  of  a  half  a  mile  power,  w^arranted 
to  awaken  every  sleeper  within  that  distance.  Upon  an  alarm  of  fire, 
which  was  given  by  the  ringing  and  clanging  of  bells,  the  wakeful 
watchman,  w^hile  on  his  beat,  w^ould  stop  at  the  corner  of  the  street, 
and,  shouting  with  all  his  might:  "  Fire!  fire!  fire,  at  the  South  end  " 
(or  w^herever  it  may  have  been),  would  spring  his  deafening  rattle  and 
trudge  on  to  the  next  corner,  where  he  would  repeat  the  ceremony. 
No  one  in  Boston  at  that  time  needed  the  early  edition  of  the  morning 
paper  to  learn  where  the  fire  was.      It  was  the  custom  of  the  watchman 


574  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

to  proclaim  the  hour  of  nis^-ht  and  the  state  of  the  weather,  by  striking- 
three  times  upon  the  pavement  with  his  staff,  and  shouting  "one 
o'clock,  (or  whatever  hour  it  might  have  been),  a  fair  night  and  all  is 
well."  His  voice  was  seldom  heard  on  rainy  nights,  as  it  would  have 
awakened  the  families  under  whose  porch  he  was  comfortably  ensconced. 

The  fire  department  was  served  by  volunteer  firemen,  who  received 
no  compensation,  the  glory  of  being  a  firenian  being  a  sufficient  remu- 
neration. 

Hand  (or  "  tub  ")  engines  only  were  in  use,  which  were  pumped  by 
levers  worked  from  each  side  of  the  machine,  by  the  combined  efforts 
of  all  the  company. 

To  each  engine  was  attached  a  rope,  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in 
diameter  and  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  and,  upon  the  sound- 
ing of  an  alarm,  a  rush  was  made  for  the  engine-house,  and  seizing  the 
rope,  the  firemen  tore  like  madmen,  shouting  and  yelling  through  the 
streets,  to  the  place  of  the  fire.  The  engine  first  reaching  the  burning- 
building  obtained  the  place  of  honor,  and  the  rivalry  between  the  com- 
panies was  intense  and  dangerous,  often  leading  to  bitter  fights. 

The  head  of  the  line  was  taken  by  the  foreman  of  the  company,  and 
his  place  at  a  fire  was  at  the  "  butt,"'  or  holding  the  nozzle.  The  fire 
company  was  a  terror  to  all  quiet  citizens,  and  the  change  from  a  volun- 
teer to  a  i^aid  fire  department  was  welcomed  as  a  blessing. 

The  transportation  of  merchandise  through  the  streets  from  point  to 
point  was  all  accomplished  by  "trucks."  This  freight  carrier  was  a 
Boston  institution,  known  in  practice  nowhere  else.  It  was  composed 
of  two  long  planks,  placed  side  by  side,  four  inches  in  thickness,  about 
one  foot  in  width  and  some  twenty  feet  in  length,  with  a  space  between 
them  into  which  the  horse  was  harnessed,  the  ends  of  the  timbers 
forming  the  shafts;  the  whole  resembling  a  huge  pair  of  "  skids,"  bal- 
anced and  resting  upon  the  axletree  of  a  very  small  but  -very  heavy 
pair  of  wheels.  The  whole  formed  a  long  and  solid  platform  upon  two 
wheels,  which  could  be  packed  to  any  height  rec^uired,  with  the  heaviest 
merchandise.  As  the  axle,  the  pivot  of  the  platform,  was  much  lower 
than  the  horse,  it  was  necessary  to  lift  the  shafts  in  order  to  harness, 
and,  consequently,  the  rear  end  was  brought  within  a  foot  of  the 
ground;  this  facilitated  the  loading,  and  for  those  who  used  it  the 
"  truck  "  was  a  very  convenient  vehicle;  but  woe  to  the  passers-by  if 
they  were  not  upon  the  lookout  when  one  of  them  was  "in  action  "  in 
their  vicinity.      When  heavily  loaded,  three  or  sometimes   four  horses 


BIOGRAPHIES.  575 

were  used,  o^ivins^-  a  total  length  of  some  fifty  feet  to  the  monstrous 
team.  Those  who  never  have  seen  them,  may  form  some  idea  of  what 
they  were,  by  imagining  a  team  of  three  heav}^  truck  horses  hitched  in 
tandem  to  an  enormous  platform  composed  of  two  heavy  planks,  the 
rear  of  which,  prong  like,  projected  some  ten  or  fifteen  feet  beyond  the 
wheels,  and,  in  turning,  described  a  circle  of  thirty  feet  in  diameter, 
within  which,  if  one  was  caught,  the  only  means  of  safety  from  broken 
limbs,  was,  in  being  able  to  clear  the  whole  with  a  jump,  or  by  a  leap 
upon  the  monster  itself. 

The  truck  so  monopolized  the  streets  that  it  was  finally  abolished  by 
city  ordinance. 

The  truckmen,  a  lusty  set  of  fellows,  with  an  esprit  dc  corps  equal  to 
that  of  Harvard  collegians,  appeared  in  procession  upon  all  "proces- 
sional "  days,  and  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention  and  favorable 
comment  by  their  neat  appearance  (in  white  linen  short  frocks)  and 
good  bearing. 

Another  obsolete  "institution,"  secondary  and  auxiliary  to  the  truck- 
men, were  the  "hand-carters,"  who  had  their  stands  inmost  of  the 
streets,  and  were  as  plentiful  as  "banana"  men  now  are  in  Boston. 
As  the  truck  was  adapted  to  the  transportation  of  heavy  merchandise 
only,  all  of  the  "bundle"  business  (there  were  but  few  expresses  at 
that  time)  was  done  by  the  hand-carters,  who  were  as  useful  in  their 
way  as  the  truckmen  in  theirs. 

The  "Miller  Tabernacle, "  a  wooden  structure  one  story  in  height, 
was  located  upon  the  site  of  the  present  Howard  Atheneum  in  How- 
ard street,  and  after  the  failure  of  the  programme  for  the  ascension  of 
the  saints,  was  sold  for  theatrical  performances.  Anna  Cora  Mowatt, 
supported  by  W.  H.  Crisp,  the  father  of  the  present  speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  at  Washington,  appeared  in  one  of  the  earliest 
engagements.  This  building  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  in  its  place 
was  erected  a  fine  granite  building,  which  became  the  "swell  "  theatre 
of  the  town.  Previous  to  this  the  National  Theatre  on  Portland  street 
(where  Coleman's  Horse  Mart  now  stands)  was  the  cjnly  theatre  of  any 
importance  in  the  town  in  successful  operation.  The  internal  arrange- 
ment of  the  theatre  was  a  typical  one  of  the  old  style,  and  the  last 
of  its  kind  in  Boston.  What  is  now  the  orchestra  was  called  the  "  pit," 
and  was  considered  (next  to  the  gallery)  the  poorest  part  of  the  house. 
It  was  entered  by  a  narrow  dark  alley-way  under  the  "  boxes  "  or  fam- 
ily  circle,    and  was  furnished    with   narrow    and   very    uncomfortable 


576  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

wooden  benches.  Next  above,  and  in  the  rear  of  the  pit,  was  the 
genteel  (and  only  respectable)  part  of  the  house;  it  was  called  the 
"  boxes  "  and  corresponded  to  oiir  orchestra  circle.  The  "  third  tier" 
was  next  above  the  boxes,  and  was  frequented  by  persons  of  both  sexes 
of  the  lowest  character  only,  no  person  of  respectability  ever  caring  to 
risk  his  reputation  by  being  seen  there.  In  the  midst,  and  open  to  all 
comers,  was  an  immense  open  bar,  filled  with  liquors  of  all  kinds,  which 
were  rapidly  dispensed  by  three  or  four  active  bar-tenders,-  who  found 
atnple  employment  in  supplying  the  numberless  and  continual  calls  which 
were  pressed  upon  them  from  all  sides  during  the  whole  of  the  per- 
formance, which  usually  consisted  of  three,  never  less  than  two,  pieces, 
and  the  theatre  remained  open,  usually,  until  about  midnight.  Al- 
though wines  were  always  kept  at  the  bar,  the  traffic  was  almost 
wholly  in  lic[uors ;  the  price  of  a  drink  Avas  four  cents,  and  the  drinker 
was  allowed  to  take  from  the  bottle  as  much  as  he  pleased.  The  gal- 
lery was  above  the  "third  tier,"  and  was  patronized  only  by  ragged 
urchins  and  negroes.  The  prices  of  admission  were,  fifty  cents  for  the 
boxes,  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents  (two  and  thrippence)  for  the  third 
tier,  twenty-five  cents  for  the  "  pit,"  and  twelve  and  a  half  cents  for  the 
gallery.  There  were  no  reserved  seats.  Macready,  the  great  tragedian, 
when  in  this  country,  played  at  this  theatre. 

The  area  of  Boston  occupied  for  business  purposes  was  exceedingly 
small,  the  whole  of  the  business  portion  being  east  of  Tremont  street 
and  north  of  Milk  street.  Beacon  street  and  "  Colonade  Row  "  (Tre- 
mont street,  facing  the  Common)  constituted  the  court  end  of  the  town. 
Next  in  social  grade  came  Franklin,  Summer  and  Pearl  streets,  while 
High  and  Federal,  and  other  streets  in  the  vicinity,  followed  them. 

Beacon  street  was,  par  excellence,  the  one  and  great  aristocratic 
street  of  Boston,  the  crcmc  dc  la  crciiic,  but  the  sacred  precinct  extended 
to  Charles  street  only,  and  a  resident  beyond  may  as  well  have  been  in 
Roxbury.  An  innovation  was  attempted  in  building  the  granite  block 
of  dwelling  houses  beyond  Charles  street,  but  the  houses  remained 
vacant,  and  an  offer  of  ten  thousand  dollars  not  being  obtainable,  they 
were  for  a  time  used  for  storage  purposes,  two  of  them,  at  least,  being 
filled  with  bags  of  wool.  The  John  Hancock  residence  was  still  in  its 
prime,  and  was,  by  far,  the  most  princely  residence  in  town.  The  last 
houses  to  be  built  on  the  upper  or  old  part  of  Beacon  street  were 
erected,  somewhere  about  the  fifties,  by  Daniel  Denny  and  vSeth  W. 
Fowle,  between  Somerset  street  and  Freeman  Place,  and  in  order  to 


BIOGRAPHIES.  577 

give  them  the  proper  space,  it  was  necessary  to  excavate  and  remove 
the  residue  of  Beacon  Hill,  a  mound  of  gravel  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  in  height,  upon  the  rear  of  the  lot. 

The  parade  ground,  at  the  western  extremity  of  the  Common,  adjoin- 
ing Charles  Street,  was  an  unsightly  swamp,  which  could  not  be  crossed 
without  miring  to  the  knees. 

What  is  now  the  Public  Garden  was  a  salt  marsh,  through  which  a 
creek  ran  to  Charles  street,  which  was  made  the  depository  of  all  the 
rubbish  of  the  vicinity.  "  Bramin's  Baths  "  were  situated  on  the  other 
side  of  Charles  street,  and  were  most  popular.  From  6  to  9  o'clock 
during  the  summer  months  the  baths  were  frequented  and  crowded  by 
old  and  young,  who  frolicked  away  the  sultry  evenings  they  were 
obliged  to  pass  in  town.  From  Charles  street  to  Sewall's  Point  in 
Brookline  (now  the  junction  of  Commonwealth  and  Brookline  avenues 
and  Beacon  street)  was  an  unbroken  sheet  of  water,  intersected  by  the 
Great  or  Mill  Dam,  a  narrow  causeway,  fifty  feet  in  width,  built  of 
stone,  across  the  "Great  Bay"  (one  and  a  half  miles  in  length),  and 
a  spur  called  the  "  Short  Dam,"  now  forming  Parker  street,  leading  to 
Roxbury. 

From  the  foot  of  Beacon  street  a  toll  house  was  situated  near  what  is 
now  Berkeley  street,  and  a  swinging  bar  across  the  road  prevented  the 
passing  of  carriages  until  they  had  paid  the  prescribed  toll.  ^  The  great 
sheet  of  water  extended  to  the  "  Tremont  Road  "  (now  Tremont  street), 
which  was  a  narrow  roadway  across  the  water  to  Roxbury,  hardh^  wide 
enough  to  admit  the  passing  of  carriages  going  in  opposite  directions. 
The  bed  of  the  road  was  made  up  mostly  of  rubbish  and  "topped  off  " 
with  oyster  shells  and  gravel.  It  was  but  little  used  by  others  than 
marketmen,  who,  in  order  to  be  at  market  early  (before  daylight), 
"put  up"  their  teams  and  passed  the  night  at  a  small  tavern  (with  a 
swinging  sign)  situated  on  Tremont  road,  beyond  the  crossing  of  the 
Boston  and  Albany  Railroad.  The  regular  travel  was  over  the  "Neck  " 
(Washington  street)  to  Roxbury.  When  Dover  street  was  built  it  was 
considered  so  far  out  of  town  that  the  houses  would  never  be  occupied. 
As  late  as  1856  there  were  but  nine  houses  on  Chester  Scpiare,  two 
upon  the  northern  side  and  seven  upon  the  southern,  and  from  the 
latter  a  good  view  of  the  Common  was  obtained,  and  not  a  building  of 
any  kind  interfering  w4th  the  view  on  the  west  to  Brighton  and  over 
Charles  River  to  Cambridge. 

73 


578  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

Boston  fifty  years  ago  controlled  the  cotton  and  woolen  manufactories 
of  the  country,  establishing  branch  agencies  in  New  York  and  the 
larger  cities,  while  the  headquarters  remained  at  Boston.  The  people 
were  enterprising  and  sagacious,  never  allowing  the  influence  of  the 
pocket  to  overweigh  good  judgment.  Such  an  undertaking  as  cut- 
ting a  channel  eight  or  nine  miles  in  length,  sufficiently  wide  to 
permit  the  passing  of  an  ocean,  steamer  through  ice  thick  enough 
to  bear  heavily  loaded  teams  upon  its  surface,  in  order  to  afford 
the  passage  of  a  steamer  to  open  water  upon  her  appointed  day 
of  sailing,  merely  that  it  should  not  be  said  that  Boston  had  not  a 
good  winter  harbor,  was  a  feat  that  has  not  been  and  will  not  be  par- 
alleled in  this  or  any  other  country.  It  was  a  formidable  undertak- 
ing, but  it  was  promptly  and  expeditiously  executed.  The  spectacle 
of  an  ocean  steamer  making  her  way  through  the  ice,  the  passage  on 
both  sides  lined  with  thousands  of  people  within  a  dozen  feet  of  her 
hull,  hurrahing  themselves  hoarse  and  cheering  vociferous  good-byes 
to  the  company  on  their  way  across  the  ocean,  was  a  sight  for  a  life- 
time. 

The  principal  hotel  in  Boston  was  the  Tremont  House,  on  Tremont 
street,  which  was  patronized  by  the  best  people,  both  as  sojourners  and 
permanent  guests.  Daniel  Webster  and  many  other  notables  made  it 
their  headquarters  when  temporarily  in  town.  The  Marlborough  Ho- 
tel on  Washington  street,  opposite  Franklin  street,  was  the  transient 
home  of  a  most  serious  class  of  people,  who  were  drawn  to  it  from  the 
fact  that  morning  and  evening  services  were  daily  held  in  the  parlor, 
and  a  blessing  was  asked  at  each  meal  at  the  public  tables  in  the  din- 
ing room.  vSome  of  the  stages  running  to  the  towns  in  the  vicinity 
made  this  hotel  their  terminus.  No  drinking  or  smoking  was  per- 
mitted, and  the  hotel  was  called  by  irreligious  people  "The  Saints' 
Rest."  The  New  England  House,  at  the  corner  of  Clinton  and  Black- 
stone  streets,  was  well  kept  by  Paran  wStevens,  who,  when  the  Revere 
House  Company  was  organized,  was  called  to  the  charge  of  their  hotel. 
He  soon  included  within  his  care,  upon  his  own  account,  the  Tremont 
House,  and  afterwards  the  Fifth  Avenue  and  other  hotels  in  New  York. 
He  died  a  millionaire. 

Harvey  D.  Parker,  another  noted  hotel  landlord,  at  that  time  kept  in 
a  cellar  (well  below  the  sidewalk)  at  the  corner  of  Court  street  and 
Court  Square  (now  covered  by  Young's  Hotel),  where  he  served  his 
patrons  as  well  and  liberally  as  do  his  successors  at  the  Parker  House, 


BIOGRAPHIES.  579 

but  not  at  the  same  prices.  Parker  took  "  diners  "  by  the  week,  giv- 
ing them  the  restaurant's  bill  of  fare  to  select  from,  and  the  price  per 
week  was  three  dollars,  or  fifty  cents  per  dinner,  allowance  being  made 
for  absences.  No  limit  was  made  to  the  number  of  courses,  the  guest 
having  full  latitude  to  select  the  dishes  to  his  taste.  The  Bromfield 
House,  in  Bromfield  street,  was  another  hostelry  famous  for  its  good 
table,  and  was  most  liberally  patronized  by  the  down  town  merchants 
and  clerks  as  a  dining  place.  Dinner  tickets,  good  until  used,  were 
sold  at  five  dollars  per  dozen,  and  very  often  when  one  of  the  holders 
of  a  ticket  required  the  price  of  it  for  other  purposes,  he  found  the 
ticket  as  good  or  a  better  circulating  medium  than  we  find  silver  at  the 
present  day.  George  Young  was  then  head  waiter  at  "Fenno's, " 
which  ultimately  fell  into  his  hands,  and  became  the  famous  ' '  Young's 
Hotel,"  so  universally  well  known  throughout  this  and  other  civilized 
countries.  George  served  his  friends  iipon  Saturday  evenings  with  a 
splendid  bird  supper  of  many  courses  of  game,  for,  exclusive  of  wine, 
one  dollar  each  plate. 

Small  places  for  the  delectation  of  patrons  where  specialties  were 
dispensed,  were  much  more  in  vogue  then  than  at  the  present  time. 

"General  "  Bates,  an  Englishman,  full  six  feet  in  height,  who  owed 
his  title  to  his  magnificent  physique,  kept  "  The  Shades,"  and  filled  his 
rooms  on  Washington  street,  next  north  of  the  Rogers  Building,  with 
delighted  partakers  of  Welsh  rarebits,  poached  eggs  and  "  Croton  "  ale. 
Nothing  else  could  be  had  and  nothing  else  was  wanted. 

The  "Alhambra, "  on  Washington  street,  opposite  Bromfield  street 
(where  the  store  of  Weeks  &  Potter  now  stands),  furnished  for  forty 
cents  the  most  luscious  and  juicy  beefsteak  and  the  lightest,  most  crispy 
and  delicate  fried  potatoes  to  be  imagined. 

Campbell,  on  North  Market  street,  made  a  specialty  of  a  fine  sirloin 
steak,  for  twenty-five  cents. 

Higgins,  in  Court  street,  made  better  stews  than  any  one  else  in  Bos- 
ton. 

It  was  the  custom  to  keep  all  retail  stores  open  until  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  and  on  Saturday  until  eleven  o'clock,  and  itinerant  venders 
of  eatables  found  quite  a  sale  among  the  clerks  for  their  wares.  Hot 
corn  was  sold,  principally  by  negroes,  with  the  cry,  "Hot  Com,  hot 
corn,  t\vo  cents  a  ear,"  and  an  ear  of  steaming  hot  corn,  with  a  small 
package  of  salt,  was  ftirnished  to  each  purchaser  for  the  two  cents. 


580  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Oysters  were  cried  in  the  evening",  and  the  nielanchcjly  sound  of 
"  Oy-ez,  oy-ez, "  was  heard  in  many  streets. 

Wheelbarrows  of  hot  smoking  lobsters  filled  the  air  with  fragrance, 
as  the  lobster  seller  plodded  his  way,  crying,  "Lob;  lob;  buy  a  lob. " 
The  usual  price  was  three  cents  a  pound. 

East  Boston  was  a  hilly  pasture,  with  wooden  hou.ses  scattered  here 
and  there,  filled  with  Irish.  Daniel  Crowley,  a  bustling  little  Irish 
contractor,  with  his  dump  carts,  was  king  of  the  place.  It  is  related 
that  his  wife,  belated  at  the  ferry,  finding  the  boat  several  feet  from 
the  drop,  shouted  as  she  rushed  down  the  gangway,  "  vStop  the  boat, 
stop  the  boat;  I  am  Dan  Crowley's  wife." 

Nearly  the  whole  island  was  bonded  to  Daniel  D.  Brodhcad,  Charles 
A.  White  and  others  of  a  "  syndicate, "  for  seventy  thousand  dollars, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  forfeit  the  bond,  as  there  were  no  buyers  for 
the  property. 

South  Boston  looked  down  upon  the  harbor  in  almost  as  sullen  and 
repulsive  a  condition  as  when  the  soldiers  of  Washington's  army  showed 
themselves  at  the  summit  (Dorchester  Heights)  to  the  astonished  Eng- 
lish army  occupying  Boston.  A  few  houses,  surmounted  by  the  Blind 
Asylum,  were  scattered  here  and  there,  but  the  larger  part  of  it  was  an 
uncultivated  and  barren  hill. 

The  firm  of  Carney  &  Sleeper  was  one  of  the  wealthiest,  most  suc- 
cessful and  prominent  of  the  wholesale  clothiers  of  Boston,  well  known 
for  their  sterling  integrity  and  great  enterprise.  In  addition  to  a  most 
extensive  wholesale  business  with  all  sections  of  the  country,  they 
were,  and  had  been  for  many  years,  contractors  with  the  United  States 
government  for  supplying  the  navy  with  clothing.  With  a  determina- 
tion of  purpose  not  easily  swerved,  Mr.  Galloupe  applied  himself  so 
closely  to  the  business,  that  he  soon  gained  the  approbation  and  good 
will  of  both  Mr.  Carney  and  Mr.  Sleeper,  which  they  demonstrated  in 
a  most  complimentary  and  practical  manner. 

After  a  clerkship  with  the  firm  of  slightly  more  than  two  years, 
Messrs.  Carney  &  Sleeper,  being  desirous  of  relieving  themselves  from 
the  cares  of  business,  selected  Joseph  J.  Whiting,  M.  Kehoe,  jr.,  and 
Charles  W.  Galloupe,  to  whom,  as  equal  partners  (Mr.  Galloupe  being- 
then  but  twenty  years  of  age  and  consequently  a  minor),  they  entrusted 
the  business,  making  thein  their  successors  by  forming  a  special  co- 
partnership of  five  years  (from  January  1,  1846),  contributing  an 
abundant  amount  of  capital  for  the  continuation  of  the  business. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  581 

This  special  partnership  existed  until  its  termination  by  limitation  in 
1851,  and  upon  its  dissolution,  a  new  firm,  under  the  name  of  Whiting-, 
Kehoe  &  Galloupe  was  formed. 

With  the  rapid  increase  of  the  business  of  Boston  came  a  correspond- 
ing change  in  and  extension  of,  the  locality  in  which  the  business  was 
carried  on,  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  the  old  location  in  North  street 
must  be  vacated  by  the  firm  for  a  more  desirable  one,  in  a  better  neigh- 
borhood, and  in  185G  they  removed  to  a  new  granite  building  (com- 
pleted for  them  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Adams)  in  Federal  street,  near 
Milk  street,  which  had  become  the  center  of  the  dry  goods  jobbing 
and  commission  business.  Here  a  very  successful  business  was  done 
until  the  expiration  of  the  partnership  in  1850,  when,  Mr.  Kehoe 
withdrawing,  Joseph  W.  Bliss,  Albert  T.  Whiting,  Otis  H.  Pierce  and 
James  McKenna  were  added  to  the  concern,  and  the  business  contin- 
ued imder  the  firm  of  Whiting,  Galloupe,  Bliss  *!<:  Co.  This  firm  re- 
mained in  Federal  street  until  another  change  of  locality  was  deemed 
best,  when  the}'  removed  to  Franklin  street,  occupying  a  new  granite 
store  fitted  up  for  them  by  the  trustees  of  Harvard  College,  where 
a  very  extensive  and  prosperous  wholesale  business  was  done,  not 
only  with  all  parts  of  the  country,  but  with  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment, by  supplying  the  army,  navy  and  Indian  departments  with 
clothing  by  contract. 

In  18(33  Mr.  Whiting  and  Mr.  (Talloupe,  in  their  turn,  being  desirous 
of  relieving  themselves  somewhat  from  the  cares  of  the  business  in 
which  they  had  so  long  been  engaged,  withdrew  from  the  firm  and  es- 
tablished, by  a  special  partnership,  as  their  successors  their  former 
partners,  under  the  firm  of  Bliss,  Whiting,  Pierce  &  McKenna,  con- 
tributing ample  capital  for  the  prosecution  of  the  large  business  to 
which  the  firm  succeeded ;  this  ended  the  strictly  mercantile  life  of  Mr. 
Galloupe. 

After  their  retirement  from  the  clothing  business,  Mr.  Whiting  and 
Mr.  Galloupe,  having  associated  with  themselves  Mr.  Charles  A.  Put- 
nam, cashier  of  the  Washington  Bank,  formed  a  banking  hoi:se,  un- 
der the  firm  of  Whiting,  Galloupe  &  Putnam,  and  established  them- 
selves at  No.  76  State  street,  where  they  were  soon  engaged  in  a  very 
large  and  successful  business.  They  were  appointed  by  the  United 
States  government  one  of  the  agents  of  the  five-twenty  loan,  and  by 
their  extensive  connection  in  all  of  the  large  cities  of  the  Union  with 
the  banks  and  most  prominent   bankers,  they  soon  attained  an  honora- 


582  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ble  and  respected  position.  The  sudden  death  of  Mr.  Whiting-  in  18G4, 
which  occurred  in  the  office  at  No.  70  State  street,  while  sitting  at  the 
desk  with  Mr.  Galloupe,  severed  a  warm  and  sincere  friendship  and  a 
close  and  always  enjoyed  connection,  that  had  existed  during  the  whole 
of  the  business  lives  of  both  Mr.  Whiting  and  Mr.  Galloupe. 

Deprived  of  the  support  and  companionship  of  his  friend  and  partner 
of  twenty  years,  the  enjo3-ment  and  zest  of  doing  business  lost  its 
attractiveness  for  Mr.  (Talloupe,  and,  after  continuing  the  banking- 
business  for  a  short  time  under  the  firm  name  of  Galloupe  &  Putnam, 
he  retired,  establishing  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Edward  L.  Giddings, 
in  his  place,  who,  forming  a  partnership  with  Mr.  W.  A.  Tower,  the 
present  firm  of  Tower,  Giddings  &  Co.  became  his  successor. 

There  are  few  in  Boston  who,  in  a  comparatively  short  business  life, 
have  had  associated  with  them  in  close  business  relations  so  many  well 
known  men  of  public  reputation  as  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  Mr.  Galloupe. 
Andrew  Carney,  whose  name  is  well  and  gratefully  known  X.o  thousands 
of  distressed  sufferers,  distinguished  thrcjughout  all  his  lifetime  for  his 
many  and  liberal  charitable  contributions,  was  the  founder  of  that 
beneficent  institution,  the  Carney  Hospital  at  vSouth  Boston,  second  in 
its  usefulness  to  hardly  any  other  in  the  vState;  Jacob  wSleeper,  the 
munificent  philanthropist  whose  large  gifts  and  generous  personal  sup- 
port have  placed  the  Boston  University  upon  so  high  a  plane;  and 
Albert  T.  Whiting,  the  efficient  chairman  of  the  State  Board  of  Police 
Commissioners,  were  his  partners.  Alanson  W.  Beard,  the  present 
United  States  collector  of  customs  for  the  port  of  Boston ;  Alderman 
Sydney  Gushing  and  Councilman  John  Taylor  were  all  in  the  employ- 
ment of  Mr.  Galloupe. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  clothing-  business  in  1862,  Mr.  Galloupe 
offered  his  services  to  the  United  States  Government  in  connection 
with  the  War  Department  in  Boston,  and  was  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  the  clothing  and  ecpiipment  contracts,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
without  compensation  for  more  than  a  year.  When  there  was  no 
longer  any  occasion  for  his  services,  he  was  honorably  retired  and  the 
thanks  of  the  War  Department  tendered  him  in  writing,  through  the 
officer  in  command  at  Boston. 

On  the  21st  of  March,  1860,  the  oldest  daughter  of  Mr.  Galloupe, 
Sarah  Kittredge  Galloupe,  was  married  to  the  Hon.  Ellis  W.  Morton, 
and  in  May  the  entire  family,  including  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morton,  sailed 
for  England  and  traveled  extensively  through  Europe  until  August, 


BIOGRAPHIES.  583 

186T,  when  they  returned.  Mr.  Morton,  after  a  most  successful  career 
as  assistant  United  States  district  attorney,  in  which  he  was  connected 
with  Hon.  Richard  H.  Dana,  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  State  Legislature,  and  afterwards  to  the  Senate,  where  he 
served  two  terms.  Being  in  ill  health,  he  declined  the  nomination  of 
representative  to  Congress,  and  died  in  Swampscott  the  ^ith  of  Sep- 
tember, 1874,  leaving  an  only  son,  Galloupe  Morton. 

In  1872  Mr.  Galloupe  associated  himself  with  the  old  Trinity  Church 
parish  in  Summer  street,  and,  from  the  time  of  his  connection,  a  warm 
and  intimate  friendship  of  the  closest  personal  relation  existed  between 
the  rector.  Rev.  Phillips  Brooks,  during  the  w^hole  of  the  remainder  of 
the  life  of  the  beloved  pastor,  terminating  only  wnth  his  death. 

In  March,  1873,  it  having  been  determined  by  a  vote  of  the  propri- 
etors "  to  remove  Trinity  Church,  provided  a  sale  of  the  property  could 
be  obtained  and  a  satisfactory  location  agreed  upon  and  land  secured 
for  a  new  church,"  a  petition  to  the  Legislatiire  was  granted,  and  in 
1872  land  was  purchased  in  what  is  now  Copley  Square.  A  biiilding 
committee  was  created,  consisting  of  Wardens  Geo.  Dexter  and  Charles 
Henry  Parker,  and  the  Hon.  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  Hon.  Martin  Brim- 
mer. Charles  R.  Codman,  John  C.  Ropes,  John  G.  Gushing,  Charles 
J.  Morrill,  Robert  Treat  Paine,  jr.,  Stephen  G.  Deblois,  treasurer,  and 
Wm.  P.  Blake,  secretary.  In  April  Mr.  Galloupe  was  added,  and  the 
whole  management  was  placed  by  the  General  Building  Committee  in 
the  hands  of  an  executive  building  committee  consisting  of  Warden 
Charles  Henry  Parker,  Robert  Treat  Paine,  jr.,  and  Charles  W.  Gal- 
lovipe,  with  full  powers  to  execute  the  work. 

From  that  time  for  the  ensuing  five  years,  until  the  completion  of 
the  church  and  its  consecration  on  February  9,  1877,  Mr.  Galloupe's 
time  and  attention  was  devoted  to  the  erection  of  the  building. 

In  187vl  Mr.  Galloupe's  daughter,  Wilhelmina,  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Dr.  Samuel  J.  Mixter,  of  Boston,  and  the  young  couple  having  de- 
cided to  spend  some  time  in  Austria  for  the  completion  of  Dr.  Mixter's 
studies,  Mr.  Galloupe  with  his  family  joined  them  in  1880,  and  after 
spending  a  year  in  Vienna,  he  with  the  two  families  returned  to 
America. 

Mr.  Galloupe  resides  in  Boston  in  the  winter,  and  his  summer  resi- 
dence in  Swampscott  is  well  known  as  "Galloupe's  Point." 

A  half  centi:ry  ago  but  few  opportunities  were  presented  to  the 
modest  inhabitants  of  the  country  towns  of  New  England  for  amuse- 


584  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

ment  or  entertainment  of  any  kind  during  the  long-  and  somewhat 
dreary  months  of  winter.  The  only  means  (aside  from  the  "singing 
school  ")  afforded  the  quiet  people  to  break  the  monotony  of  the  lonely 
evenings  was  by  attendance  on  the  Lyceum  lectures.  The  "  Lyceum" 
was  a  literary  society  or  club  composed  of  the  well-to-do  class  of  people, 
formed  in  most  of  the  small  towms  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a 
course  of  weekly  lectures  for  the  winter  season,  the  expenses  of  which, 
assumed  by  the  society,  were  made  so  small  that  the  managers  were 
able  to  place  it  within  the  means  of  all  to  attend.  The  town,  in  its 
corporate  capacity,  usually  co-operated  with  the  "  Lyceum  "  by  allow- 
ing the  use  of  its  hall  without  expense.  The  institution  fell  gradually 
into  decay  and  is  now  obsolete. 

To  give  some  idea  of  the  workings  of  the  Lyceutri,  it  will  not  be  amiss, 
and  somewhat  interesting,  to  give  a  slight  account  of  one  of  the  oldest, 
and,  during  its  existence,  one  of  the  most  noted,  as  that  of  Beverly  cer- 
tainly was.  The  ordinary  price  of  the  tickets  for  the  course  of  twelve 
lectures  delivered  weekly  w-as  one  dollar. 

The  "  Lyceum  "  in  Beverly,  having  been  suspended  for  want  of  suf- 
ficient encouragement,  Mr.  Galloupe,  with  two  young  friends,  deter- 
mined if  possible  to  resuscitate  it  and  create  a  new  interest  which 
should  exercise  a  beneficial  influence  in  the  town  and  give  solid  enjoy- 
ment to  those  who  were  inclined  to  patronize  it;  but  it  was  not  an  easy 
matter  to  bring  into  vigorous  life  an  institution  which  had  nearly 
reached  its  end  by  simple  inanition.  The  town  very  generously  offered 
the  use  of  the  town  hall  for  the  mere  expense  of  lighting  it,  and  the 
young  men  undertook  the  task  of  bringing  it  again  once  more  into 
popular  favor.  They  assumed  the  responsibility  of  engaging  lecturers 
sufficient  in  number  to  make  up  a  programme  for  sixteen  lectures  and 
entertainments,  agreeing  among  themselves  to  make  good  any  deficit 
which  might  occur.  It  will  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  many  in  these 
days  of  high  prices  to  learn  that  the  price  of  the  entire  course  was 
placed  at  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents,  making  something  less  than  two 
and  a  half  cents  for  each  lecture ;  and  it  will  be  still  more  surprising  to 
learn,  which  was  the  fact,  that  the  first  course  was  opened  by  His 
Excellency,  the  Honorable  John  Quincy  Adams,  ex-president  of  the 
United  States,  and  that  he  w^as  followed  by  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 
Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  Wendell  Phillips,  John  Pierpoint,  Professor 
Solger,  Professor  Guyot  of  Harvard  College,  and  other  lecturers  of 
note,  and  that  m  the  course  were  included   one  or  more  concerts  by 


BIOGRAPHIES.  585 

the  Mendelssohn  Quintette  Club ;  and  that  notwithstanding-  these 
great,  and  what  would  now  be  extravagant  attractions,  during  the  three 
years  that  the  Lyceum  was  continued,  none  of  the  three  engaged  in 
the  management  were  assessed  for  more  than  twenty  dollars.  No  lec- 
turer received  more  than  ten  dollars  for  his  services,  and  as  they  were 
entertained  gratuitous!}'  by  either  Mr.  Galloupe,  ^Ir.  William  Endicott, 
jr.,  or  Mr.  Charles  S.  Giddings,  who  were  engaged  in  the  enterprise, 
the  entire  additional  expense  of  the  lectures  was  included  in  the  small 
traveling  expenses  and  the  slight  cost  of  the  hall. 

About  750  tickets  were  sold  at  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents  each, 
Avhich  provided  a  fund  of  about  $263,  and  as  the  price  paid  to  the  lect- 
urer was  limited  to  ten  dollars  ($160),  more  than  a  hundred  dollars 
was  left  for  the  payment  of  incidentals.  Probably  no  other  such  case 
exists  in  the  country. 

In  1852,  before  public  libraries  were  so  extensively  known  as  they 
are  at  present,  the  same  three  young  men,  finding  they  were  so  suc- 
cessful in  their  first  enterprise,  determined  that  their  native  town  should 
have  a  library  which  should  benefit  those  whose  means  were  so  limited 
that  reading  must  be  furnished  gratuitously,  if  at  all.  It  was  a  serious 
undertaking  to  procure  subscriptions  in  a  town  like  Beverly  to  establish 
a  library,  but  they  determined  to  undertake  it,  and  after  a  continued 
application  for  nearly  three  years,  they  procured  a  sufficient  sum,  in 
their  estimation  ($3,000),  in  sums  varying  from  one  hundred  dollars 
to  twenty-five  cents,  to  warrant  the  purchase  of  books.  They  proposed 
to  the  selectmen  to  present  the  library  to  the  town,  provided  a  room 
should  be  fitted  up  in  the  town  hall  for  the  reception  of  the  books,  and 
that  the  town  should  take  charge  of  and  assume  all  the  care  and  ex- 
pense of  conducting  the  librarj'.  After  a  public  meeting,  it  was  so 
voted  by  the  town,  and  the  Beverly  Public  Library — one  of  the  very  best, 
as  well  as  one  of  the  very  earliest,  was  established  upon  a  firm  founda- 
tion, and  its  usefulness  at  the  present  day  may  be  appreciated  by  the 
fact  that  the  library  has  been  increased  from  3,000  to  15,000  volumes, 
and  the  average  number  of  books  annually  in  circulation  is  now  nearly 
40,000.  Many  interesting  incidents  were  connected  with  the  procuring 
of  subscriptions,  one  of  which  will  be  related.  Beverly  had,  in  its 
time,  produced  many  prominent  people  who  were  no  longer  residents 
of  the  town,  and  they,  with  their  descendants,  were  pertinaciously 
invited  to  join  in  the  work.  One  noted  millionaire  of  Boston,  a  native 
of  the   town,  who  was  waited  upon  by  two  of  the  young  men,  ushered 

74 


586  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

them  into  his  gorgeously  furnished  library,  where  he  was  most  warmly 
solicited  to  assist  his  native  town  by  a  liberal  contribution  to  the  ob- 
ject. He  heard  all  that  was  presented  very  coolly  and  patiently,  and 
after  all  had  been  said,  he  replied:  "  Young  gentlemen,  I  do  not  ap- 
prove of  your  project,  and  have  no  sympathy  with  such  tin  undertaking. 
I  do  not  consider  it  proper  that  the  working  class  of  people  shoiild  have 
advantages  equal  to  those  who  have  reached  a  higher  position,  and  it 
is  an  injustice  to  me  that  I  am  unable,  with  all  my  wealth,  to  give  my 
children  a  better  education  than  the  children  of  any  laboring  man  may 
have  gratuitously ;  for  it  is  a  truth  that  no  better  education  can  be  had, 
with  all  my  means,  than  a  poor  child  may  obtain,  without  expense,  in 
the  public  schools  of  Boston.  lean  give  you  nothing."  The  young 
men,  who  had  fully  relied  upon  a  subscription  that  would  far  outlead 
all  the  others,  left  the  house  very  much  disheartened  and  disappointed. 


JOHN   WITT    RANDALL. 

John  Witt  Randall,  son  of  Dr.  John  (H.  C.  1802)  and  Elizabeth 
Wells  Randall,  granddaughter  of  vSamuel  Adams,  the  great  patriot  of 
the  Revolution,  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  November  0,  1813. 

He  received  his  preparatory  education  at  the  Boston  Latin  School 
in  company  with  many  who  were  afterwards  his  classmates  in  college, 
by  whom  his  peculiar  and  marked  originality  of  character  is  well  re- 
membered. Though  among  them,  he  was  not  wholly  of  them,  but 
seemed  to  have  thoughts,  pursuits  and  aspirations  to  which  they  were 
strangers. 

This  was  also  the  case  after  he  entered  college,  where  his  tastes  de- 
veloped in  a  scientific  direction,  entomology  being  the  branch  to  which 
he  specially  devoted  himself,  though  heartily  in  sympathy  with  nature 
in  her  various  aspects.  The  college  did  little  at  that  time  to  encourage 
or  aid  such  pursuits,  but  Mr.  Randall  pursued  the  quiet  tenor  of  his 
way  till  he  had  a  very  fine  collection  of  insects  and  an  extensive  and 
thorough  knowledge  on  that  and  kindred  subjects,  while  his  taste  for 
poetry  and  the  belles-lettres  was  also  highly  cultivated- 
He  studied  medicine  after  graduation,  but  his  acquisitions  as  a 
naturalist  were  so  well  known  and  recognized  that  he  received  the 
honorable  appointment  of  professor  of  zoology  in  the  department  of 


BIOGRAPHIES.  587 

invertebrate  animals  in  the  vSouth  Sea  Exploring  Expedition  (called 
Wilkes's),  which  the  United  States  were  fitting  out  about  that  time. 

We  can  all  remember  the  wearisome  delays  and  jealousies  which 
occurred  before  the  sailing  of  the  expedition,  which  finally  caused  Mr. 
Randall  to  thi^ow  up  his  appointment.  vSince  that  time  he  has  led  a 
quiet  and  retired  life,  devoting  himself  to  his  favorite  pursuits,  adding 
to  theni  also  one  of  the  most  rare  and  original  collections  of  engravings 
in  this  country.  He  has  also  devoted  much  time  to  the  cultivation  and 
improvement  of  an  ancestral  country  seat  at  Stow,  Mass.,  for  the 
ancient  trees  of  which  he  has  an  almost  individual  friendship. 

An  account  of  his  life  and  experiences  from  Mr.  Randall's  own  pen 
would  have  been  interesting,  as  well  as  amusing  and  witty,  for  in  these 
qualities  he  excels.  In  excusing  himself  from  giving  this,  he  writes  as 
follows : 

As  for  myself,  my  life  having  been  wholly  private,  presents  little  that  I  care  to 
communicate  to  others,  or  that  others  would  care  to  know.  I  cannot  even  say  for 
mj-self  as  much  as  was  contained  in  Professor  Teufelsdrock's  epitaph  on  a  famous 
huntsman,  viz. :  that  in  a  long  life  he  had  killed  no  less  than  ten  thousand  foxes. 

It  might  have  been  interesting  in  former  days  to  have  related  adventures  of  my 
foot-journeys  as  a  naturalist,  amid  scenes  and  objects  then  little  known  or  wholly 
unknown,  where  the  solitary  backwoodsman  and  his  family,  sole  occupants  of  a  tract 
of  boundless  forest,  were  often  so  hospitable  as  to  surrender  their  only  bed  to  the 
stranger  and  huddle  themselves  together  on  the  floor.  But  since  Audubon  published 
his  travels,  and  railroads  have  penetrated  everj^where,  such  accounts  cease  to  be 
original,  and  indeed  the  people  themselves  have  become  everywhere  homogeneous. 
Itineraries  fill  all  the  magazines,  and  natural  curiosities  little  knowm  forty  years  ago 
have  become  long  since  familiar  to  the  public. 

As  for  my  present  self,  I  will  say  no  more  than  that  for  health's  sake,  to  be  much 
out  of  doors,  I  have  been  for  a  long  time  engaged  in  hydraulic,  planting,  building, 
and  other  improvements  on  my  grounds,  which  create,  it  is  true,  pleasant  occupation, 
but  when  compared  with  wild  nature,  so  varied  about  me,  I  am  impressed  with  the 
conviction  how  inferior  are  our  artificial  pleasures  to  those  simple  enjoyments  of 
wood,  -water,  air  and  sunshine  which  we  unconsciously  and  inexpensively  share  with 
the  innumerable  creatures  equally  capable  of  enjoying  them. 

As  to  my  literary  works:  if  I  except  scientific  papers  on  subjects  long  ago  aban- 
doned, as  one  on  Crustacea  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 
of  Philadelphia ;  two  on  Insects  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural 
History ;  one  manuscript  volume  on  the  Animals  and  Plants  of  Maine ;  Critical  Notes 
on  Etchers  and  Engravers,  one  volume ;  Classification  of  ditto,  one  volume,  both  in 
manuscript,  incomplete,  and  not  likely  to  be  completed,  together  with  essays  and 
reviews  in  manuscript,  not  likely  to  be  published — my  doings  reduce  themselves  to 
six  volumes  of  poetic  works,  the  first  of  which  was  issued  in  1856  and  reviewed 
shortly  after  in  the  North  Ainericati,  while  the  others,  nearly  or  partially  completed 


588  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

at  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war,  stiU  lie  unfinished  among  the  many  wrecks  of  Time, 
painful  to  most  of  us  to  look  back  upon,  or  reflect  themselves  on  a  future  whose  skies 
are  still  obscure.  ^ 


JOHN   C.    HAYNES. 

John  Gumming s  Haynes,  son  of  John  Dearborn  and  Eliza  Walker 
(Stevens)  Haynes,  was  born  in  Brighton  (now  a  part  of  Boston),  Mass., 
September  9,  1829.  On  his  father's  side  he  is  a  descendant,  seven 
generations  removed,  of  Samuel  Haynes,  a  sturdy,  thrifty  farmer,  who 
emigrated  to  Ainerica  from  Shropshire,  England,  in  1035,  and  settled 
at  vStrawberry  Bank,  now  Portsmcnith,  N.  H.,  where  he  helped  organ- 
ize the  First  Congregational  Church  of  the  town  and  became  its  deacon. 
On  his  mother's  side  he  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent  from  the  Gilpatrick 
family,  many  of  his  relatives  now  living  in  and  about  Biddeford,  Me., 
where  the  first  settlement  was  made. 

He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Boston,  finishing  with  the 
English  High  vSchool.  In  July,  1845,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  late 
Oliver  Ditson,  the  celebrated  music  publisher,  commencing  as  a  boy 
of-all-work  at  the  very  foot  of  the  ladder.  He  quickly  made  himself 
useful  to  his  employer,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  was  given  an 
interest  in  the  business.  January  1,  1857,  Mr.  Haynes  became  a  part- 
ner, the  firm  becoming  Oliver  Ditson  &  Co. 

The  death  of  Oliver  Ditson,  in  December,  1888,  dissolved  the  firm 
and  led  to  the  formation  of  a  corporation  by  the  surviving  partners 
(Mr.  Haynes  and  Charles  H.  Ditson,  son  of  Oliver  Ditson)  and  the 
executors  of  the  estate  of  Oliver  Ditson,  several  of  the  most  useful  of 
the  young  men  who  had  grown  up  with  the  business  being  admitted  as 
stockholders.  The  corporation  was  organized  under  the  laws  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, with  Mr.  Haynes  as  president.  The  headquarters  are  in 
the  large  building  453  to  463  Washington  street,  Boston,  and  the 
branch  houses,  all  of  them  a  part  of  the  corporation,  are  as  follows : 
John  C.  Haynes  &  Co.,  Boston;  Charles  H.  Ditson  &  Co.,  New  York; 
and  J.  E.  Ditson  &  Co.,  Philadelphia. 

When  young  Haynes  began  as  a  store  boy  in  1845,  the  business  of 
the  firm  was  done  by  the  principal  and  two  clerks,  the  music  business 

'  From  "  Class  Memorial,"  prepared  by  Thomas  Gushing,  a  classmate,  for  the  class  of  1834,  Har- 
vard College. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  589 

and  musical  culture  of  the  country  being  comparatively  in  their  infancy. 
As  the  country  increased  in  population,  wealth  and  culture,  so  did  the 
publications  of  the  house  increase  in  number  and  quality,  until  at  the 
present  time  its  employees  number  several  hundred,  its  sheet  music 
publications  are  nearly  one  hundred  thousand,  and  its  music  book  pub- 
lications about  twenty-five  hundred. 

Mr.  Ha3-nes  has  also  been  interested  and  is  noted  for  his  large  and 
successful  real  estate  ventures,  and  owns  many  valuable  estates  that 
have  materially  added  to  the  assessed  valuation  of  the  city  of  Boston. 
When  a  young  man  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  Franklin  Library 
Association,  and  his  many  years'  connection  with  it,  taking  part  in 
debates  and  literary  exercises,  was  of  great  advantage  to  him  in  his 
early  training  and  culture. 

He  is  a  life  member  of  the  Mercantile  Library  Association,  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Union,  of  the  Woman's  Industrial  L^nion,  and 
the  Aged  Couples'  Home  Society;  he  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Franklin  vSavings  Bank,  a  director  in  the  Massachusetts  Title  Insurance 
Company,  treasurer  of  the  Free  Religions  Association,  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  Club,  Home  Market  Club,  Boston  Merchants'  Associ- 
ation, and  is  president  of  the  Music  Publishers'  Association  of  the 
United  vStates.  He  takes  a  lively  interest  in  the  investigation  of  re- 
ligious, social,  political  and  scientific  subjects,  and  for  many  years  has 
been  president  of  the  Parker  Memorial  Science  Class,  which  holds  its 
services  every  Sunday  during  eight  months  of  the  year.  He  joined 
the  Free  Soil  party  when  a  young  man,  casting  his  first  presidential 
vote  in  1852  for  John  P.  Hale,  went  with  it  into  the  Republican  party, 
with  which  he  is  still  identified. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Boston  Common  Council  four  years,  from 
1862  to  1865  inclusive,  and  while  there  interested  himself  in  securing 
the  opening  of  the  Public  Library  on  vSundays.  In  early  life,  after 
having  been  for  many  years  a  scholar  in  one  of  Boston's  Baptist  Sun- 
day schools,  he  became  interested  in  the  preaching  of  Theodore  Par- 
ker in  1848,  and  the  Twenty-eighth  Congregational  vSociety,  which  was 
organized  "to  give  Theodore  Parker  a  chance  to  be  heard  in  Boston," 
serving  for  many  years  as  chairman  of  the  Standing  Committee.  He 
was  active  in  the  construction  of  the  Parker  Memorial  Building,  and 
largely  instrumental  in  its  transfer  to  the  Benevolent  Fraternity  of 
Churches,  Boston ;  the  object  of  this  transfer  being  to  perpetuate  the 


590  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

memory  of  Theodore  Parker  in  practical,  charitable,  educational  and 
religious  work. 

Mr.  Haynes  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Parker  Fraternity  of 
Boston,  for  many  years  a  powerful  social  and  religious  society. 

The  "Parker  Fraternity  Course  of  Lectures"  was  inaugurated  by 
the  Parker  Fraternity  because  of  the  exclusion  of  Mr.  Parker  largely 
from  the  lecture  platform  of  Boston,  and  was  sustained  for  nearly 
twenty  years.  They  were  remarkable  for  their  influence  in  motilding 
and  directing  public  opinion,  especially  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion, 
and  the  years  of  reconstruction  iinmediately  following.  In  the  first 
course  in  1858  Mr.  Parker  delivered  his  four  celebrated  lectures  on 
Washington,  Franklin,  Adams  and  Jefferson. 

Mr.  Haynes  of  late  years  has  been  connected  with  the  Church  of 
Unity,  of  which  Rev.  Minot  J.  vSavage  is  the  minister. 

Mr.  Haynes  was  married  in  Boston  by  Theodore  Parker,  May  1, 
1855,  to  Fanny,  daughter  of  Rev.  Charles  and  Francis  (Seabury)  Spear; 
of  this  union  were  seven  children:  Alice  Fanny  (Mrs.  M.  Morton 
Holmes),  Theodore  Parker  (deceased),  Lizzie  Gray  (Mrs.  O.  Gordon 
Rankine),  Jennie  Eliza  (Mrs.  Fred  O,  Hurd),  Cora  Marie  (Mrs.  E. 
Harte  Day),  Mabel  vStevens  and  Edith  Margaret  Haynes. 


JOSEPH  N.  FLSKE. 

Joseph  Norton  Fiske  was  born  in  Wrentham,  Mass.,  March  4,  1814, 
and  was  the  eldest  son  of  Josiah  J.  and  Jerusha  (Norton)  Fiske.  He  was 
of  English  descent,  and  his  ancestry  can  be  authentically  traced  from  the 
opening  period  of  the  thirteenth  century.  As  early  as  the  eighth 
year  of  the  reign  of  King  John  (A.  D.  1208)  we  find  the  name  of  Dan- 
iel Fisc,  of  Laxfield,  appended  to  a  royal  grant  which  confirmed  a  deed 
of  land  in  Digniveton  Park,  made  to  the  men  of  Laxfield  by  the  Duke 
of  Lorraine.  This  grant  is  in  the  public  record  office  of  London. 
Simon  Fiske  held  land  in  Laxfield  early  in  the  fifteenth  century,  and 
was  lord  of  the  manor  of  Stodhaugh.  There  are  in  several  churches 
monumental  tablets  and  brasses  bearing  the  arms  of  the  family,  which 
seems  to  have  been  prominent  in  the  counties  of  Suffolk  and  Norfolk. 
Col.  F.  S.  Fiske,  of  Boston,  has  in  his  possession  an  interesting  copy  of 
the  "Confirmation  of  Arms  and  Grant  of  Crest  from  College  of  Arms, 


BIOGRAPHIES.  591 

London,"  issued  to  the  Fiske  famil_y  in  1635.  Nathan  Fiske,  the  first 
American  ancestor,  was  among'  the  earliest  settlers  of  Watertown,  and 
came  from  Weybread,  county  of  Suffolk,  England,  in  1042.  From  him 
the  line  of  descent  to  the  subject  of  our  sketch  is  as  follows:  Nathan^ 
(born  January  23,  1071),  Henry^  (born  January  21,  1707),  David*  (born 
December  17,  1759),  Josiah  J.  ,5  Joseph  N. " 

Hon.  Josiah  Jones  Fiske,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Stur- 
bridge,  Mass.,  November  28,  1785.  He  was  graduated  at  Brown  Uni- 
versity, where  he  was  a  classmate  and  friend  of  William  L.  Marcy, 
some  time  governer  of  New  York.  After  leaving  college  in  1808,  he 
was  for  a  short  time  preceptor  of  an  academy  in  Maine ;  but  soon  de- 
termined upon  the  law  as  a  profession,  and  studied  first  in  the  office  of 
the  late  Nathaniel  Searle,  LL.D,,  of  Providence,  and  afterwards  with 
Timothy  Bigelow,  esq.,  of  Boston.  He  developed  marked  ability  as  a 
lawyer,  and  soon  found  himself  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  extensive  prac- 
tice. His  office  at  Wrentham  became  a  favorite  resort  for  students; 
perhaps  few  lawyers  unconnected  with  the  law  schools  have  superin- 
tended the  legal  instruction  of  a  greater  number  of  young  men.  To 
strong  powers  of  logic  and  analysis  Mr.  Fiske  added  quickness  of 
perception  and  readiness  in  expression ;  he  had  an  energy  of  character, 
a  perseverance  in  carrying  out  his  plans  which  no  obstacle  could  dis- 
courage, and  if  he  had  continued  to  devote  himself  exclusively  to  the 
law,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  he  would  have  ranked  among  the 
most  eminent  in  that  profession.  But  he  lived  in  the  time  when  the 
great  manufacturing  interests  of  New  England  were  just  being- 
founded.  Early  foreseeing  their  importance,  he  was  tempted  to  devote 
to  them  much  of  his  own  energy,  and  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life 
his  attention  was  given  to  manufactures  almost  exclusively.  His  own 
enterprises  were  located  in  his  native  town,  vSturbridge,  and  the  now 
flourishing  village  of  Fiskdale  commemorates  his  name.  He  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  Sturbridge  cotton  manufactures ;  his  first  mill  was 
built  in  1827,  and  in  1834  he  built  another  larger  mill,  containing  ten 
thousand  spindles  and  two  hundred  looms.  He  was  active,  intelli- 
gent, strong;  strong  in  character  and  influence,  strong  in  mind  and 
judgment,  with  that  enterprise  and  public  spirit  which  seeks  not  selfish 
ends  alone,  but  labors  for  the  good  of  all.  In  public  affairs  he  was 
prominent ;  possessing  the  well-won  confidence  of  his  fellow  townsmen, 
he  was  often  chosen  to  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  was  vState 
senator  from  1823  to  1820,  inclusive,  a  member  of  the  Governer's  Coun- 


592  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

cil  in  1831 ;  served  on  the  first  Board  of  Railroad  Commissioners  created 
by  the  vState,  and  held  man}'  minor  positions.  From  1823  to  1827  he 
was  aide-de-camp  to  Major  General  Crane,  and  took  a  deep  interest  in 
the  Masonic  order,  for  several  years  being  district  deputy  grand  mas- 
ter. Like  most  active  men,  Mr.  Fiske  was  in  advance  of  the  general 
thought  and  sentiment  of  his  time.  vSubsequent  developments  have 
proved  the  wisdom  of  many  of  his  views  for  the  improvement  of  the 
towns  of  Wrentham  and  Sturbridge,  which  may  then  have  been  deemed 
imwise  or  impracticable.  In  his  manners  he  was  alwa3'S  kindly  and 
genial,  and  this  virtue  was  above  all  conspicuous  in  his  home  life.  His 
wife,  Jerusha,  was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Jenckes  Norton,  of  Wrentham, 
and  Jerusha  Ware.  He  died  August  15,  1838,  at  Sturbridge,  the  place 
of  his  birth.  Two  of  his  brothers  were  also  graduates  of  Brown  Uni- 
versity. 

Of  the  ten  children  of  Josiah  Jones  Fiske,  Josiah  J.  and  George 
jenckes  were  well  known  as  members  of  the  Boston  firm  of  James  M. 
Beebe  &  Co.,  contributing  largely,  by  their  skill  and  energy  in  the 
management  of  the  business,  to  the  great  success  of  that  firm.  Josiah 
died  unmarried  in  1850.  George  died  at  Nice,  in  France,  in  1808,  leav- 
ing a  widow,  Frances  Lothrop,  the  daughter  of  James  M.  Beebe,  a  son, 
George  vStanley,  born  in  Paris  in  18<J7,  and  a  daughter,  Esther  Lothrop, 
born  at  Nice  in  18(18.  Miss  Elizabeth  vStanley  is  now  the  only  remain- 
ing child  of  Josiah  J.  Fiske. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  our  subject,  Joseph  N.  Fiske, 
came  from  a  distinctively  New  England  family,  and  one  whose  record 
is  eminently  creditable.  Mr.  Fiske's  bo3diood  was  passed  in  his  native 
town  of  Wrentham,  where  he  received  his  early  education  at  Day's 
Academy,  then  the  most  popular  school  for  the  preparation  of  boys  for 
college  in  Massachusetts.  At  school  young  Fiske  displayed  unusual 
application  and  interest  in  his  studies  and  made  most  gratifying  prog- 
ress. He  had  at  first  intended  to  take  a  collegiate  course,  Init  developed 
a  strong  inclination  for  mercantile  pursuits,  which  led  him  to  abandon 
his  original  purpose.  In  1833  he  came  to  Boston  and  acquired  his  early 
business  training  and  education  in  the  counting-room  of  vShaw,  Patter- 
son &  Company,  one  of  the  large  dry  goods  commission  houses  for 
which  at  that  time  Boston  was  noted.  For  five  years  he  remained  with 
this  firm,  and  then  became  the  confidential  clerk  in  the  banking-house 
of  George  B.  Blake  &  Compauy.  In  1841  he  engaged  in  business  for 
himself,  but  from  1844  to  1846  was  obliged  by  ill  health  to  remain  in- 


BIOGRAPHIES.  503 

active.  In  1S4G  he  became  a  member  of  the  Boston  Brokers'  Board 
and  commenced  a  banking  and  brokerage  business  on  State  street.  Be- 
ginning with  small  capital,  he  prosecuted  his  business  with  such  good 
judgment  that  it  rapidly  increased  and  soon  became  very  lucrative. 
For  twenty-four  years  he  continued  the  business  without  intermission 
and  with  extraordinary  success.  During  this  long  period,  covering  the 
most  eventful  years  in  the  financial  history  of  our  country,  he  was 
among  the  best  known  men  in  the  financial  and  banking  circles  of 
Boston.  He  enjoyed  the  highest  commercial  credit  and  during  the  en- 
tire period  of  his  active  business  career  there  was  never  an  obligation 
he  assumed  that  was  not  promptly  met.  He  possessed  the  confidence 
of  the  business  public  to  a  wonderful  degree.  This  was  due  not  only  be- 
cause of  his  unquestioned  personal  integrity,  but  because  of  his  well  known 
business  methods  and  the  careful  arrangement  of  his  financial  matters. 
He  was  a  careful,  far-sighted  operator.  While  at  times  his  operations 
were  immense,  his  capital  was  invested  in  assets  only  of  the  highest 
character,  so  that  he  could  in  ever}^  emergency  meet  his  obligations 
without  inconvenience  or  sacrifice.  He  avoided  all  purely  speculative 
ventures,  and  his  connection  with  an  enterprise  was  a  guarantee  that 
it  was  based  on  good  business  principles.  He  was  self-reliant,  and  his 
actions  in  any  business  transaction  were  the  result  of  his  own  conclu- 
sions. 

In  18T0  Mr.  Fiske  retired  from  active  business,  and  with  his  wife 
passed  three  years  in  Europe.  During  his  residence  abroad  he  traveled 
extensively  and  made  himself  especially  familiar  with  the  business 
interests  and  financial  problems  of  the  old  world.  After  his  return 
home  in  1873  he  devoted  himself  to  the  management  of  his  real  estate 
and  various  trusts,  and  a  few  large  transactions  in  railroad  securities, 
which  proved  eminently  successful.  He  was  among  the  first  of  the 
large  property  holders  in  the  business  center  of  Boston  to  inaugurate 
the  erection  of  the  modern  palatial  office  buildings.  This  occurred  in 
1888,  when  he  began  the  erection  in  State  street  of  the  well  known 
Fiske  Building,  which  is  one  of  the  finest  structures  in  Boston.  It  is 
ten  stories  in  height  and  in  richness  of  interior  finish  and  beauty  of 
architectural  effect  is  unsurpassed  by  any  building  in  New  England. 
It  was  the  pioneer  structure  of  its  class  in  this  part  of  the  city,  and  has 
since  been  followed  by  many  similar  edifices,  which  now  make  this  sec- 
tion of  Boston  especially  noteworthy. 

75 


594  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

Quietly  and  modestly,  with  no  desire  for  publicity,  Mr.  Fiske  during 
the  latter  years  of  his  life  attended  to  his  extensive  private  business 
affairs.  Up  to  the  very  end  of  his  life  he  had  enjoyed  remarkably 
vigorous  health,  his  well  preserved  faculties  of  mind  and  body  when 
past  the  period  usually  associated  with  strength  and  vigor  being  often 
the  subject  of  comment  and  congratulations.  The  illness  which  ter- 
minated in  his  death,  June  18,  1893,  was  the  result  of  a  severe  cold 
which  had  confined  him  to  the  house  only  ten  days. 

It  was  in  his  home  life  that  Mr.  Fiske's  real  character  best  revealed 
itself.  Of  naturally  retiring  disposition,  his  chief  pleasures  were  found 
within  the  domestic  circle,  surrounded  by  his  family  and  intimate 
friends.  Here  the  natural  imaffected  simplicity  and  genial  nature  of 
the  man  came  to  the  surface,  his  happy,  sunny  disposition  making  him 
a  charming  host,  whose  home  was  always  open  to  welcome  and  enter- 
tain his  friends.  His  charity  found  exercise  in  the  most  unostentatious 
way  and  seldom  where  publicity  would  be  given  to  his  acts.  He  was 
much  interested  in  educational,  industrial  and  benevolent  institutions, 
and  to  extend  this  field  of  usefulness  was  a  cheerful  contributor.  De- 
serving young  persons,  poor  but  ambitious,  strongly  appealed  to  his 
sympathies,  and  several  could  be  named  to  whom  he  furnished  the 
means  to  provide  for  a  collegiate  education.  His  charities  indeed  were 
well  directed  and  dispensed  in  directions  the  public  knew  little  of.  He 
held  liberal  views  on  religious  matters,  but  all  his  life  was  a  firm  be- 
liever in  the  cardinal  doctrines  of  Christianity,  his  life  being  governed 
by  their  teachings  and  precepts.  He  was  reared  in  the  Congregationalist 
faith,  but  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  attended  Trinity  Episcopal 
Church,  where  he  had  been  for  many  years  a  pew  holder.  Politically. 
Mr.  Fiske  acted  with  the  Republican  party,  but  he  was  never  an  intense 
partisan,  nor  did  he  have  the  least  desire  for  public  office.  To  dis- 
charge honestly  and  conscientiously  the  duties  of  a  private  citizen, 
keenly  solicitous  for  the  public  good,  filled  the  full  meed  of  his  ambi- 
tion. 

Mr.  Fiske  is  survived  by  his  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  May  24, 
1849,  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  by  Rev.  George  Duffield,  D.D.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Charlotte  Matilda  Morse,  daughter  of  Dr.  Elijah  Morse,  of 
Mount  Vernon,  Me.,  and  granddaughter  of  Dr.  Jacob  Corey,  sen.,  of 
Sturbridge,  Mass.  Her  father  was  for  several  years. a  member  of  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  Maine. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  595 

JOHN  CUMMINGS. 

Hon.  John  Cummings  was  born  in  Woburn,  October  19,  1812.  He 
came  of  a  Scotch  family  found  in  Watertown  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Massachusetts  colony.  His  great-grandfather  moved  from  Andover  to 
Woburn  in  1756,  and  bought  the  estate  on  which  Mr.  Cummings  now 
lives. 

Mr.  Cummings  was  largeh^  self-taught,  but  had  for  a  brief  time  the 
advantages  of  the  Warren  Academy  and  the  school  at  vSouth  Reading. 
Entering  business,  Mr.  Cummings  engaged  in  the  tanning  and  curry- 
ing industry,  associating  with  himself,  sooner  or  later,  John  B.  Alley, 
Charles  Choate,  Leonard  B.  Harrington  and  Leonard  Harrington.  In 
18tiS  he  became  president  of  the  Shawmut  National  Bank  of  Boston, 
which  office  he  now  holds.  He  has  served  in  both  houses  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Legislature  ;  was  a  inember  of  the  Centennial  Board  of  Finance, 
which  redeemed  from  failure  and  conducted  to  a  triumphant  success 
the  Philadelphia  Exhibition  of  1876,  and  was  also  one  of  the  judges  of 
the  exhibition.  He  has  served  as  a  director  in  the  Perkins  Institution 
for  the  Blind,  and  in  the  jSIassachusetts  Institution  for  Feeble-Minded 
Children. 

Mr.  Cummings  early  developed  decided  scientific  tastes,  especially  in 
the  department  of  natural  history,  and  made  acquirements,  which, 
considering  the  occupation  of  his  time  by  business  cares  and  duties,  are 
remarkable.  He  has  always  been  an  enthusiastic  agriculturist,  with  an 
ardent  interest  in  the  application  of  scientific  principles  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  soil. 

His  most  intimate  public  relations  in  his  later  life  have  been  with 
the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,  the  AgriculturarCollege  at  Am- 
herst, and  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technolog}^  to  all  of  which 
he  has  rendered  inestimable  services.  Of  the  last  named  institution 
he  was  for  seventeen  years  the  treasurer,  as  well  as  a  member  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  corporation  from  the  organization  of  that 
committee.  To  his  courageous  acceptance  of  responsibility  and  his 
strong  financial  support  the  friends  of  the  school  largely  attribute  its 
rescue  from  pecuniary  embarrassment,  and  its  subsequent  remarkable 
development.  By  a  vote  of  the  corporation  in  1889,  when  he  retired 
from  the  office  of  treasurer,  Mr.  Cummings's  name  was  applied  in  per- 
petuity to  the  laboratories  of  mining  engineering  and  metallurgy  in 
recogfnition  of  his  services. 


596  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Mr.  Cummings's  remarkable  disinterestedness  in  public  life,  his  severe 
integrity,  combined  with  great  kindliness  in  personal  intercourse,  his 
powerful  intellectual  grasp  and  strong  vScotch- American  sense,  have 
made  him  one  of  the  most  tiseful  citizens  of  his  native  Commonwealth. 


WESTON  LEWIS. 

Weston  Lewis,  who  for  many  years  occupied  a  prominent  position 
in  the  commercial,  financial  and  political  affairs  of  Boston,  was  born 
April  14,  1834,  in  Hingham,  Mass.,  where  the  Lewis  family  is  one  of 
the  oldest  and  most  respected. 

His  educational  advantages  were  rather  limited,  but  comprehensive 
reading  and  varied  contact  with  the  world  more  than  balanced  the 
deprivations  of  his  youth.  Natural  ability  of  a  high  order,  united  to 
untiring  industry  and  unswerving  honesty,  were  the  main  secrets  of  his 
siiccess  in  life.  He  began  his  business  career  in  Boston  in  1850  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  and  ten  years  later,  in  1800,  founded  the  dry  goods 
house  of  Lewis,  Brown  &  Co.,  with  which  he  retained  his  connection 
until  1883,  during  which  period  a  large  and  successful  business  was 
developed.  While  actively  engrossed  with  the  exacting  nature  of  his 
business  interest  he  did  not,  however,  neglect  the  duties  every  good 
citizen  owes  to  the  community.  Early  in  his  business  career  he  took 
an  active  part  in  the  management  of  municipal  affairs,  and  in  1865  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Common  Council.  He  was  re-elected  in  1866 
and  1867,  and  during  the  latter  year  served  as  president  of  the  council. 
His  eminent  fitness  for  public  service  was  still  fiirther  recognized  in 
1870  by  his  appointment  as  inspector  of  State  prisons  by  Governor 
Washburn,  in  which  position  he  very  creditably  served  for  three  years. 
In  1870  he  was  made  inspector  of  vState  charities.  In  1872  he  was 
selected  by  Mayor  Gaston  as  one  of  the  three  commissioners  to  report 
on  the  annexation  of  Dorchester,  Brookline,  West  Roxbury  and  Charles- 
town,  and  in  1886  was  appointed  on  the  State  Board  of  Arbitration  by 
Governor  Robinson,  serving  in  this  body  as  chairman  until  1889,  when 
he  resigned  to  accept  the  presidency  of  the  Manufacturers'  National 
Bank.  He  again  took  a  leading  part  in  the  shaping  of  municipal  affairs 
during  1891  and  1892,  being  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  from 
the  Eighth  District,  and  serving  on  many  important  committees. 


^j^Cyei'mlft.^l^im 


BIOGRAPHIES.  597 

He  was  pre-eminently  public-spirited,  and  although  a  staunch  and 
lifelong-  Republican — his  first  presidential  vote  being  cast  for  John  C. 
Fremont  in  1850 — he  conscientiously  and  in  a  thoroughly  non-partisan 
way  strove  to  advance  the  best  interest  of  the  city.  His  latter  services 
in  behalf  of  municipal  matters  were  given  at  the  sacrifice  of  personal 
interest,  and  the  additional  strain  imposed  by  the  demands  of  his  work 
for  public  causes  undoubtedly  undermined  his  health.  Earnest  in  all 
he  did,  a  man  of  excellent  judgment,  considerate  and  courteous  in 
manner,  he  inade  an  official  respected  and  esteemed  by  all.  He  was 
fearless  in  all  his  business  relations  and  equally  so  in  all  matters  per- 
taining to  the  city,  "  He  never  hesitated,"  says  an  intimate  associate 
in  the  conduct  of  city  affairs,  "to  state  his  views,  and  he  would  speak 
them  fully  and  frankly.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  criticise  when  he  did 
not  agree  Avith  associates  on  the  subject  matter  before  them.  He  was 
never  equivocal ;  we  always  knew  where  and  how  he  stood." 

In  his  business  career  Mr.  Lewis  was  conspicuously  .successful.  He 
was  careful  and  conservative  in  methods,  but  whatever  he  undertook 
was  carried  forward  with  an  energy  and  judgment  that  rarely  met 
withdefeat.  In  1S8:5,  on  account  of  ill  health,  he  retired  from  the  firm 
of  Lewis,  Brown  &  Co.,  and  upon  his  resignation  from  the  Board  of 
Arbitration  in  188i).  accepted  the  presidency  of  the  ^lanufacturers' 
National  Bank.  To  his  management  of  this  financial  institution  its 
present  high  .standing  can  be  largely  a.scribed.  Well  known  in  the 
business  comtnunity  as  a  man  of  trained  and  tried  business  ability  of  a 
high  order,  and  personally  popular  and  implicitly  trusted,  his  connec- 
tion with  the  bank  commanded  for  it  the  fullest  confidence,  and  under 
his  lead  it  more  than  doubled  its  depo.sits  during  the  four  years  of 
his  presidency. 

Outside  of  his  business  relations,  which  were  varied  and  of  magni- 
tude, Mr.  Lewis  was  a  positive  factor  for  good  in  man}^  directions.  No 
movement  of  a  religious,  philanthropic  or  literary  character  was  in- 
augurated that  did  not  receive  his  hearty  encouragement  or  substantial 
assistance.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Unitarian  Club  and  of 
the  Boston  Merchants'  Association,  and  by  his  efforts  in  their  behalf 
did  much  to  augment  the  sphere  of  usefulness  of  both  these  organiza- 
tions. He  was  also  for  thirteen  years  an  efficient  trustee  of  the  Boston 
Public  Library. 

Mr.  Lewis  died  in  East  Pasadena,  Cal.,  April  G,  I8O0,  whither  he  had 
ofone  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.      He  had  been  in  failino-  health  for 


598  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

several  months,  due  largely  to  overwork,  but  nothing  serious  was  an- 
ticipated, and  it  was  thought  a  brief  respite  from  his  engrossing  cares 
and  responsibilities  would  restore  him  to  his  wonted  vigor.  His 
death  was  therefore  unexpected,  and  the  receipt  of  its  intelligence  was 
received  with  sincere  sorrow  among  his  many  business  and  political 
associates.  Tributes  to  his  worth  as  a  citizen,  public  official  and  busi- 
ness man  were  many,  and  by  all  his  death  was  deplored  as  a  public 
loss.  At  the  monthly  meeting  of  the  Unitarian  Club,  which  was  held 
while  his  body  was  being  borne  to  the  scene  of  his  labors  and  useful- 
ness, Secretary  William  Howell  Reed  spoke  as  follows  in  reference  to 
Mr.  Lewis's  connection  with  the  club : 

Mr.  Lewis  was  the  originator,  the  father  of  this  chib.  He  thought  he  was  building 
wisely,  but  he  was  really  building  better  than  he  knew. 

When  we  consider  the  history  of  this  club,  the  influence  it  has  attained  in  this 
community,  the  inspiring  utterances  from  this  platform  on  themes  so  vitally  touching 
the  life  of  the  time,  and  that  it  has  been  the  pioneer  from  which  all  the  other  relig- 
ious clubs  have  taken  root  as  from  a  parent  stem,  it  seems  fitting  that  as  his  coffin 
containing  his  silent  dust  is  borne  across  the  continent  to  its  last  resting  place,  we 
should  pause  for  a  moment  as  we  speak  his  name,  and  in  silence  honor  him  by  this 
simple  recognition  of  the  inestimable  service  he  has  rendered  to  every  good  cause 
which  through  his  foresight  has  found  advocacy  here  through  all  these  years. 

The  directors  of  the  Boston  Merchants'  Association,  at  a  meeting  to 
take  suitable  notice  of  his  death,  put  on  record  the  following: 

That  not  since  the  formation  of  this  organization  have  we  lost  one  so  thoroughly 
identified  with  its  entire  history,  activity  and  usefulness.  Reaching  its  highest 
official  position,  he  nevertheless  was  not  satisfied  in  retiring  therefrom  to  discontinue 
his  active  interests,  but  in  response  to  the  wishes  of  the  association  had  continued  to 
serve  as  a  director  until  the  day  of  his  death. 

The  earnestness  and  usefulness  of  Mr.  Lewis  in  this  relation  is,  however,  only  a 
part  of  an  exceedingly  valuable  life  which  could  not  be  limited  in  its  field  of  effort. 
His  services  for  the  State  in  different  public  trusts,  for  the  city  in  her  highest  offices 
and  commissions,  for  various  societies— religious,  philanthropic,  literary  and  com- 
mercial— all  indicate  on  the  part  of  our  community  an  appreciation  of  the  qualities  of 
mind  which  made  his  services  so  largely  called  for. 

Those  of  us  who  knew  him  most  intimately  can  hardly  realize  that  we  shall  not  wit- 
ness and  share  in  the  prompt  and  bright  way  in  which  he  grappled  all  questions  of 
public  concern,  and  we  shall  remember  him  as  an  able,  upright,  public-spirited 
citizen,  and  an  exceptionally  kind,  considerate  and  genial  associate  and  friend. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  the  year 
1891  and  1893,  the  following  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted: 

That  in  the  decease  of  our  esteemed  fellow  citizen  and  associate,  Weston  Lewis, 
we  take  this  occasion  to  express  our  sorrow  and  regret  that  he  has  been  called  from 


BIOGRAPHIES.  .  599 

amongst  us.  In  his  career  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  he  was  ever  guided 
by  the  principles  of  right  and  justice.  During  the  two  years  that  we  were  associated 
with  him  he  was  alive  to  the  interest  of  all  the  people.  Prejudice  and  partisanship 
had  no  place  in  his  makeup,  and  he  retired  with  a  record  for  independence  and  high 
character  that  has  gained  for  him  our  lasting  respect  and  remembrance. 

At  a  meeting-  of  the  Building  Trades  Council,  held  shortly  after  the 
death  of  Mr.  Lewis,  the  following  action  was  taken : 

IVkereas,  By  the  death  of  Hon.  Weston  Lewis,  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachu- 
setts and  the  city  of  Boston  have  suffered  the  loss  of  a  public-spirited  citizen  distin- 
guished by  brilliant  service  in  many  capacities,  beloved  and  respected  for  his  warm 
sympathies  and  other  traits  of  character,  and, 

U7wreas,  It  is  fitting  that  the  Building  Trades  Council  of  Boston,  representmg 
labor,  commemorate  those  services  which  he  rendered  to  working  people  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  whole  community,  therefore, 

Rcsoh't'd,  That  we  place  upon  the  record  our  keen  sense  of  loss  which  the  labor 
element  has  sustained.  One  of  the  original  members  of  a  commission  which  had  no 
example  in  the  history  of  industrial  legislation,  he  contributed  to  place  State  arbitra- 
tion on  the  highest  plane  of  good  government.  Although  a  representative  of  capital, 
his  manly  friendship  for  the  wage  earners  always  prompted  just  measures,  and  as 
alderman  he  advocated  every  project  that  was  calculated  to  promote  the  good  and 
welfare  of  the  working  people.     They  have  lost  a  valuable  friend. 

In  words  equally  eulogistic  the  public  press  of  Boston  referred  to  the 
death  of  this  well-known  and  universally  respected  citizen  who  had 
figured  prominently  in  many  phases  of  the  life  of  his  community  and 
time.  In  all  positions,  either  pi;blic  or  private,  he  acquitted  hitnself 
with  the  greatest  ability  and  the  strictest  integrity.  "  He  has  left  to 
his  two  sons,"  says  one  writer,  "  the  priceless  legacy  of  an  honest  and 
able  merchant  and  banker,  a  faithful  public  ser\"ant,  a  genial  character 
which  won  troops  of  finends,  and  a  career  without  blemish,  which  bene- 
fited his  fellowmen. " 

Mr.  Lewis  is  survived  by  two  sons,  Weston  K.  and  Frederick  H. 
Lewis.  His  wife,  Martha  J.  Lewis,  daughter  of  Ezekiel  Kendall,  of 
Boston,  to  whom  he  was  married  July  18,  1855,  died  September  13, 
1892. 


SAMUEL  vSTILLMAN  PIERCE. 

Samuel  Stillman  Pierce,  founder  of  the  widely  known  house  of  S. 
S.  Pierce  &  Co.,  was  born  March  27,  1807,  and  was  a  direct  descendant 
of  Robert  Pierce,  who  came  to  New  England  early  in  the  seventeenth 


coo  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

century  in  the  Jo/iii  and  Mary.  In  1831  he  became  associated  with 
Elclad  Worcester  in  the  orocery  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Wor- 
cester &  Pierce.  They  began  with  limited  resources  in  a  little  store  on 
the  corner  of  Tremont  and  Court  streets,  but  seemingly  from  the  first 
their  modest  venture  was  successful,  and  in  a  few  years  they  were  con- 
ducting one  of  the  most  profitable  mercantile  enterprises  of  that  period 
in  Boston.  Ten  years  after  the  formation  of  the  firm  ^Ir.  Worcester 
retired,  and  Mr.  Pierce  continued  it  alone  until  April  1,  1874,  when 
Charles  L.  Eaton,  who  had  been  for  many  yeai-s  a  clerk  in  the  estab- 
lishment, was  admitted  as  a  partner,  and  the  name  of  the  firm  was 
changed  to  vS.  S.  Pierce  &  Co.  One  year  later  Wallace  L.  Pierce,  a  son 
of  the  founder,  was  taken  into  the  firm. 

Mr.  Pierce  died  October  12,  1880.  For  some  years  prior  to  his  death 
he  had  been  an  invalid,  and  personally  had  had  little  to  do  with  the 
active  management  of  the  business.  He  was  a  man  of  imflinching 
honesty  and  sterling  integrity  of  character;  gentle,  unassuming  and 
modest  in  manner,  but  beneath  his  quiet  exterior  was  resolute  deter- 
mination, fixed  opinions  and  purposes,  which  no  simple  question  of  ex- 
pediency or  policy  could  in  the  slightest  degree  change  or  modify. 
The  rugged  honest}^  of  the  man  manifested  in  every  action  was  the 
key  note  of  his  success.  He  was  married  in  February,  1830,  to  Miss 
Ellen  Maria  Wallis,  who  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one  years  still 
survives  her  husband.  They  had  nine  children,  of  whom  two  sons  and 
three  daughters  are  living. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  sixtieth  year  of  the  existence  of  the 
firm  of  vS.  vS.  Pierce  Sz  Co.,  the  following  account  of  its  rise  and  progress 
appeared  in  the  Boston  Evening  TransrripL  It  contains  so  much  of  an 
interesting  historical  nature  that  no  excuse  is  necessary  for  its  insertion 
here: 

To  one  with  antiquarian  tastes,  there  are  few  things  more  interesting  and  instruct- 
ive than  the  records  of  the  early  transactions  of  a  long-estabUshed  business  house. 
They  tell  of  people  long  since  dead, — what  they  wore,  what  they  ate,  the  bills  they 
paid,  and  the  bills  they  left  unpaid.  In  a  city  like  Boston,  where  changes  in  busi- 
ness are  of  frequent  occurrence,  the  founders  of  the  houses  are  generally  soon  for- 
gotten, and  the  books  telling  of  their  first  sales  go  to  the  paper-mills,  to  make  day- 
books and  journals  for  the  generations  that  follow  them.  This  has  not  been  the  fate, 
however,  of  the  ledgers  of  Samuel  9.  Pierce,  the  founder  of  the  house  of  S.  S.  Pierce 
&  Co.,  whose  principal  store  is  on  the  very  .spot  from  which  sixty  years  ago  were 
trundled  in  a  wheelbarrow  the  groceries  that  supplied  the  opulent  citizens  of  the  re- 
gion in  the  vicinity  of  the  corner  of  Tremont  and  Court  streets,  where  the  little  store 
then  stood. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  601 

The  5^ellow  leaves  of  the  little  ledger,  neat  and  prim  as  the  old  beaux  of  that  day, 
inform  the  curious  that  the  first  recorded  sale  was  made  on  October  21,  1831,  to  the 
firm  of  O.  &  R.  Goss.  And  it  was  on  this  date  that  the  copartnership  was  formed 
between  Eldad  Worcester  and  Samuel  S.  Pierce,  under  the  firm  name  of  Worcester 
&  Pierce. 

The  modest  beginning  evidently  did  not  deter  the  best  people  of  the  city  and  the 
Commonwealth  from  giving  it  their  patronage,  for  conspicuous  on  the  pages  of  the 
book  are  the  names  of  William  Ellery  Channing,  John  P.  Thorndike,  Otis  Norcross 
&  Co  ,  Gardner  Green,  Nathaniel  Hooper,  Walter  Frost,  John  Snowden,  jr.,  Samuel 
Langmaid,  Dr.  John  C.  Ware,  Dr.  Walter  Channing,  brother  of  the  celebrated 
divine,  Daniel  Dennie,  Thomas  Goddard,  Patrick  T.  Jackson,  Charles  Lyman, 
Thomas  H.  Perkins,  Moody  Merrill,  Dr.  John  Jeffries,  and  many  others  whose  names 
are  as  familiar  to  the  people  of  Boston  to-day  as  they  were  half  a  century  ago.  An- 
other name  appears  on  the  book,  but  not  in  so  creditable  a  manner  as  those  men- 
tioned above,  for,  while  the  entries  show  that  these  gentlemen  paid  their  bills 
promptly,  there  is  a  little  financial  transaction  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  Court, 
involving  the  purchase  of  thirty  cents'  worth  of  goods,  which  still  remains  unsettled. 

The  bill  was  contracted  on  March  25,  1833,  and,  with  compound  interest,  would  to- 
day amount  to — let  the  man  with  the  horse-shoe  problem  work  it  out !  A  peculiar 
and  primitive  feature  of  this  ledger  is  the  omission  of  the  first  names  of  manj'  of 
the  customers,  which  indicates  a  most  delightfully  close  association  between  Mr. 
Pierce  and  them.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  Smith,  Brown,  and  Robinson  strolling  into 
the  store  in  the  evening  from  their  comfortable  homes  at  the  West  End  to  indulge  in 
a  bit  of  political  discussion,  and  suddenly  remembering  as  the  hour  for  closing  ar- 
rived the  commissions  of  their  thoughtful  wives  for  tea,  coffee  and  sugar.  While 
there  m.ay  have  been  many  of  the  same  name  m  the  town,  it  would  have  seemed  to 
the  genial  storekeeper  an  unnecessary  use  of  time  and  ink  to  write  out  in  full  on  his 
account  books  the  names  of  his  friends  and  next-door  neighbors,  so  all  their  com- 
mercial transactions  were  indicated  by  the  names  by  which  they  were  most  famil- 
iarly known. 

One  of  the  earh-  patrons  of  the  firm  was  George  W.  Vinton,  the  noted  restaurant 
keeper,  who  opened  an  account  on  December  14,  1831.  Peter  Brigham,  another 
famous  caterer,  made  his  first  recorded  purchase  on  June  8,  1833,  and  the  celebrated 
founder  of  the  Parker  House  the  same  year  observed  Washington's  birthday  by  be- 
coming a  patron  of  the  store, — a  patronage  that  lasted  as  long  as  he  lived,  and  was 
continued  by  his  successors.  James  Parker,  a  wealthy,  eccentric  gentleman,  who,  on 
his  deathbed  gave  orders  that  his  pet  horse  should  be  shot,  that  he  might  be  sure  it 
would  not  fall  into  unkind  hands,  inaugurated  an  account  with  the  firm  on  March  4, 
1833,  and  on  November  25  of  that  year  appears  the  name  of  Samuel  Adams,  but  not 
the  historic  Sam  who  had  died  thirty  years  before.  John  Wilson,  whose  great  print- 
ing-office is  still  one  of  the  features  of  Cambridge,  opened  an  account  on  No- 
vember 27,  1831,  and  Nathan  Hale,  the  founder  of  the  Advertiser,  on  May  12,  1832. 
On  December  24  of  the  same  year  the  famous  Dr.  Francis  Parkman  became  a  cus- 
tomer of  the  firm.  Mr.  Pierce  was  a  member  of  the  fire  companies  of  those  days,  so 
it  is  not  surprising  to  find  recorded  on  his  ledger  sales  to  Adventure  No.  1  and  En- 
gine Company  No.  18.     The  Ej-e  and  Ear  Infirmary  was  also  another  public  institu- 

76 


603  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

tion  that  made  its  purchases  at  the  little  store  on  the  corner  of  Tremont  and  Court 
streets  during  the  first  years  of  its  existence. 

With  such  a  list  of  customers  rapidly  increasing  in  numbers,  it  was  inevitable  that 
the  wheelbarrow  must  be  discarded  for  a  more  commodious  vehicle  for  the  delivery 
of  goods,  and  a  handcart  was  introduced.  As  trade  was  pushed  beyond  the  West 
End  not  only  were  better  facilities  for  carrying  trade  demanded,  but  more  rapid 
transit  had  to  be  introduced.  And  this  led  to  the  use,  for  the  first  time  in  the  grocery 
business  of  Boston,  of  a  horse  and  wagon  for  this  purpose.  To-day  the  same  firm 
has  in  constant  use  in  the  delivery  department  fifty-nine  horses  and  wagons,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  use  it  makes  of  city  expresses  carrying  for  it  goods  at  its  own  expense. 
But  this  is  but  one  item  of  its  business.  The  firm  of  S.  S.  Pierce  &  Co.  to-day  sends 
its  goods  not  only  into  every  State  in  the  Union,  but  across  the  sea  as  far  as  St. 
Petersburg  and  the  west  coast  of  Africa.  Even  back  as  far  as  the  time  when  this 
country  was  engaged  in  breaking  up  the  slave  trade  on  the  African  coast  the  officers 
of  the  cruisers  depended  on  this  house  to  supply  them  with  luxuries  not  included  in 
the  rations  of  the  government,  and  there  is  a  story  told  that  at  one  time,  when  the 
extras  gave  out  and  "hardtack"  and  "salt  horse"  were  for  days  the  unpalatable 
food  of  these  fastidious  epicures,  the  arrival  of  a  consignment  of  goods  from  the  Bos- 
ton grocers  was  made  the  occasion  of  the  most  hilarious  antics.  Before  the  edibles  and 
drinkables  could  be  carried  to  quarters,  the  boxes  were  unceremoniously  broken  open 
on  "Afric's  burning  sands,"  and  bottles  of  champagne  bearing  the  familiar  brand 
were  hugged  lovingly  by  blue-coated  arms.  During  the  Rebellion  supplies  were  sent 
to  the  naval  vessels  wherever  they  could  be  reached. 

One  of  the  special  features  of  the  house  has  always  been  direct  importations  of  the 
finest  qualities  of  foreign  merchandise.  Its  managers  send  to  the  farthest  corners  of 
the  earth  for  goods,  and  many  of  these  orders  go  out  without  limit  as  regards  price, 
they  believing  that  this  is  the  only  way  to  be  sure  of  securing  the  best  quality,  and 
the}^  will  have  no  other.  One  house  in  Bordeaux  has  been  furnishing  the  firm  with 
the  highest  grades  of  wines  for  nearly  fifty  years.  The  great  advantage  to  the  cus- 
tomer from  direct  importation  is  that  the  firm  stands  directly  between  the  producer 
and  the  consumer,  and  the  charges  of  middlemen  are  thus  reduced  to  the  very  small- 
est minimum.  The  extent  of  this  importing  business  is  simply  marvelous.  There 
is  but  one  house  in  New  England  that  pays  as  much  money  in  duties  at  the  custom- 
house, and  that  single  exception  does  a  commission  business,  and  imports  anything 
that  anybody  may  want.  The  importing  done  by  S.  S.  Pierce  &  Co.  is  confined 
largely  to  fancy  groceries,  cigars,  wines  and  perfumery.  The  duty  on  cigars  is  vQxy 
heavy,  and  counts  up  fast.  The  same  high  integrity  which  has  characterized  the 
dealing  of  the  firm  with  its  customers  prevails  in  its  business  with  the  government. 

For  twenty  years  there  has  not  been  even  a  question  as  to  any  invoice,  and  its 
statement  as  to  values  has  alwaj^s  been  accepted  as  correct.  The  changes  which  are 
constantly  going  on  in  the  taste  of  the  people,  and  the  introduction  of  new  articles  of 
diet,  have  produced  quite  a  revolution  in  the  importing  business.  Before  the  day  of 
gelatine  Russian  isinglass  was  used  exclusively  in  the  manufacture  of  jellies,  and  it 
cost  at  one  time  as  high  as  eighteen  dollars  a  pound.  Once  the  firm  was  compelled 
to  send  into  the  interior  of  Russia  for  its  supply,  which  had  to  be  carted  in  dog  sleds 
through  the  great  forests  of  that  country  to  a  seaboard  town  for  shipment  to  this 


BIOGRAPHIES.  603 

country.  That  business  is  now  at  an  end.  At  one  time  so  little  oatmeal  was  con- 
sumed in  New  England  that  all  the  stock  needed  to  supply  the  demand  for  gruel  was 
kept  in  a  drawer  no  larger  than  is  used  for  spices.  Now  the  firm  imports  Irish  oat- 
meal in  lots  of  twenty  tons,  and  that  raised  in  this  country  is  bought  by  the  carload. 

One  of  the  best  evidences  that  can  be  offered  of  the  confidence  which  the  com- 
munity has  in  the  honesty  and  fair  dealing  of  the  firm,  and  of  the  success  which  the 
present  managers  have  had  in  upholding  in  every  way  the  high  standard  set  by  the 
founder  of  the  house,  is  the  retention,  through  three  generations,  of  the  patronage 
of  the  families  who  were  its  first  customers.  The  name  of  John  H.  Rogers  is  to  be 
found  on  the  books  of  the  firm  as  earty  as  October  28,  1831,  and  his  account  was  con- 
tinued until  his  death,  some  time  ago.  Edward  Austin,  who  opened  an  account  a 
few  da^'s  later,  is  still  a  customer.  The  firm  of  French  &  Emmons  began  buying 
goods  of  the  firm  on  November  18,  1831,  and  one  of  the  partners  is  still  a  patron  of 
the  house.  John  Codman  has  been  a  continuous  customer  since  February  4,  1832 ; 
Horatio  Hammond,  who  was  recently  buried  with  military  honors  at  Bermuda,  made 
his  first  purchase  of  the  firm  on  January  18,  1833.  Then  there  are  the  descendants 
of  Thomas  Lamb,  John  Codman,  John  Reed,  B.  W.  Crowninshield,  Samuel  Q.  Coch- 
ran, and  many  others,  who  are  continuing  in  the  footsteps  of  their  ancestors,  first 
made  as  far  back  as  1832. 

The  firm  has  successfully  resisted  the  strong  temptation  and  tendency  in  the  gro- 
cery trade  to  buy  cheaper  goods,  which  are  said  to  be  just  as  good  as  the  higher- 
priced  articles.  And  this  recalls  a  remark  made  by  one  of  its  most  distinguished  and 
oldest  customers.  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes.  A  gentleman  told  him  he  had  found 
a  place  where  he  could  buy  groceries  cheaper  than  they  could  be  obtained  at  S.  S. 
Pierce's.  "I  can't  afford  to  buy  anything  cheaper  than  what  they  sell,"  replied  the 
doctor.  The  increase  of  business  has  been  steady  every  year  since  the  firm  was  es- 
tablished. *A11  through  the  years  of  panic  and  depression,  and  even  when  prices 
were  at  the  highest,  business  was  best.  So  that  at  the  present  time  it  is  eight  times 
larger  than  it  was  twenty  years  ago.  Besides  the  great  retail  store  on  the  original 
site  (erected  in  1883),  the  firm  owns  the  immense  Pierce  Building,  in  Copley  Square 
(erected  in  1887),  in  which  a  branch  retail  business  is  conducted,  while  the  wholesale 
business  and  the  storage  of  the  bulk  of  stock  have  been  concentrated  in  the  new 
building  at  the  head  of  Central  Wharf,  next  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  (erected  in 
1891.) 


THOMAS   NICKERSON. 

Thomas  Nickerson  was  a  native  of  Brewster,  Mass.,  a  member  of 
the  widely  connected  family  of  that  name,  who  have  inhabited  that 
part  of  Massachusetts  for  generations.  He  was  born  in  1810,  the 
youngest  of  five  brothers,  all  left  fatherless  and  almost  penniless  in 
their  youth.  From  Cape  Cod  they  came  to  Boston,  where  Joseph,  the 
eldest,  and  Thomas  became  well  known  in  railroad  circles.   The  former, 


604  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

whose  biography  appears  elsewhere  in  this  vohime,  was  once  the 
largest  shareholder  in  the  Atchison  and  New  Mexico  railroads,  and  was 
always  the  staunch  friend  of  these  enterprises.  Frederick,  another 
brother,  was  at  his  death  a  director  of  the  Union  Pacific  Company.  All 
of  these  brothers  were  evidently  possessed  of  superior  business  quali- 
ties, as  their  success  shows.  From  poverty  they  all  came  to  wealth  by 
their  own  industry  and  effort. 

Mr.  Nickers(jn,  after  some  reverses  in  his  early  store-keeping,  formed 
a  partnership  with  Pliny  Nickerson  for  the  ownership  and  management 
of  vessels.  The  firm  of  Nickerson  &  Company  was  for  thirty  years 
one  of  the  best  houses  in  the  city.  Its  fleet  was  once  the  largest  in  the 
United  vStates.  Anticipating  the  decline  in  maritime  commerce,  Mr. 
Nickerson  retired  from  the  firm  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  to  give 
his  attention  to  railroading,  in  which  he  had  become  largely  interested. 
Although  he  had  been  prominently  identified  with  the  shipping  inter- 
ests and  had  been  highly  successful  in  this  line  of  business,  it  was  his 
subsequent  connection  with  railroads  that  most  thoroughly  brought  out 
and  illustrated  his  remarkable  business  ability. 

The  Atchison  Railroad  came  into  the  hands  of  Eastern  parties  in 
1870.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Nickerson  was  elected  one  of 
the  trustees  of  the  Land  Grant  Bonds,  and  in  that  capacity,  in  connec- 
tion with  a  committee  from  the  Board  of  Directors,  composed  of  Mr. 
Emmons  Raymond  and  Mr.  Alden  Speare,  reappraised  all  of  the  lands 
which  would  come  to  the  railroad  company,  and  by  such  reappraisal 
saved  to  the  company  more  than  two  millions  of  dollars. 

In  May,  1871,  Mr.  Nickerson  was  elected  a  director  of  the  Atchison 
road.*  In  May,  1873,  vice-president.  The  road  had  been  completed 
early  in  the  year  1873  and  a  certificate  of  acceptance  had  gone  to  Wash- 
ington ;  biit  the  road,  except  the  first  one  hundred  miles,  was  without 
business  or  connection  beyond  the  western  line  of  the  State,  wath  the 
exception  of  two  feeble  stage  lines,  one  to  Santa  Fe  and  the  other  to 
Pueblo.  For  the  year  previous  the  Atchison  company,  in  order  to  se- 
cure money,  had  been  obliged  to  secure  the  endorsement  of  the  direc- 
tors of  the  road  on  its  paper.  It  soon  became  apparent  that  the  road 
could  not  pay  the  interest  on  its  bonds,  and  a  scheme  was  drawn  up 
looking  to  extension  of  a  portion  of  its  coupons.  In  this,  the  then 
president,  Henry  wStrong,  did  not  sympathize,  but  preferred  that  the 
road  should  go  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver.  Mr.  Nickerson,  on  the 
other  hand,  was  fully  determined  that  the  road  should  not  go  into  the 


BIOGRAPHIES.  605 

hands  of  a  receiver,  and  that  the  funding-  scheme  of  the  coupons  should 
be  carried  through.  This,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of  the  presi- 
dent, with  the  liearty  co-operation  of  the  otlier  directors  of  the  road, 
Mr.  Nickerson,  by  his  prompt  and  able  inanagement,  was  able  to  ac- 
complish, and  many  of  the  oldest  directors  and  friends  of  the  road  be- 
lieve that  this  one  act  of  Mr.  Nickerson's  was  not  only  manifestly  for 
the  advantage  of  the  road,  but  for  all  parties  who  had  any  interests  in 
Western  enterprises,  and  to  him,  more  than  to  any  other  person,  should 
be  given  the  credit  of  its  successful  accomplishment. 

In  May,  1874,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  road,  and  when  he 
retired  iive  years  later,  eight  hundred  miles  of  road  had  been  built, 
and  in  such  a  healthy  condition  were  its  affairs  that  the  first  bonds 
were  worth  130,  second  mortgage  bonds  sold  at  par,  and  the  stock 
at  11(». 

Mr.  Nickerson,  while  president  of  the  Atchison  road,  was  selected  as 
the  man  best  adapted  to  harmonize  the  New  York  and  Boston  parties 
in  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  road.  The  directory  of  this  company  w^as 
made  up  of  representatives  in  equal  numbers  of  the  Atchison  and  St. 
Louis  and  San  Francisco  companies.  Ten  million  dollars  were  immedi- 
ately subscribed,  and  its  bonds  were  marketed  at  a  premium,  when 
the  Mexican  Central  Company  was  organized  to  build  from  El  Paso  to 
the  capital,  1,100  to  1,200  miles,  and  unanimously  elected  Mr.  Nicker- 
S(jn  president,  which  position  he  most  ably  filled  until  August  4,  1884. 
Besides  these  railroad  enterprises  he  was  interested  in  numerous  minor 
projects  of  similar  character  in  many  parts  of  the  country. 

As  a  railroad  projector  and  inanager  he  was  remarkably  successful, 
but  so  quietly  and  inodestly  did  he  go  about  his  work  that  the  world  at 
large  knew  comparatively  little  of  him.  Only  his  intimate  associates 
and  those  brought  within  close  contact  with  him  fully  appreciated  his 
strong  and  vigorous  personality.  The  world  has  been  told  often  and 
much  about  most  of  the  leading  railroad  projectors  of  the  country,  but 
the  extreme  modesty  of  Mr.  Nickerson  prevented  any  reference  to  him- 
self, except  in  reports  of  meetings  of  his  various  companies.  It  was 
always  a  peculiar  feature  of  his  character  to  keep  out  of  sight,  at  least 
out  of  public  gaze.  He  was  always  a  plain,  hard  working  inan,  and 
while  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  from  business,  when  he  had  proba- 
bly as  great  and  substantial  a  financial  following  as  any  man  in  the 
country,  he  was  less  known  to  the  public  than  a  score  of  others  far  less 
deserving  of  mention. 


606  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Mr.  Nickerson  resided  for  many  years  in  Boston,  but  during  the  latter 
years  of  his  life  resided  at  Newton  Centre.  He  was  connected  with  the 
Baptist  Church;  had  been  superintendent  of  a  Sunday-school,  and  took 
a  leading-  part  in  missionary  and  benevolent  society  circles.  He  was  a 
liberal  g'iver,  and  contributed  largely  to  mission  and  home  charities. 
He  took  an  interest,  but  not  an  active  part  in  politics,  although  he  was 
at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from  Boston,  and  held  several 
positions  of  public  trust. 

Personally,  Mr.  Nickerson  was  of  a  genial  and  hospitable  nature. 
He  was  as  simple  in  his  tastes  as  a  New  England  farmer,  but  denied 
himself  no  comfort  or  luxury.  Any  extravagance  in  business  or  on  his 
farm  displeased  him.  While  he  had  but  little  time  for  social  pleasure, 
he  was  fond  of  company,  and  was  a  generous  host.  He  was  in  many 
re.spects  what  we  are  pleased  to  call  in  America,  "a  self-made  man  " 
in  the  best  sense  of  the  term.  He  first  had  to  build  himself,  and  hav- 
ing laid  a  good  foundation  and  builded  carefully,  he  was  strong  him- 
self and  a  tower  of  strength  to  others.  Men  do  not  fail  to  find  merit 
where  it  exists,  and  the  eminent  qualities  of  his  heart  and  head  have 
been  recognized  and  honored  by  his  associates. 

He  died  at  Newton  Centre,  Juh^  24,  1<S01,  leaving  three  children: 
Theodore,  his  only  sou,  who  was  associated  with  his  father  in  some  of 
his  railroad  projects;  Mrs.  T.  L.  Rogers  and  Mrs.  Edward  H.  Mason, 
all  of  whom  lived  near  their  father's  residence.  Mr.  Nickerson's  wife 
died  just  one  year  prior  to  his  death,  and  from  that  shock  he  never  fully 
recovered. 


GEORGE   C.   LORD. 

George  C.  Lord,  son  of  George  and  Olive  (Jefferds)  Lord,  was  born 
in  Kennebunk,  Me.,  February  27,  1823.  He  was  descended  from 
Nathan  Lord,  who  came  from  England  in  1636  and  settled  in  Kittery, 
Me.  Until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  he  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town,  and  in  1839  came  to  Boston  and  entered  as  clerk  the 
store  of  Holbrook,  Carter  &  Co. ,  a  dry  goods  house  on  Kilby  street. 
After  remaining  there  about  four  years  he  became  in  1843,  at  the  age 
of  twenty,  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Damon  &  Howe,  wholesale  grocers, 
on   Long  Wharf.      Though  still  a  young  man,  he  displayed  a  special 


BIOGRAPHIES.  607 

aptitude  for  business,  and  with  a  character  of  which  integrity,  industry 
and  intelligence  were  the  ingredients,  he  successfully  crossed  the 
threshold  of  a  career  in  which  he  became  one  of  the  substantial  and 
respected  merchants  of  Boston.  In  1847  he  formed  with  his  brother, 
Charles  H.  Lord,  the  firm  of  George  C.  Lord  &  Co.,  which  for  many 
years  was  largely  engaged  in  the  shipping  business  and  built  and  inan- 
aged  a  fleet  of  ships  and  barks  which  found  their  way  into  the  waters 
of  every  sea.  Before  the  outbreak  of  the  war  they  built  the  following 
vessels,  a  list  of  which  has  an  interest  as  showing  what  at  that  time 
must  have  been  the  amount  of  Boston  capital  invested  in  navigation, 
when  so  large  a  tonnage  was  launched  and  managed  by  a  single  firm : 

Name.  Tonnage.        Built  at.  Name.  Tonnage.        Built  at. 

Ship  Crimea 899,   Kennebunk  Ship  Ruthven 903,  Kennebunk 

Ship  Wm.  Lord,  jr... _1,24T,  "  Ship  Charles  H.  Lord.    939, 

Ship  Ina  Russell 1,183,  "  Ship  Wales 791,   Bath 

Ship  H.  M.  Hayes 1,370,  "  Ship  Kearsage 1,000,  Newbur3-p't 

Ship  Regtilator 908,  "  Ship  Arracan 819,   E.Boston 

Ship  International 1,003,  "  Bark  Union 666,   Kennebunk 

Ship  Josephus 752,  "  Bark  Hesper  . . .   640,             " 

Shijj  Waban 706,  "  Bark  Henry  Ware. 

Ship  G.  W.  Bourne 663,  "  Bark  Bennington. 

Ship  Ophelia 596,  ' '  Bark  Holyoke. 

Ship  Otonoco 548,  " 

These  vessels  sailed  largely  under  charters,  though  occasionally 
loaded  wholly  or  in  part  on  the  owners'  account,  and  their  flags  were 
familiar  objects  in  the  ports  of  Liverpool,  New  Orleans,  San  Francisco, 
Cadiz,  Valparaiso,  Calcutta,  China  and  Australia.  Their  captains 
belonged  to  the  aristocracy  of  the  ocean,  and  included  such  navigators 
as  William  Kelley,  William  Chatfield,  Isaac  Smith,  Tobias  Lord,  David 
firuwn,  Hiram  Xewcomb,  John  H.  and  Hiram  Perkins,  C.  B.  Williams, 
Edgar  Paine,  John  Wallace,  John  C.  Lord,  W.  H.  Harding,  G.  M. 
Edwards,  Wm.  B.  Nason,  John  W.  Barker,  A.  N.  Williams,  C.  Thomas, 
Capt.  wSeavey,  William  Williams  and  Noah  Mason. 

At  the  decline  of  navigation  during  the  war  many  of  these  vessels 
were  sold  in  London  to  British  owners,  and  Mr.  Lord  gradually  with- 
drew from  active  business  on  his  own  account.  The  firm  of  George  C. 
Lord  &  Co.,  however,  continued  with  Charles  H.  Lord,  a  brother  of 
George  C.  Lord,  Robert  W.  Lord,  a  son,  and  Charles  W.  Lord  as  its 
members,  until  the  death  of  Charles  H.  Lord  in  180'2,  when  the  firm 
was  dissolved. 


608  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Aboiit  1805  i\Ir.  Lord  was  chosen  president  of  the  New  England 
Mutual  Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Company,  and  until  1881  devoted 
himself  to  its  service.  This  company  under  the  presidency  of  Mr. 
Lord  rapidly  increased  its  business,  and  when  he  retired  from  its  con- 
trol it  had  become  one  of  the  strongest  in  New  England.  Associated 
with  him  in  its  management  as  directors  were  some  of  the  leading 
capitalists  and  ablest  business  men  in  Boston,  among  them  being 
Henry  L.  Richardson,  John  Gardner,  J.  Gushing  Edmands,  Isaac 
Taylor,  Ezra  H.  Baker,  Alpheus  Hardy,  Osborn  Howes  and  Jacob  W. 
Seaver. 

In  18G6  he  was  made  a  director  in  the  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad, 
in  1880  vice-president,  and  in  1881  president,  at  that  time  resigning  his 
position  as  president  of  the  insurance  company.  In  1880  he  resigned, 
having  seen  during  his  presidency  the  business  of  the  road  multiplied 
seven  times.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  director  of  the  Second 
National  Bank  of  Boston,  the  Boston  Safety  Deposit  Company,  the 
American  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  the  John  Hancock  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Company,  the  Worcester,  Nashua  and  Rochester  Railroad, 
the  York  Harbor  and  Beach  Railroad,  and  the  Newton  and  Watertown 
Gas  Light  Company. 

Mr.  Lord  married  September  23,  1840,  Marion  Ruthven,  daughter 
of  Robert  Waterston,  the  head  of  the  large  and  well  known  dry  goods 
house  of  Waterston,  Pray  &  Co.,  and  sister  of  Rev.  Robert  C.  Waters- 
ton,  of  Boston.  In  184G  he  became  a  resident  in  Newton,  and  until  his 
death  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  that  town,  assisting  in  the 
formation  and  aiding  in  the  support  of  the  Free  Library;  and  especially 
earnest  and  liberal  as  a  member  of  the  Channing  Unitarian  Church. 
He  died  at  his  home  in  Newton  February  23,  1803.  No  man  received, 
or  deserved,  a  larger  share  of  the  respect  of  the  community  in  which 
he  lived.  He  belonged  to  that  class  which  in  these  days  of  speculation 
is  unfortunately  not  enlarging,  from  which  the  testator  selects  an  exec- 
utor or  trustee,  and  contending  parties  seek  a  referee.  His  good  sense, 
his  love  of  justice,  his  untainted  integrity,  his  fearless  independence, 
were  traits  which  his  fellows  early  discovered  and  did  not  fail  to  make 
use  of. 

The  various  corporations  with  which  Mr.  Lord  was  connected  adopted 
at  his  death  resolutions  eulogizing  his  worth.  The  directors  of  John 
Hancock  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  placed  upon  the  records  of 
the  company,  among  other  tributes  to  his  memory,  the  following: 


BIOGRAPHIES.  609 

Mr.  Lord  was  remarkable  for  the  calmness  and  correctness  of  his  judgments.  No 
matter  how  momentous  the  qtiestions  at  issue,  or  how  disturbing  the  conditions  sur- 
rounding them,  he  was  always  cool  and  deliberate;  his  conclusions  were  based  upon 
correct  reasoning,  and  were  never  controlled,  or  even  influenced,  by  the  excitement  of 
the  moment. 

He  was  by  nature  kind  to  all  and  considerate  of  the  feelings  of  others,  generous 
with  his  advice,  his  active  assistance  and  his  means  to  all  causes  that  benefit  man- 
kind. These  qualities  he  showed  with  such  a  naturalness  and  freedom  from  ostenta- 
tion, that  it  was  apparent  he  was  unconscious  of  his  unselfishness,  and  that  he  per- 
formed these  acts  of  kindness  without  thinking  that  he  was  doing  in  anj'  way  differ- 
ently from  what  every  one  else  would  do. 


BENJAMIN  S.   ROTCH. 

Bexj.amin  S.  Rotch  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  March  4,  1817.  He 
belonged  to  a  family  distinguished  in  several  generations  for  commer- 
cial enterprise  and  success,  for  intelligence  and  refinement,  and  their 
engaging  social  qualities.  To  his  great-grandfather,  William  Rotch, 
of  Nantucket,  belongs  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  prominent 
founders  of  the  prosperity  of  New  Bedford,  and  being  the  first  to  estab- 
lish our  whale  fisheries  in  Europe.  It  was  from  one  of  his  ships  (the  his- 
toric Dartmouth)  that  the  tea  was  emptied  into  Boston  harbor,  a  some- 
what curious  coincidence,  as  it  was  from  another  of  his  vessels  that  the 
American  flag  was  first  unfurled  in  the  River  Thames.  Of  such  an- 
cestry Mr.  Rotch  was  a  fitting  representative.  From  them  he  inherited 
a  character  of  uncommon  strength  and  beauty.  From  the  beginning 
he  lived  up  to  the  fainily  traditions,  and  his  whole  life  was  the  embodi- 
ment of  the  finer  eleinents  of  the  race  to  which  he  belonged. 

After  a  thorough  preparatory  course,  he  entered  Harvard  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  honor  in  1838,  being  marshal  of  the 
class  which  numbered  among  its  members  Lowell,  Eustis,  Devens, 
Story,  and  many  other  well-known  men.  He  never  lost  his  interest  in 
the  college,  but  was  always  alive  to  its  well  being,  watching  with 
jealous  thoughtfulness  the  new  measures,  which  from  time  to  time  were 
introduced  there,  and  read}^  to  render  any  service  that  he  might,  offi- 
cially or  otherwise,  in  departments  where  his  own  attainments  fitted  him 
to  be  particularly  useful. 

He  began  life  as  a  merchant  in  New  Bedford,  but  had  no  especial 
fondness  for  the  laborious  and  common  place  routine  of  mercantile  pur- 
77 


610  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

suits.  Soon  abandoning"  a  field  of  activity  uncongenial  to  his  tastes  and 
inclinations,  he  turned  his  attention  toward  manufacturing,  and  in  early 
life  did  much  to  promote  the  industries  of  New  Bedford.  With  his 
brother,  William,  he  founded  the  New  Bedford  Cordage  Company, 
which  still  remains  a  monument  of  his  energy  arid  ability.  Later  on 
he  was  one  of  the  first  to  discover  and  develop  the  value  of  the  McKay 
sewing  machine,  which  has  since  won  a  world  wide  reputation. 

Mr.  Rotch  was  married  in  1846  to  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Abbott  Lawrence,  and  accompanied  the  latter  to  England  when  he  was 
appointed  minister  at  the  Court  of  St.  James.  It  was  during  this  and 
subsequent  visits  to  Europe  that  he  had  the  opportunity  to  improve 
and  cultivate  that  interest  in  the  fine  arts  which  rendered  his  influence 
most  valuable  in  this  community.  Gifted  with  a  refined  taste  and  sensi- 
tive feeling  for  form  and  color,  his  careful  study  of  foreign  collections, 
supplemented  by  practical  work,  made  him  a  competent  and  fastidious 
critic,  as  well  as  a  painter,  whose  landscapes  have  been  shown  to  ad- 
vantage in  our  local  exhibitions.  He  was  keenly  alive  to  the  impossi- 
bility of  suddenly  producing  in  a  strictly  commercial  community  works 
of  art  of  the  highest  excellence,  yet  he  was  ever  ready  with  a  kind  word 
and  generous  hand  to  help  forward  its  cause.  Many  a  struggling  artist 
will  remember  gratefully  the  timely  help  which  was  so  unostentatiously 
and  freely  given.  For  several  years  before  his  death  he  gave  much 
thought  to  the  question,  of  how  he  could  best  advance  the  interest  of 
art  in  this  country,  and  decided  that  architecture,  in  which  he  had  edu- 
cated his  eldest  son,  was  the  branch  which  most  needed  encourage 
ment,  it  being  the  art  whose  development  in  a  new  country  naturally 
preceded  the  less  practical  ones  of  painting  and  sculpture.  His  sud- 
den death  came  before  his  plans  were  matured,  and  it  became  a  pious 
duty  for  his  heirs,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  to  carry  out  his  inten- 
tions. It  was  decided  to  found,  as  a  memorial,  a  traveling  scholarship 
for  students  of  architecture.  The  high  degree  of  success  which  has  at- 
tended this  the  first  traveling  scholarship  in  this  country,  has  inspired  a 
number  of  similar  foundations,  so  that  its  good  influence  has  extended 
far  beyond  its  owns  beneficiaries.  It  has  been  a  decided  factor  in  guid- 
ing and  helping  on  the  movement  among  us  for  a  truer  appreciation  of 
art,  and  for  a  larger  development  and  better  training  of  our  native  ar- 
tistic talent. 

Unobtrusive  and  retiring  in  disposition,  Mr.  Rotch  had  no  desire  for 
political  or  official  prominence,  but  he  nevertheless  exerted  marked  in- 


BIOGRAPHIES'.  Gil 

fluence  in  the  commimity,  and  in  private,  and  in  many  ways  worked  for 
the  good  of  society.  His  good  judgment  made  him  a  wise  counselor, 
and  his  unswerving  and  fearless  regard  for  truth  and  justice  made  him 
often  a  champion  of  those  who  had  none  other  to  befriend  them.  His 
critical  judgment  was  constantly  appealed  to  in  all  artistic  matters,  and 
for  many  years  he  served  most  acceptably  as  trustee  of  the  Athenaeum 
and  of  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts.  He  also  for  many  years  was  a  trus- 
tee of  the  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology, the  Perkins  Institute  for  the  Blind,  and  an  overseer  of  Harvard 
College,  while  for  eight  years  he  served  as  aid  on  the  staff  of  Governor 
Briggs,  with  the  rank  of  colonel. 

During  the  period  of  the  late  civil  war  Mr.  Rotch,  a  strong  Republi- 
can, was  prevented  from  going  into  active  service  by  imperative  duties 
to  his  sick  wife,  but  he  gave  his  ardent  energy  and  lavishly  of  his 
wealth  to  help  the  Union  cause.  At  the  time  when  Charles  Sumner 
was  practically  ostracized  by  the  aristocratic  set  in  Boston,  Mr.  Rotch 's 
home  was  alwaj'-s  open  to  the  senator,  and  a  life  long  friendship  was 
deepened  under  these  trials. 

Mr.  Rotch  was  a  member  of  the  leading  social  and  artists'  clubs  of 
Boston,  but  enjoyed  especially  the  refined  atmosphere  of  the  Wednes- 
day and  Thursday  Evening  Clubs.  In  the  closer  relations  of  life  he 
was  a  delightful  companion,  yet  so  retiring  and  sensitive  was  his  nature 
that  the  privilege  of  his  intimate  friendship  was  extended  to  but  a  few, 
but  by  those  wdio  were  so  fortunate  as  to  have  shared  it  he  will  be  long 
remembered.  His  interest  in  agriculture  found  expression  in  his  farm 
in  Milton,  to  which  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  import  rare  Alderneys  and 
Jerseys.  For  several  years  he  w^as  an  active  member  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Agriculture,  and  took  a  lively  inter- 
ests in  its  deliberations.  He  was  a  religious  minded  man,  careful  to 
fulfill  his  duties  in  the  church  to  which  he  belonged,  being  at  the  time 
of  his  death  the  senior  warden  of  Emanuel  Church. 

Mr.  Rotch  died  suddenly  at  his  summer  house  in  Milton,  August  19, 
1882,  and  is  survived  by  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  His  wife  died 
in  1893. 


RICHARD    SULLIVAN  FAY. 

Mr.   Fay  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  June  15,  1806,  and  was  the 
son  of  Hon.  Samuel  Prescott  Phillips  Fay,  judge  of  probate  in  Middle- 


612  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

sex  county.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools*  of  that  town,  and  entered 
Harvard  College  in  1821,  being  graduated  in  1825  with  good  distinc- 
tions as  a  scholar.  Among  his  classmates  were  Charles  Francis  Adams, 
Rev.  Frederick  H.  Hedge,  Rev.  S.  K.  Lothrop,  John  L.  Sibley,  Sears 
C.  Walker,  and  many  others  who  distinguished  themselves  by  useful 
and  honorable  service.  At  the  close  of  his  college  career  he  entered 
upon  the  study  of  law  at  the  law  school  in  Northampton  when  that  in- 
stitution held  a  high  place  under  the  direction  of  some  of  the  most 
brilliant  lawyers  in  the  Commonwealth.  He  established  himself  in 
business  in  Boston  in  connection  with  Jonathan  Chapman,  who  became 
a  leader  at  the  vSuffolk  bar,  and  mayor  of  the  city  of  Boston. 

In  1832  Mr.  Fay  married  Catherine  Sanders,  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Dudley  L.  Pickman,  of  Salem,  and  resided  many  years  in  Boston  in  the 
diligent  and  active  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1848  he  took  his 
family  to  Europe,  and  after  an  extended  journey  on  the  continent  he 
took  up  his  residence  in  England,  where  he  resided  for  several  years 
on  an  estate  in  Shrop.shire,  known  as  Moor  Park,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  cultivated  of  those  landed  properties  of  England,  in  which 
are  combined  the  elegance  and  kixury  of  a  well  appointed  home,  and 
the  best  practical  system  of  agriculture.  It  was  undoubtedly  this  ex- 
perience in  England  which  increased  Mr.  Fay's  natural  love  for  rural 
pursuits  and  cultivated  those  tastes  which  made  him  an  ardent  and  use- 
ful promoter  of  agriculture  in  his  native  State,  to-  which  he  returned  in 
1853.  He  had  previou.sly  purchased  a  large  estate  in  Essex  county, 
known  as  Lynn  Mineral  Spring  Hotel,  comprising  more  than  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  diversified  land,  in  which  fertile  valleys,  picturesque  and 
rugged  hills,  and  a  beautiful  lake  were  combined.  He  commenced  at 
once  the  improvement  of  this  place,  now  called  Lynnmere,  by  draining 
the  land  and  covering  the  hills  with  immense  trees,  many  of  which  he 
planted  with  his  own  hands.  He  imported  larches,  maples,  firs  and 
pines  in  large  quantities,  planted  acorns  constantly  in  his  walks  about 
the  estate,  and  succeeded  in  converting  a  rough  and  a  somewhat  unat- 
tractive landscape  into  a  variegated  forest,  through  which  winds  an  ave- 
nue of  great  beauty,  bordered  by  deciduous  and  evergreen  trees  dis- 
tribi:ted  with  great  taste,  and  constituting  a  charming  combination  of 
variety  and  luxuriance  of  foliage.  The  forest  which  Mr.  Fay  planted 
has  now  become  a  profitable  woodland.  The  bare  hills  which  he  cov- 
ered with  vScotch  larches,  the  rude  stone  walls,  and  the  waste  pasture, 
where  originally  there  was  only  a  growth  of  red  cedar  and  huckleberry 


BIOGRAPHIES.  G13 

bushes,  through  which  the  approach  to  the  house  led,  have  given  way 
to  shade  trees  of  great  variety,  which  now,  after  fort}^  years,  are  in 
magnificent  beauty.  Huge  rocks  were  drawn  out  of  the  soil  now  ver- 
dant in  lawn,  grass-fields  and  rich  crops.  The  place  is  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  in  New  England  in  natural  beauty,  and  in  its  present  con- 
dition is  a  memorial  of  the  taste  and  genius  of  the  man  who  developed 
and  added  to  its  attractiveness. 

In  addition  to  this  extensive  forest  and  ornamental  tree  culture,  Mr. 
Fay  encouraged  by  precept  and  practice  many  of  the  most  important 
branches  of  agriculture  which  belong  especially  to  the  practical  farmer. 
While  in  England  he  had  observed  the  importance  attached  to  sheep 
husbandry,  for  the  production  of  coarse  and  middle  wools,  and  the  sup- 
ply of  mutton  as  a  healthful  and  economical  article  oi  food,  at  that 
time  not  in  general  use  in  this  country.  He  selected  from  all  the  heavy 
and  rapid  growing  breeds  in  England  the  Oxford  Downs  as  larger  than 
the  South  Downs  and  finer  than  the  Cotswold,  and  from  his  large 
flocks  he  made  for  a  long  time  a  wide  distribution  throughout  the  coun- 
tr3\  In  this  branch  of  stock  raising  he  was  considered  as  authority, 
and  in  connection  with  it  he  encouraged  the  growing  of  root  crops,  the 
most  improved  Swedes  and  Mangolds,  which  English  flock  masters  and 
cattle  breeders  consider  indispensable  to  their  calling. 

To  the  establishment  of  market-days  in  Essex  county  Mr.  Fay  gave 
early  and  earnest  attention,  and  contributed  much  instruction  on  this 
system  of  trade,  so  common  in  England,  through  the  agricultural  press 
of  the  countr3\  His  attendance  at  the  meeting  of  farmers  was  fre- 
quent. As  a  trustee  of  the  Massachusetts  Society  for  Promoting  Agri- 
culture, in  which  body  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  George  W.  Lyman,  Chief 
Justice  Bigelow,  George  Peabody,  Charles  G.  Loring,  Stephen  Salis- 
bury, George  B.  Loring,  Leverett  Saltonstall  and  others  were  his  asso- 
ciates, he  did  good  service,  and  edited  the  first  issue  of  the  records  of 
the  society.  As  president  of  the  Essex  Agricultural  Society  he  called 
around  that  association  the  most  eminent  patrons  of  farming  known  in 
the  country  and  did  much  to  place  it  in  the  position  it  now  occupies. 
He  had  a  sincere  love  of  rural  life,  and  although  connected  from  time 
to  time  with  business  enterprises,  he  never  forgot  that  agriculture  is  the 
foundation  of  all  our  prosperity  and  that  a  knowledge  of  its  economies 
and  a  taste  for  its  pursuits  add  much  to  one's  i;sefulness  and  happiness. 

Mr.  Fay  was  a  man  of  great  determination  and  wide  observation. 
His  natural  powers  were  very  great.      Highly   favored  by  fortune,  he 


614  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

never  lost  sight  of  the  efforts  required  for  the  -development  of  human 
enterprises,  and  was  somewhat  impatient  of  those  theories  which  dis- 
turbed society  and  endangered  its  perpetuity  and  success.  He  Hved  in 
a  time  of  great  transitions,  in  which,  although  occupying  no  official 
position,  he  gave  strong  expression  to  his  views  and  equal  impress  to 
his  exertions.  Early  in  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  he  organized 
at  his  own  expense  a  company  known  as  the  Fay  Guards,  which  did 
brave  and  honorable  service  in  the  great  conflict.  This  company  was 
attached  to  the  Thirty-eighth  Massachusetts,  and  was  in  the  following 
engagements:  Port  Hudson,  May  17  to  July  9,  1803;  Cane  River,  La., 
April,  18G4;  Mausura  Plains,  La.,  May,  1804;  Winchester,  Va.,  Sep- 
tember 19,  1804;  Fisher's  Hill,  Va.,  September  21,  1804;  Cedar 
Creek,  Va.,  October  19,  1804.  Mr.  Fay  lived  to  see  the  glorious  and 
happy  termination  of  his  country's  trial.  He  died  in  Liverpool,  July 
6,  1805,  leaving  a  widow  and  four  children. 


HENRY  G.   PARKER. 

CoL.  Henry  Grosvenor  Parker,  son  of  Ebenezer  Grosvenor  and 
Rebecca  Morton  (Davis)  Parker, was  born  in  Plymouth,  Mass.,  March  19, 
1830.  He  received  his  primary  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Plym- 
outh. Later  he  came  to  Boston  and  attended  the  old  Adams  School  on 
Mason  street,  and  was  afterwards  prepared  for  college  at  Chauncey  Hall 
School.  Although  he  had  strong  literary  inclinations,  he  relinquished 
a  collegiate  course  to  enter  upon  a  mercantile  career.  After  passing  a 
year  in  the  wholesale  house  of  Blanchard,  Converse  &  Co.,  he  became 
assistant  bookkeeper  for  the  hardware  firm  of  Callender,  Rogers  &  Co., 
and  was  engaged  in  that  capacity  for  three  years.  He  next  became 
bookkeeper  for  Blodgett,  Clark  &  Brown,  and  three  years  later  was  ap- 
pointed confidential  clerk  for  Jordan,  Marsh  &  Co.,  remaining  in  the 
latter  position  for  seven  years.  He  was  then  offered  and  accepted  the 
treasurership  of  two  mills  operated  by  Francis  Skinner  &  Co.  The 
bankruptcy  of  this  house  put  an  end  to  this  agreement,  and  it  was  then 
that  Colonel  Parker  turned  his  attention  to  journalism,  with  which  he 
had  been  more  or  less  identified  as  a  contributor  since  his  sixteenth 
year.  His  first  article  was  written  for  the  old  Boston  Mail.  Still  later 
he  became  the  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Mirror.,  and  also  wrote 


BIOGRAPHIES.  615 

for  the  Boston  Bee,  the  Boston  Post,  the  Boston  Daily  Courier,  and  the 
Saturday  Evening  Gazette.  When  the  last  named  journal  was  offered 
for  sale  in  1870,  Colonel  Parker  purchased  it.  His  success  as  editor  and 
business  manager  is  well  known.  He  was  one  of  the  first,  if  not  the 
first,  journalist  in  this  county  to  adopt  the  personal  society  news.  This 
innovation  was  not  at  first  received  very  kindly,  more  especially  by  his 
contemporaries,  but  he  continued  until  this  department,  under  the  cap- 
tion of  "Out  and  About,"  was  recog-nized  and  sought  for.  The  wis- 
dom of  the  move  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  many  of  the  journals  that 
were  most  violent  in  their  reprehensions  of  Colonel  Parker,  now  follow 
his  example  with  their  own  departments  for  society  gossip.  The  Ga- 
zette, under  Colonel  Parker's  management,  became  highly  successful, 
and  among  the  few  profitable  papers  of  its  class  in  the  country.  Col- 
onel Parker's  ability  as  a  journalist  was  of  high  order.  He  believed  in 
an  outspoken  expression  of  editorial  opinion,  without  fear  or  favor,  and 
he  made  more  friends  than  enemies  by  this  frank  and  manly  course. 
The  result  was  that  the  Gazette  was  looked  upon  as  an  aiithority  that 
could  always  be  relied  upon  in  those  matters  to  w^hich  it  devoted  special 
attention. 

At  the  Peace  Jubilee  of  1S60  and  the  World's  Peace  Jubilee  of  1872, 
Colonel  Parker  acted  as  general  secretary  of  the  executive  committee; 
and  while  serving  in  that  capacity,  an  acquaintance  previously  existing 
with  Hon.  Alexander  M.  Rice  was  cemented  into  a  warm  friendship. 
When  ]\Ir.  Rice  was  installed  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  he  selected 
Colonel  Parker  as  a  member  of  his  staff.  Colonel  Parker  held  this  po- 
.sition  during  the  three  years  of  Governor  Rice's  administration,  and 
was  again  appointed  by  Governor  Talbot. 

Colonel  Parker  died  May  13,  1892,  after  a  brief  illness,  leaving  a 
widow,  the  daughter  of  the  late  William  Brown,  and  also  survived  by 
his  mother,  Mrs.  George  S.  Tolman,  who  resides  in  Plymouth.  In 
social  life  Colonel  Parker  was  justly  a  favorite,  and  his  cheery  presence 
will  long  be  missed  at  the  Algonquin  and  Suffolk  clubs,  of  which  he  had 
long  been  a  member.  • 

The  following  estimate  of  Colonel  Parker's  character  was  written  by 
one  who  had  long  been  a  close  and  intimate  associate,  and  best  able  to 
judge  of  the  qualities  of  his  mind  and  heart : 

As  a  man,  one  of  his  characteristics  was  frankness  and  admiration  of  frankness  in 
others.  He  was  outspoken  in  the  expression  of  his  opinions,  and  was  tenacious  of 
them,  but  was  always  ready  to  hsten  to  objections,  and  to  adopt  them  on  conviction. 


616-  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

By  nature  he  was  tender  and  amiable,  and  those  who  did  not  know  him  intimately 
were  not  aware  of  the  sweetness  and  kindness  that  lay  behind  a  manner  that  on  the 
surface  was  apparently  aggressive ;  nor  of  the  ease  with  which  his  gentle  emotions 
were  touched.  Though  mainly  known  to  the  community  as  a  business  man,  he  had 
fine  literary  tastes,  was  an  earnest  reader,  and  took  great  delight  in  the  company  of 
men  and  women  of  culture.  His  love  of  music  was  intense,  and  his  taste  in  what  was 
refined  in  artwas  marked.  To  his  friends  he  was  devoted  heart  and  soul,  and  his  loy- 
alty to  them  was  as  enthusiastic  as  it  was  sincere.  As  a  host  he  was  generous  in  his 
hospitality,  and  experienced  genuine  pleasure  in  contributing  to  the  happiness  of 
those  to  whom  his  heart  went  out. 


ADDISON  MACULLAR. 

Addison  Macullar,  founder  of  the  clothing  house  of  Macullar,  Par- 
ker &  Company,  was  born  in  Barre,  Mass.,  December  10,  1822,  and 
died  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  March  11,  1893.  He  was  a  son  of  Horace  N. 
and  Jane  (Kelly)  Macullar.  His  first  regular  employment  was  in  the 
printing  office  of  the  Barrc  Ga.zcttc.  Later  on  he  went  to  Worcester, 
Mass.,  where  he  began  his  mercantile  career  in  1842  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years.  In  March,  1849,  he  commenced  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count under  the  firm  name  of  A.  Maciillar  &  Co.  In  February,  1852, 
he  and  George  B.  Williams  established  a  house  in  Boston  under  the 
firm  name  of  Macullar,  Williams  &  Co.,  for  the  manufacture  of  cloth- 
ing for  the  wholesale  trade.  In  18G0  Charles  W.  Parker  was  admitted 
as  partner,  when  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Macullar,  Williams 
&  Parker,  and  in  1879  to  Macullar,  Parker  &  Company,  continuing  as 
such  until  the  present  time.  Mr.  Parker,  who  for  many  years  has  had 
the  actual  management  of  the  business,  became  associated  with  Mr. 
Macullar  as  a  fellow  clerk  in  Worcester  in  1847,  and  when  the  latter 
opened  a  store  in  Worcester,  accompanied  him,  acting  as  store  boy, 
salesinan  and  book-keeper,  in  fact  was  the  only  employee.  Their  re- 
lationship from  the  days  of  their  association  as  clerks  in  Worcester  to 
file  time  of  Mr.  Macullar's  death  was  particularly  intimate  and  distin- 
guished for  cordial  and  mutual  feelings  of  regard. 

The  firm  of  Macullar,  Parker  &  Company  has  long  occupied  a  fore- 
most position  in  its  special  line  in  New  England,  and  has  been  a  leader 
rather  than  a  follower  in  what  has  grown  to  be  the  principal  industry 
of  Boston.  Its  history  from  the  standpoint  of  financial  success  has 
been  highly  creditable,  while  the  agreeable  and  harmonious  relations 


BIOGRAPHIES.  617 

which  have  ever  characterized  the  intercourse  of  the  individual  mem- 
ber of  the  house,  have  been  particularly  noteworthy.  From  the  incep- 
tion of  the  business  to  the  present  time — a  period  of  forty-three  years 
— there  have  been  probably  as  few  changes  in  the  firm  as  in  any  in 
Boston  covering  the  same  period  of  time.  During  the  latter  years  of 
his  life  Mr.  Macullar  personally  had  little  to  do  with  the  detail  man- 
agement of  the  business,  but  his  name  and  personality  remained  as 
positive  factors  in  its  operations.  His  long  mercantile  career  was  not 
only  singularly  successful,  but  marked,  perhaps,  with  fewer  unpleasant 
features  than  fall  to  the  lot  of  most  business  men.  He  was  a  man  of 
genial  nature,  agreeable  address,  and  by  the  frankness  and  generosity 
of  his  disposition  strongly  attached  to  himself  those  with  whom  he  was 
brought  into  close  contact,  while  the  sterling  integrity  of  his  character 
commanded  the  respect  of  all  who  ever  knew  him. 

Mr.  Macullar  was  married  in  1850  to  Martha  M.  Reed,  of  Chichester, 
N.  H,,  who  survives  her  husband.  They  had  two  children,  Charles 
and  Frank  R.  Macullar,  the  latter  of  whom  is  now  living  in  Worcester, 
and  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  ]\Iacullar  &  Son. 


ROLAND  WORTHINGTON. 

Roland  Worthington  is  one  of  the  veteran  figures  of  New  England, 
and,  indeed,  of  American  journalism.  He  was  born  in  Agawam,  Mass., 
vSeptember  22,  1817,  and  in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  his  age  is  still  in 
the  full  vigor  of  a  well  preserved  manhood. 

His  father  was  a  sturdy,  intelligent  farmer,  who  took  a  lively  interest 
in  public  affairs,  and  filled  several  of  the  town  offices. 

Mr.  Worthington  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools  of  his 
native  place,  and  after  the  manner  of  the  farmers'  sons  of  his  boyhood 
days,  graduated  into  the  sterner  school  of  work  at  the  early  age  of 
twelve.  From  that  time  until  he  reached  his  twentieth  year  he  was 
employed  in  various  capacities,  supporting  and  educating  himself  as  he 
went  along.  In  March,  1837,  he  went  to  Boston,  and  found  employ- 
ment in  the  counting-room  of  the  Daily  Adve^'tiser.  For  six  years  he 
had  the  valuable  experience  of  association  with  the  business  depart- 
ment of  that  paper,  which,  with  Nathan  Hale  as  its  editor,  was  indis- 
putably the  leading  daily  of  New  England,  both  in  point  of  enterprise 
78 


618  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

and  influence.  vSo  close  had  been  Mr.  Worthington's  application  to 
business  that,  in  1843,  his  health  was  seriously  impaired,  and,  under 
advice,  he  sought  its  restoration  by  a  trip  abroad.  He  crossed  the  At- 
lantic, and  made  a  journey  up  the  Mediterranean,  touching  at  various 
points,  and  enlarging  his  knowledge  of  Europe  by  actual  observation. 
Returning  to  this  coimtry  he  then  passed  a  winter  at  the  South,  where 
he  acquired  a  practical  insight  into  the  political  and  social  conditions  of 
that  section,  which  proved  valuable  to  him  as  the. great  questions  which 
culminated  in  the  civil  war  developed  themselves. 

In  June,  1845,  having  returned  to  Boston  with  fully  renewed  health, 
Mr.  Worthington  took  charge  of  the  Daily  Fvening  Traveller^  and  its 
history  and  his  own  have  ever  since  been  one  and  inseparable. 

The  American  Traveller  was  launched  on  January  1,  1825,  Royal  L. 
Porter  being  its  first  editor.  Later,  the  Stage  Register,  a  journal  which 
had  for  its  principal  feature  several  columns  of  stage  line  advertise- 
ments, was  incorporated  with  the  Ameriean  Traveller.  With  the  issue 
of  the  new  Daily  Evening  Traveller,  the  first  number  of  which  appeared 
on  April  1,  1845,  the  American  Traveller  became  its  semi- weekly  issue, 
and  the  Stage  Register  was  transformed  into  the  Weekly  Traveller. 
This  programme  of  publication  is  maintained  to  the  present  time,  the 
Boston  Evening  Traveller  (daily),  the  American  Traveller  (semi-weekly), 
and  the  Weekly  Traveller,  all  being  regularly  issued  in  large  and 
steadily-growing  editions  from  the  well-known  Traveller  Building,  on 
the  corner  of  State  and  Congress  streets,  facing  the  Old  State  House — 
in  many  respects  the  most  striking  newspaper  site  in  the  city.  The 
first  number  of  the  Daily  Evening  Traveller  was  a  four-page  sheet, 
about  fourteen  by  twenty,  bearing  the  imprint  of  Upton,  Ladd  and  Com- 
pany as  the  publishers;  but  that  firm  very  soon  afterwards  relinquished 
all  connection  with  it.  Its  originators  and  first  editors  were  Rev. 
George  Punchard  and  Deacon  Ferdinand  Andrews.  They  projected  it 
as  a  strictly  Orthodox  paper,  devoted  to  the  zealous  advocacy  of  the 
temperance  cause.  Rev.  Mr.  Punchard  was  popularly  spoken  of  as 
"the  bishop  of  the  Orthodox  churches  of  New  Hampshire,"  in  which 
State  he  had  been  preaching  with  marked  ability  and  power.  Mr. 
Andrews,  his  associate,  was  a  deacon  of  the  Pine  Street  Church.  To- 
gether they  set  the  moral  and  social  standards  of  the  Travel ler\i\gh,  and 
though  they  have  both  long  since  since  ceased  their  connection  with  it  and 
passed  to  their  rest,  the  paper  to  this  day  is  conspicuous  for  the  respect 
with  which  it  treats  all  religious  and  moral  movements,  its  constant 


BIOGRAPHIES.  619 

and  vigorous  advocacy  of  the  temperance  reform,  and  its  careful  ex- 
clusion of  all  matter  that  would  give  offence  in  the  family  circle.  In 
this  way  it  steadily  enjo3'ed.  and  still  retains,  the  enviable  distinction 
of  being  one  of  the  cleanest  newspapers  in  the  country,  and  this,  with  its 
enterprise  in  the  legitimate  news  field  and  the  high  order  of  literary 
work  constantly  displayed  in  its  editorial  columns,  have  secured  it  a  warm 
welcome  in  thousands  of  the  best  homes  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and 
far  and  wide  throughout  New  England.  The  credit  of  laying  the  basis 
of  its  permanent  success  as  a  vigorous,  wide-awake,  robust,  daily  jour- 
nal belongs  unquestionably  to  Mr.  Worthington.  He  brought  with  him, 
from  his  experience  on  the  Advc?'tisc?',  a  large  fund  of  practical  wis- 
dom as  a  publisher,  and  a  natural  endowment  of  creative  and  originat- 
ive faculty  besides,  which,  from  the  date  of  his  connection  with  the 
Traveller  until  he  disposed  of  the  paper,  was  the  dominating  factor  in 
its  development. 

Mr.  Worthington 's  name  is  identified  with  some  notable  steps  in  the 
progress  of  journalism.  The  newspaper  life  of  Boston,  at  the  time  he 
first  entered  it,  was  a  very  stately  and  slow-going  affair.  All  the  dailies 
of  the  Hub,  save  the  JA?// and  Times.,  were  six-penn}-  sheets,  and  news- 
boys were  not  permitted  to  cry  any  of  them  for  sale  on  the  streets. 
Their  very  rigid  ideas  of  what  dignity  required  confined  them  to  circu- 
lations acquired  "by  subscription  only."  In  August,  18-18,  Daniel 
Webster  was  announced  to  address  a  meeting  of  his  neighbors  at 
Marshfield  on  the  political  issues  of  the  hour.  General  Taylor  had 
been  for  some  time  nominated  for  the  presidency,  but  the  "God-like 
Daniel  "  had  played  the  part  of  Achilles,  "sulking  in  his  tent." 
There  was  intense  interest  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  the  State,  and 
of  the  whole  country  to  hear  what  he  would  say  when  he  broke  silence. 
Mr.  Worthington  saw  his  opportunity  in  connection  with  this  event, 
and  engaged  Dr.  James  W.  Stone,  a  well  known  and  expert  stenog- 
rapher of  that  time,  to  go  to  Marshfield  and  report  Mr.  Webster's  ad- 
dress in  full.  To  make  sure  the  enterprise  should  not  miscarry,  the 
young  publisher  drove  Dr.  Stone  himself  to  the  scene  of  operations, 
secured  the  great  expounder's  personal  co-operation  in  perfecting  the 
verbatim  report  of  his  speech,  and  then  drove  the  doctor  with  his  notes 
back  to  Boston.  Other  reporters  were  there  for  the  older  dailies,  but 
Mr.  Worthington's  push  distanced  them  all,  and  early  next  morning  a 
Traveller  extra  was  on  the  streets  of  Boston,  and  had  an  immense  sale. 
Large   editions  were   rapidly  called   for,  and  the  newsboys  of  Boston 


620  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

cried  it  lustily  all  day  long.  The  speech  was  that  ever  memorable  one 
in  which  Webster  described  Taylor's  nomination,  in  the  now  historic 
phrase,  as  one  "not  fit  to  be  made  "  From  the  Travcllcf s  xq'^oxX.  it 
was  sent  specially  to  the  New  York  Herald.^  and  from  that  time  on  till 
the  organizing  of  the  Press  Association,  the  Traveller  was  the  New 
York  Herald's  Boston  correspondent.  Still  the  prejudice  of  the  older 
publishers  against  the  cr3nng  of  the  newspapers  by  boys  on  the  streets 
remained ;  and  Mr.  Worthington's  innovation  was  regarded  unfavora- 
bly, even  by  some  of  his  own  business  associates.  He  was  obliged  to 
seek  a  personal  interview  with  the  president  of  the  Eastern  Railroad 
in  order  to  obtain  a  permit  for  a  boy  to  go  i:pon  the  ferry-boat  in  the 
afternoon  to  sell  his  evening  paper.  He  persisted  in  the  innovation, 
however,  and  by  another  energetic  stroke  made  it  a  permanent  feature 
of  the  newspaper  business.  When  the  news  of  the  French  Revolution 
of  1848  and  the  dethronement  of  Louis  Philippe  arrived  in  New  York, 
it  was  sent  by  telegraph  to  the  Boston  reading-room.  The  telegraph 
office,  by  a  curious  blunder,  sent  a  copy  of  the  dispatch  to  the  three 
Boston  evening  papers.  Mr.  Worthington  saw  in.stantly  the  importance 
of  the  news,  though  its  value  seems  to  have  escaped  immediate  observ- 
ation in  the  offices  of  his  rivals.  He  ran  off  Traveller  Extras  as 
quickly  as  the  press  facilities  would  allow,  and  his  press-room  was  kept 
at  the  high  pressure  point  of  activity  until  late  in  the  evening,  satisfy- 
ing the  demand  for  this  startling  piece  of  foreign  intelligence.  The 
newsboys' cries  of  "  Traveller  Extras,"  ''Revolution  in  France,"  "Fall 
of  Louis  Philippe,"  ''^Traveller  Extra,"  were  heard  on  every  great  thor- 
oughfare, and  from  that  moment  the  day  of  newspaper  sales  by  "sub- 
scription only"  was  gone  by.  The  dispatch  which  the  Traveller  thus 
used  to  such  advantage  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  sent  over  the  tel- 
egraph wires  from  New  York  that  was  ever  published  in  Boston. 

Another  feature  of  newspaper  offices,  which  is  now  stereotyped  by 
general  use,  but  the  initiation  of  which  in  Boston  belongs  also  to  Mr. 
Worthington,  is  the  staring  placards  or  bulletins  giving  the  brief  heads 
of  the  latest  news  of  the  day.  In  passing  it  may  be  said  that  the 
Travelle?''s  present  daily-painted  bulletins,  in  blue  and  red,  are  com- 
monly remarked  upon  as  at  once  the  clearest  and  most  ornamental 
exhibited  in  tront  of  any  newspaper  office  in  the  city,  and  at  any  time 
of  the  day,  when  stirring  news  is  coming  over  the  wires,  a  large  crowd 
is  sure  to  be  found  flocking  to  them. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  621 

The  Traveller's  first  publication  office  was  at  No.  47  Court  street. 
In  April,  1852,  its  home  was  removed  to  the  Old  vState  House,  and 
later  it  was  established  on  its  present  advantao^eous  and  commanding 
site  in  the  large  and  convenient  Traveller  Building,  which  is  now  the 
property  of  Mr.  Worthington. 

]\Ir.  Worthington  was  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  Free  vSoilers  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  is  remembered  b}'  all  the  survivors  of  "  the  men  of  '48  " 
as  a  staunch  and  steadfast  member  of  the  little  band  of  men  who  at 
that  early  date  foresaw  and  welcomed  the  conflict  with  the  slave  power, 
and  who  were  in  fact  the  advance  guard  of  the  great  Republican  party, 
which  was  twelve  years  later  to  take  the  destiny  of  the  nation  into  its 
keeping.  When  the  Repul:)lican  party  was  organized,  Mr.  Worthing- 
ton, in  common  with  his  brother  Free-Soilers,  at  once  joined  it,  and 
carried  his  paper  with  him,  though  this  last  step  cost  him  a  conflict  of 
opinion  with  Editor  Andrews,  who  was  strongly  disposed  to  follow  the 
lead  of  Daniel  Webster's  famous  speech  of  the  Tth  of  March,  1852.  It 
was  wholly  due  to  Mr.  Worthington's  inflexible  attachment  to  the  Free- 
Soil  idea  that  Mr.  Andrews's  views  were  overruled,  and  the  Traveller 
held  true  to  the  policy  which  has  ever  since  made  it  one  of  the  most 
fearless  and  ablest  exponents  of  the  Republican  creed.  At  Mr.  Worth- 
ington's instance  the  brilliant  Manton  jMarble,  who  later  became 
nationally  distinguished  as  the  editor  of  the  New  York  World.,  then 
took  the  managing  editorship  of  the  Traveller.  Young  Marble  was 
then  only  in  his  twenty-second  3'ear,  but  he  filled  the  position  with 
signal  ability  until  Samuel  Bowles,  who  became  famous  later  as  the 
founder  of  the  Springfield  Republieati,  joined  the  paper  in  1857.  Mr. 
Marble  and  Mr.  Bowles  could  not  work  in  the  harness  together,  and 
the  former  left  for  a  broader  field  of  labor  in  New  York.  Mr.  Bowles 
became  the  managing  editor  of  the  Traveller  on  the  13th  of  April, 
1857,  and  threw  up  the  position  on  the  10th  of  August  following.  His 
connection  with  the  paper  was  brief  and  brilliant,  but,  for  Mr.  Worth- 
ington, very  costly  and  all  but  fatal.  Mr.  Bowles  entered  upon  the 
project  of  uniting  the  Atlas,  the  Bee  and  the  Chronicle  with  the  Evening 
Traveller  and  founding  upon  the  consolidation  a  great  quarto,  modeled 
after  the  New  York  Tribune,  to  be  supported  by  the  highest  literary 
talent,  and  to  be  first  class  in  every  respect.  Mr.  Bowles  failed  utterly, 
and,  soured  by  his  failure,  he  left  his  post  and  started  for  Springfield 
without  giving  any  notice  to  his  colleagues,  leaving  Mr.  Worthington 
in  the  lurch  to  struggle  out  of  the   cpiagmire  of  debt  into  which  his 


622  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Quixotic  editorial  management  had  conducted  the  concern.  Mr.  Bowles 
was  succeeded  as  managing  editor  by  Mr.  Joseph  B.  Morss,  who  put 
into  its  columns  many  years  of  solid  and  effective  work.  The  war  for 
the  Union  came,  and  the  price  of  the  paper  was  advanced  to  four  cents, 
and  later  to  five  cents  a  copy.  The  Traveller  showed  great  enterprise 
in  the  collection  and  publication  of  war  news,  and,  in  common  with  all 
the  other  wide-awake  newspapers  of  that  period,  made  rapid  strides  in 
circulation  in  consequence.  Mr.  Reuben  Crooke  followed  Mr.  Morss  as 
managing  editor  of  the  paper,  under  Mr.  Worthington's  direction.  An 
indefatigable  worker,  a  ready  and  well-informed  writer,  and  a  man  who 
carried  his  conscience  into  all  his  editorial  labors,  Mr.  Crooke  well  sus- 
tained the  Traveller  s  reputation  as  a  champion  of  sturdy  Republicanism 
in  politics,  and  kept  it  on  the  right  side  in  all  the  moral  reform  move- 
inents  of  the  time.      He  still  remains  with  the  paper. 

The  Traveller.,  under  Mr.  Worthington's  direction,  showed  remark- 
able foresight  in  discussing  political  situations.  It  seems  to  have 
divined,  as  if  by  intuition,  the  safe  and  the  sagacious  course  for  its 
party  to  take,  and  its  counsels,  not  always  taken,  have  been  well-nigh 
invariably  verified  by  the  events.  In  1800  it  was  the  first  paper  to 
suggest,  as  the  successor  of  Governor  Banks,  the  man  who  became  the 
great  war  governor  of  the  Commonwealth.  When  (jovernor  Talbot's 
declination  to  accept  a  renomination  in  1(S7!)  necessitated  the  choice  of 
a  new  standard  bearer  against  the  formidable  candidacy  of  General 
Butler,  the  Traveller  brought  forward  the  name  of  Honorable  John  D. 
Long.  Against  the  united  and  strenuous  opposition  of  the  other  Re- 
publican dailies  of  Bostcni,  it  urged  Mr.  Long's  nomination  upon  the 
Convention,  and  he  was  nominated  and  elected.  In  1882  it  warned  its 
party  against  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Bishop,  and  urged  the  selection  of 
Mr.  Crapo  as  the  opponent  that  5'ear  of  General  Butler.  The  party 
disregarded  its  advice,  and  went  to  defeat  as  it  had  presaged.  In  1888 
again,  against  every  other  Republican  paper  in  Boston,  it  insisted  that 
Honorable  George  D.  Robinson  was  the  wisest  nomination  that  could 
be  luade  against  Governor  Butler,  basing  its  argument  on  the  claim, 
which  it  repeated  over  and  over  again,  that  necessarily  Governor  Butler 
must  be  met  on  the  stump  and  talked  down  before  the  people,  and  that 
Mr.  Robinson  was  emphatically  the  man  for  that  service.  The  party 
came  near  to  making  another  nomination,  but  at  the  eleventh  hour  the 
Traveller  s  advice  was  taken,  Mr.  Robinson  was  nominated,  and  in  the 
campaign  which  followed  Governor  Butler  was  beaten — exactly  as  the 


BIOGRAPHIES.  623 

TnrvcIIcr  had  said  he  would  be — by  Mr.  Robinson's  contest  with  him 
on  the  stiimp.  In  the  larger  field  of  national  politics  the  paper  has 
shown  the  same  intelligence  and  insight.  A  strong  and  consistent  ex- 
ponent of  the  radical  or  stalwart  type  of  Republicanism,  it,  nevertheless, 
counseled  the  party  with  great  earnestness  against  the  continuance  of 
the  faction  fight  precipitated  in  1880-81  between  ■the  Grant-Conkling 
and  Blaine-Garfield  wings.  Again  and  again  it  foretold  the  national 
overthroAV  of  Republicanism  if  the  feud  was  kept  up.  When  the  Chi- 
cago convention  was  about  to  meet  in  June,  1885,  the  Traveller  ap- 
pealed most  earnestly  to  the  New  England  delegates  to  join  the  Arthur 
column  early  and  secure  the  defeat  of  Mr.  Blaine,  whose  candidacy  it 
plainly  intimated  would,  in  its  belief,  be  perilous  to  the  party  at  the 
polls.  Over  and  over  again  it  warned  the  Massachusetts  delegation 
that  the  Edmunds  movement  was  farcical,  because  it  had  no  chance  of 
success,  and  recorded  its  opinion  that  if  it  was  persisted  in  Mr.  Blaine's 
nomination  would  be  secured  on  the  second  or  third  ballot  at  the 
latest.  In  all  these  forecasts  the  Traveller  proved  to  be  absolutely  cor- 
rect. The  Edmunds  movement  proved  to  be  utterly  barren  of  result, 
Mr.  Blaine  was  nominated  on  the  second  ballot  as  the  direct  result  of 
the  action  of  Massachusetts,  and  in  the  end,  as  it  had  feared,  Mr.  Blaine 
and  the  party  suffered  national  defeat.  This  is  a  remarkable  record  of 
political  far-sightedness,  and  the  credit  of  it  belongs  to  Mr.  Worthing- 
ton,  who,  at  all  the  turning-points  of  affairs,  laid  down  its  course  and 
inspired  its  utterances,  A  keen  and  close  observer  of  the  current  of 
public  affairs,  with  a  strong  faculty  for  perceiving  the  practical  points 
in  a  political  situation,  his  judgment  gave  the  paper  this  singular  pre- 
eminence as  a  sound  and  safe  political  guide.  Although  writing  but 
little  himself,  he  was  a  very  ready  and  correct  critic  of  good  writing, 
and  always  drew  around  him,  by  an  instinctive  appreciation  of  literary 
talent,  an  editorial  corps  of  capable  and  accomplished  writers.  Always 
a  warm  admirer  of  Honorable  Chester  A.  Arthur,  he  sturdily  champi- 
oned him  against  the  hostile  criticism  of  the  so-called  half-breed  presses 
at  the  time  of  his  nomination  for  the  vice-presidency.  When  President 
Garfield's  death  was  announced,  Wr.  Worthington  promptly  undertook 
to  correct  the  prejudice  created  against  the  new  president  in  the  public 
mind  by  the  same  presses,  and  the  Traveller  s  predictions  of  a  conserv- 
ative, capable  and  patriotic  administration  by  Mr.  Arthur  were  abun- 
dantly realized  in  the  three  years  which  followed.  Without  solicitation 
President  Arthur  tendered  to  Mr.  Worthington  the  office  of  collector  of 


624  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  Port  of  Boston  in  April,  1882.  A  bitter  opposition  was  made  to  his 
confirmation  by  Senator  Hoar,  purely  on  political  grounds,  but  the  ap- 
pointment was  confirmed  by  a  very  large  majority,  and  even  those  who 
then  opposed  it  now  concede  that  he  proved  a  most  efficient  collector, 
that  he  conducted  the  business  of  the  office  with  an  eye  single  to  the 
service  of  the  government  and  the  business  community  which  had  to 
do  with  the  Custom  House,  and  never  allowed  partisan  considerations 
to  interfere  with  the  management  of  the  large  force  of  employees  under 
his  orders.  It  is  doubtful,  indeed,  if  true  civil  service  reform  was  ever 
carried  out  more  perfectly  in  any  government  office  in  the  country  than 
at  the  Boston  Custorn  House  under  Collector  Worthington.  He  served 
as  collector  until  December  1,  1885,  after  which  he  continued  to  direct 
the  publication  of  the  Traveller  until  May  1,  1800,  when  he  sold  the 
paper  and  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  energies  solely  to  the  man- 
agement of  his  private  affairs. 


AARON  W.   SPENCER. 

Aaron  W.  vSi'F.ncf.k  was  born  in  vSpringficld,  Windsor  county,  Vt. , 
January  17,  1823,  where  his  ancestors  had  long  been  residents.  His 
father  was  Guy  Spencer  and  his  mother  Mary  Warner,  of  Acworth, 
N.  H.  He  received  a  common  school  education,  and  was  graduated 
at  Chester  Academy,  Chester,  Vt.  Mr.  vSpencer  came  to  Boston  in 
1842,  beginning  his  business  career  as  messenger  boy  with  Messrs.  J. 
W.  Clark  &  Co.,  bankers  and  brokers,  whose  place  of  business  was  in 
the  Globe  Bank  Building  at  the  corner  of  State  street  and  Wilson's 
lane.  The  building  has  been  demolished  by  the  extension  of  Devon- 
shire street,  into  which  Wilson's  lane  has  been  merged.  Mr.  Spencer 
was  admitted  to  partnership  in  the  firm  of  J.  W.  Clark  &  Co.  in  1850, 
and  retired  in  185G  to  establish  the  banking-house  of  Spencer,  Vila  & 
Co.,  retiring  from  this  firm  and  from  active  business  in  1867.  In  1853 
Mr.  Spencer  married  Miss  Josephine  Vila,  of  Roxbury.  The  firm  of 
Spencer,  Vila  &  Co.  did  a  large  business  while  Mr.  vSpencer  was  at  the 
head  of  the  house,  and  during  the  war  for  p.  considerable  period  they 
were  the  exclusive  agents  of  the  Treasury  Department  for  the  sale  of 
government  securities  in  the  New  England  ^States,  their  sales  aggregat- 
ing hundreds  of  millions.      They  probably  had  the  largest  southern  and 


(2>C^^/(^^^ 


BIOGRAPHIES.  625 

western  correspondence  of  any  bankina--house  in  Boston.  Mr.  Spencer 
joined  the  Boston  vStock  Exchange,  which  was  then  known  as  the  Bos- 
ton Board  of  Brokers,  in  1850.  He  was  president  of  the  Exchange  for 
the  years  1860,  '61  and  '6-^,  and  at  that  time  was  one  of  the  largest 
operators  connected  with  the  Exchange.  Mr.  Spencer's  second  term  as 
president  of  the  Exchange  was  for  the  years  1889,  '90  and  '91,  when  he 
retired,  declining  re-election.  The  hou.se  of  J.  W.  Clark  &  Co.  was 
one  of  the  first  to  become  interested  in  the  then  imdeveloped  mineral 
districts  of  North  Michigan,  even  before  the  old  "Cliff"  and  "Min- 
nesota "  mines,  now  obsolete,  began  to  pay  dividends.  In  this  con- 
nection Mr.  vSpencer  frequently  visited  Lake  Superior  and  passed 
over  the  sections  which  now  comprise  the  Calumet  and  Hecla,  Tama- 
rack and  Osceola  mines,  then  covered  by  the  primeval  forest,  with  no 
more  indication  of  the  great  mineral  wealth  beneath  the  surface  than 
has  Bcston  Common  at  the  present  day.  Mr.  Spencer  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  mining  interests  of  Lake  Superior  from  that  time,  and 
retains  large  interests  in  the  leading  producing  mines.  Since  his  re- 
tirement from  business  Mr.  Spencer  has  taken  no  prominent  part  in  the 
transactions  of  the  Exchange,  although  he  continues  his  connection 
with  it  and  is  a  daily  attendant  at  its  sessions.  His  only  son,  Alfred 
Warner  Spencer,  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  died  in  1887;  his  only  sur- 
viving child  is  Mrs.  Frederick  Lewis  Fay.  Mr.  Spencer's  residence  since 
1853  has  been  on  Columbia  street  of  the  Dorchester  District  of  Boston, 
where  he  owns  one  of  the  most  attractive  estates  in  the  vicinity,  com- 
prising nearly  twenty  acres,  on  which  the  most  perfectly  rural  condi- 
tions have  been  maintained,  including  the  stone  walls  built  a  hundred 
years  ago  and  shaded  by  oaks  of  more  than  a  century's  growth.  Mr. 
Spencer  is  a  member  of  the  Algonquin,  Temple,  Athletic,  Suffolk,  Art 
and  Country  clubs. 


GEN.   FRANCIS  A.   OSBORN. 

Gen.  Francis  Augustus  Osborn  was  born  in  Dan  vers,  now  Pea- 
body,  Mass.,  September  22,  1833,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of  Augustus  K. 
and  Mary  (Shove)  Osborn,  ancestors  of  whom  settled  in  New  England 
in  1645.  His  early  education  was  gained  at  his  place  of  birth.  In  1845 
he  came  to  Boston,  and  from  that  time  until  he  graduated  in  1849  he 
attended  the  Boston  Public  Latin  School.  He  began  his  business 
79 


626  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

career  with  W.  Ropes  &  Co. ,  Russian  merchants,  remaining  in  their 
employ  as  clerk  for  six  years.  For  five  years  thereafter  he  engaged  in 
the  ship  chandlery  business.  In  the  mean  time  he  had  become  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  militia,  and  when  the  civil  war  began  he  was  an  officer 
in  the  New  England  Guards.  Upon  its  organization  into  a  battalion  of 
two  companies  he  was  commissioned  captain  of  the  original  company 
April  19,  1801.  A  few  days  later  the  battalion  was  sent  to  Fort  Inde- 
pendence to  do  garrison  duty,  where  it  remained  for  a  month.  At  the 
expiration  of  this  time  it  returned  to  Boston,  when  Major  Thomas  G. 
Stevenson,  of  the  battalion,  and  Captain  Osborn  offered  their  services 
to  Governor  John  A.  Andrew  and  were  soon  after  commissioned  col- 
onel and  lieutenant-colonel  respectively  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Massa- 
chusetts Volunteers.  The  first  service  of  this  regiment  was  in  Burnside's 
expedition  to  North  Carolina,  taking  part  in  the  battles  of  Roanoke 
Island  and  Newbern,  and  several  other  minor  engagements.  Lieuten- 
ant-colonel Osborn,  who  had  been  in  command  of  the  regiment  since 
the  middle  of  March,  was  promoted  to  the  colonelcy  on  December  28, 
1862,  after  which  the  regiment  served  in  the  Department  of  the  vSouth, 
participating  in  the  sieges  of  Fort  Wagner  and  Fort  vSumter,  doing  reg- 
ular duty  in  the  trenches  for  several  months.  On  August  26,  186-3, 
the  regiment  made,  under  Colonel  Osborn,  an  assault  upon  the  enemy's 
rifle-pits  in  front  of  Fort  Wagner  and  captured  them,  taking  prisoners 
nearly  the  whole  occupying  force.  This  was  a  brilliant  and  valuable 
victory,  especially  noteworthy,  as  three  previous  assaults  upon  these 
rifle-pits  by  other  regiments  had  been  repulsed.  The  importance  of  the 
work  came  from  the  fact  that  the  enemy,  by  holding  these  rifle-pits, 
which  were  in  a  strong  position,  had  been  able  to  check  completely  the 
advance  of  the  engineering  against  Fort  Wagner.  After  the  victory 
of  Colonel  Osborn's  regiment,  work  was  at  once  resumed,  and  speedily 
resulted  in  the  captiire  of  the  fort.  In  the  spring  of  18G4  the  regiment 
was  sent  with  the  Army  of  the  James  to  join  the  operations  around 
Richmond  and  before  Petersburg,  being  there  actively  engaged  during 
the  summer  and  fall  of  1864.  Diiring  this  service  Colonel  Osborn  was 
slightly  wounded  in  the  neck  by  a  spent  ball.  On  November  14,  1864, 
he  was  mustered  out  of  service,  and  for  gallantry  was  brevetted 
brigadier-general,  the  original  appointment  being  dated  October  28, 
1864.  Upon  his  return  to  Boston  he  was  for  a  time  cashier  of  Blake 
Brothers  &  Co.,  bankers.  On  March  19,  1867,  he  was  appointed  naval 
officer  for  the  district  of  Boston  and  Charlestown,  and  served  for  two 


BIOGRAPHIES.  627 

years.  He  then  went  into  the  stock  brokerage  business,  having  been 
previously  elected  a  member  of  the  Boston  Stock  Exchange.  On  Jan- 
uary 1,  1874,  he  became  treasurer  of  the  Corbin  Banking  Company  of 
New  York  and  Boston.  In  May,  1883,  he  sold  out  his  interest  and  soon 
after  resigned  as  treasurer.  In  November,  1883,  he  organized  the 
Eastern  Banking  Company,  becoming  its  president,  a  position  he  still 
holds.  He  has  been  a  director  of  the  Tremont  National  Bank  since 
January,  1876,  and  was  the  original  treasurer  of  the  New  England 
Mortgage  Security  Compan}",  having  been  elected  in  April,  1875,  but 
on  June  14,  1S79,  resigned  on  account  of  pressing  business,  but  is  still, 
however,  a  director.  For  1867,  1868  and  1869  he  was  a  member  of  the 
City  Council,  and  for  the  last  named  year  was  Department  Commander 
of  the  Department  of  Massachusetts,  G.  A.  R.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  charter  members  of  the  Massachusetts  Commandery  of  the 
Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  L'nited  States,  and  was  first 
commander  of  that  commandery,  being  succeeded  by  General  Devens. 
Beyond  the  interests  already  mentioned  General  Osborn  has  been  active 
in  many  other  directions.  He  has  been  a  trustee  of  various  land  asso- 
ciations ;  for  many  years  has  been  largely  interested  in  real  estate,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Real  Estate  Ex- 
change and  Auction  Board,  and  its  president  from  March,  1891,  to 
March,  1892,  when  he  declined  re-election.  He  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  the  organization  of  the  Citizens'  Association  in  December, 
1887,  and  was  its  first  president,  serving  for  four  years  and  then  declin- 
ing a  re-election.  In  June,  1886,  he  was  appointed  civil  service  com- 
mis.sioner  by  Governor  Robinson,  and  for  three  years  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  board,  but  the  condition  of  his  private  business  caused  him 
to  decline  reappointment  to  office  b)'  Governor  Ames.  General  Osborn 
has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Miss  Mary  M.  Mears,  and  of  this  union 
was  bom  one  daughter;  and  second  to  Miss  Emily  T.  Bouve;  of  this 
union  have  been  born  four  children — two  daughters  and  two  sons. 


JOHN    BREWSTER. 

In  the  commercial  and  financial  history  of  Boston  John  Brewster  was 
for  many  years  an  important  factor.  He  was  born  in  Wolfborough, 
N.  H.,  December  14,  1812.     At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  became  a  clerk  in 


628  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

a  general  hardware  store  at  Rochester,  N.  H.  Two  years  later  he  filled 
a  similar  position  in  a  hardware  store  in  Dover  in  the  same  State,  where 
he  remained  for  five  years.  He  then,  in  1835,  came  to  Boston  and 
began  a  business  career  on  his  own  account,  embarking  in  the  dry 
goods  trade  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Williams  &  Brewster.  A  short 
time  thereafter  the  firm  of  Brewster,  Cushman  &  Bancroft  was  formed, 
their  business  quarters  at  first  being  located  at  44  and  40  Hanover 
street  and  afterwards  at  G3  and  G5  Water  street. 

After  several  years  of  highly  successful  business,  Mr.  Brewster,  in 
1851,  retired  from  the  dry  goods  trade,  and  with  Charles  A.  Sweet 
established  the  banking  house  of  Brewster,  Sweet  &  Co.,  at  76  State 
street,  but  later  at  40  State  street.  In  1874  Mr.  Sweet  retired,  when 
the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Brewster,  Basset  &  Co.,  at  which  time 
it  was  composed  of  Mr.  Brewster,  William  Basset,  Henry  E.  Cobb  and 
Arthur  F.  Estabrook.  In  1883  the  firm  was  again  reorganized  under 
the  firm  name  of  Brewster,  Cobb  &  Estabrook,  the  new  members  being- 
Charles  E.  Eddy,  C.  H.  Watson,  Arthur  L.  Sweetser  and  Frank  B. 
Bemis. 

Mr.  Brewster's  success  as  a  banker  was  conspicuously  noteworthy. 
At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  his  firm  being  one  of 
the  leading  banking  establishments  of  Boston,  became  the  agent  of  the 
United  States  government,  and  placed  many  millions  of  government 
bonds  upon  the  market.  It  also  figured  largely  in  many  of  the  large 
financial  operations  which  have  made  Boston  famous  in  financial  circles 
throughout  the  world.  As  a  business  man  Mr.  Brewster  possessed 
abilities  of  a  high  order.  He  inspired  confidence  in  any  enterprise  in 
which  he  enlisted,  and  by  the  unifonn  success  which  attended  his 
undertakings,  surrounded  himself  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends  who 
largely  relied  upon  his  judgment  in  matters  of  a  financial  nature.  He 
was  a  man  of  genial  and  generous  nature  and  one  whose  sympathies 
were  easily  aroused  and  never  appealed  to  without  ready  response. 
With  no  taste  for  public  life  or  political  honors,  he  devoted  his  energies 
to  the  more  genial  pi:rsuits  of  a  strictly  business  career,  in  which  he 
achieved  by  laudable  means  a  well  deserved  place  among  the  conspicu- 
ously successful  business  men  of  Boston.  He  died  suddenly  at  his 
home  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  January  13,  1880.  His  large  fortune, 
after  amply  providing  for  his  son  and  relatives,  he  bequeathed  to  en- 
dow the  Brewster  Free  vSchool  and  Academy  of  his  native  town,  Wolf- 
borough. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  '  629 

CHARLES  W.   PARKER. 

Charles  Wallingford  Parker,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Macullar,  Parker  8c  Co.,  was  born  in  Framingham,  jMass. ,  June  2?, 
18ol,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  Hildreth  (Wallinj^ford)  Parker. 
The  first  of  the  family  in  America  was  Thomas  Parker,  who,  in  lG3o, 
at  the  age  of  thirty,  came  to  this  country  from  England  in  the  vessel 
Susan  and  Ellcu,  and  settled  first  in  Lynn,  but  subsequently  removed 
to  Reading,  where  his  son  Hannaniah  was  born  and  lived  until  his 
death.  John,  a  son  of  the  latter,  removed  to  Lexington  in  1712.  A 
son  of  the  last  named,  also  named  John,  settled  in  Framingham  in  1736, 
and  from  that  time  to  the  present  this  town  has  contained  representa- 
tives of  the  family.  Peter,  the  great-grandfather,  and  Josiah,  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  were  both  born  and  died  in  Framingham,  re- 
siding on  a  farm  which  for  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  was 
in  the  possession  of  the  family.  Upon  this  estate,  also  the  home  of  his 
father,  the  early  life  of  our  subject  was  passed.  His  education,  al- 
though confined  to  the  district  school  and  Framingham  Academy,  was 
thorough  and  beyond  the  advantages  enjoyed  by  the  average  farmer's 
son  of  that  time.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  his  business  career 
in  a  retail  clothing  house  in  Worcester,  in  which  Addison  Macullar  and 
George  B.  Williams  were  salesmen.  Two  years  later,  March  1,  1849, 
Addison  Macullar  opened  a  similar  store  on  his  own  account,  and  young- 
Parker  entered  his  employ  as  store  boy,  salesman  and  book-keeper,  in 
fact  was  the  only  employee.  About  1850  George  B.  Williams  became 
associated  with  Mr.  Macullar  as  partner,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Macullar,  Williams  &  Co.,  and  in  1852  the  firm  established  a  house  in 
Boston  on  North  street  for  the  manufacture  of  clothing,  but  retained 
their  Worcester  retail  store.  Upon  the  opening  of  the  Boston  branch, 
Mr.  Parker  came  here  as  book-keeper  for  the  firm.  Two  years  later 
they  removed  from  North  street  to  No.  47  Milk  street,  and  in  1857 
they  established  a  retail  store  in  the  old  Washington  Coffee  House,  just 
south  of  where  the  Transcript  office  now  stands,  being  one  of  the  first 
retail  stores  of  any  consequence  in  that  locality.  The  immediate  and 
large  business  which  was  developed  soon  demanded  larger  quarters, 
and  the  whole  estate  from  Washington  to  Hawley  streets  was  secured. 
In  1860  another  removal  was  made  to  192  Washington  street,  at  which 
time  Mr.  Parker  was  admitted  to  the  firm,  the  name  being  changed  to 
Macullar,  Williams  &  Parker.      In  18(j4  they  removed  to  200,  now  400 


030  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Washington  vStreet,  into  a  new  store  built  for  them  by  the  trustees  of  the 
Joshua  vSears  estate.  This  was  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  of  1872,  and 
the  present  larger  and  finer  structure  was  completed  in  1874.  In 
1880  their  quarters  were  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  the  adjoining- 
store,  398  Washington  street.  These  buildings  extend  through  to  Haw- 
ley  street,  a  distance  of  225  feet,  and  are  five  stories  in  height,  giving  a 
total  floor  space  of  about  two  acres.  Mr.  Williams  retired  from  the 
firm  in  1870,  and  the  firm  name  became  Macullar,  Parker  &  Company. 
Mr.  Macullar  died  March  11,  1893,  thus  terminating  a  business  associa- 
tion with  Mr.  Parker  which  covered  a  period  of  forty -six  years,  which 
was  remarkable  not  only  for  its  length  but  also  for  the  unbroken  har- 
mony, mutual  esteem  and  sincere  affection  which  existed  between 
them. 

The  house  cjf  Macullar,  Parker  &  Company  has  long  occupied  a  lead- 
ing position  in  its  special  line  in  New  England,  both  in  the  character 
and  the  extent  of  its  business  operations,  representing  in  its  history, 
from  the  pioneer  period,  all  the  changes  and  developments  in  an  in- 
dustry which  now  constitutes  the  most  impcnlant  manufacturing  pur- 
suit in  Boston.  Of  late  years  the  control  and  management  of  the  busi- 
ness have  developed  upon  Mr.  Parker,  and  the  high  degree  of  success 
attained  is  due  to  his  superior  business  qualifications.  He  is  a  man  of 
careful  judgment  and  a  high  order  of  executive  ability — attainments 
well  known  and  thoroughly  appreciated  in  the  business  community 
with  which  he  has  been  so  long  and  prominently  identified.  Of  broad 
and  liberal  views,  he  has  found  time  in  an  active  business  career  to 
keep  fully  abreast  of  advancing  thought  in  many  avenues  of  knowledge, 
and  is  much  interested  in  letters  and  art.  He  has  traveled  extensively, 
not  only  in  his  own  but  foreign  lands,  which  to  one  of  his  keen  and 
discriminating  mind  has  been  a  source  not  only  of  pleasure,  but  the 
ineans  of  acquiring  wide  and  general  information. 

Mr.  Parker  was  married  in  Chelsea,  November  30,  1854,  to  Miss 
Mary  J.,  daughter  of  Charles  E.  and  Ann  (Huse)  vSchoff.  They  have 
had  five  children:  Mary,  Charles  S.,  Herman,  Allston  (deceased),  and 
Ross  Parker. 


HENRY  C.  JACKSON. 

Henry  Clay  Jackson,  for  many   years  one  of  the  most  prominent 
figures  in  Boston's  commercial  affairs,  was  born  in  what  was  formerly 


BIOGRAPHIES.  631 

known  as  North  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  but  is  now  the  cit}^  of  Brockton, 
April  19,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Ephraim  and  Lucy  (Wilde)  Jackson. 
His  early  education  was  received  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town  and  later  supplemented  by  a  period  of  instruction  at  the  Adel- 
phian  Academy,  at  that  time  a  w^ell  known  local  institution.  Equipped 
with  a  practical  education  and  naturally  ambitious,  young-  Jackson  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  came  to  Boston.  Here  he  began  his  business 
career  in  the  dry  goods  house  of  William  F.  Brett  &  Bro. ,  then  located 
in  Federal  street.  He  remained  with  this  concern  until  1801,  when  he 
entered  the  employ  of  Josiah  Caldwell  &  Co.,  engaged  in  a  similar  line 
of  trade,  with  whom  he  continued  until  the  beginning  of  1863.  His 
experience  in  the  business  up  to  this  tiine  had  been  varied  and  general 
in  character,  and  his  natural  business  aptitude,  his  energy  and  keen 
comprehension  of  the  requirements  and  po.ssibilities  of  the  trade,  had 
not  escaped  attention.  About  this  time  the  firm  of  Pierce,  vStearns  & 
Adams,  successors  of  the  old  dry  goods  house  of  Pierce,  Howe  &  Co., 
was  undergoing  reorganization,  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of  a 
new  firm  imder  the  name  of  Jackson,  Mandell  &  Daniell.  With  the 
inauguration  of  this  firm  came  a  radical  change  in  the  general  charac- 
ter and  manner  of  conducting  the  business,  with  the  pi;rpose  of  making 
it  more  especially  a  New  England  house.  To  assist  in  the  accomplish- 
ment of  this  idea  Henry  C.  Jackson  was  invited  to  link  his  fortunes  with 
the  new  firm,  and  from  that  time  until  his  retirement  from  the  firm — • 
a  period  of  twenty-nine  years — he  devoted  all  of  his  great  energies  un- 
reservedly to  its  interest.  From  the  beginning  marked  success  attended 
the  firm,  year  by  year,  adding  not  only  to  the  extent  of  their  trade,  but 
gaining  prestige  and  reputation  for  solidity  and  reliability  unsurpassed 
by  any  house  in  Boston.  It  became  a  large  importer  of  foreign  goods, 
and  in  special  lines  of  a  dry  goods  jobbing  trade  became  one  of  the 
best  known  concerns  in  the  United  States.  So  well  were  the  affairs  of 
the  house  managed,  and  upon  such  firm  basis  had  it  become  established, 
that  although  one  of  the  heaviest  losers  in  the  great  fire  of  1872,  it  was 
so  strong  financially  that  not  a  minute's  delay  was  occasioned  in  meet- 
ing every  obligation,  and  within  a  few  daj^s  new  quarters  were  secured 
and  its  business  was  moving  along  as  usual,  having  met  the  unusual 
strain  without  having  asked  a  single  favor  or  the  extension  of  a  dollar 
of  obligation.  So  strikingly  was  its  strength  shown  in  this  catastrophe, 
which  overwhelmed  so  many,  that  it  excited  widespread  comment  and 
universal  admiration.     The  spirit  and  energy  exhibited  by  this  firm  at 


632  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

this  period  had  a  most  wholesome  effect  in  restoring  confidence,  its  ex- 
ample being'  felt  in  every  avenue  of  trade  at  a  time  when  faith  was 
shaken  and  even  concerns  before  considered  strong  were  forced  to  sus- 
pend operations.  As  soon  as  possible  after  the  fire,  Jackson,  Mandell 
&  Daniell  moved  into  the  spacious  quarters  provided  for  them  in  the 
building  erected  by  J .  Montgomery  Sears  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
vSumner  and  Chauncey  streets. 

It  can  be  stated  of  this  firm,  what  perhaps  is  hardly  true  of  any  con- 
cern that  ever  did  an  equal  amount  of  business,  that  it  gave  no  notes 
and  never  failed  to  take  advantage  of  every  discount  by  paying  its  bills 
before  they  were  due.  These  facts,  well  known  to  the  trade,  gave  it  a 
prestige  in  ever}^  market  of  the  world  second  to  none.  Beginning  with 
comparatively  limited  capital,  yet  so  ably  were  its  affairs  conducted  that 
not  a  year  passed  but  showed  a  gratifying  increase  in  trade,  as  well  as 
healthy  and  satisfactory  gain.  At  the  time  of  the  dissolution  of  the 
firm  it  had  long  occupied  a  position  of  commanding  importance  among 
the  most  successful  mercantile  houses  in  New  England.  The  ability 
and  business  generalship  required  to  have  attained  this  result  will  be 
fully  appreciated  in  these  days  of  close  and  vigorous  competition. 

The  illness  and  subsequent  withdrawal  of  Gustavus  Jackson  from  the 
firm  during  the  earlier  period  of  its  existence  threw  upon  Henry  C. 
Jackson  added  responsibilities,  and  from  that  time  he  became  the  recog- 
nized head  of  the  house.  A  man  of  remarkable  energy,  keen  business 
instincts,  and  possessing  a  high  order  of  executive  ability,  he  was  ad- 
mirably fitted  for  the  position.  An  aggressive,  positive  and  forceful 
character,  and  with  a  rugged  constitution  which  permitted  almost  an 
imlimited  amount  of  physical  and  mental  labor,  he  was  able  to  devote 
himself  to  his  work  without  reserve,  and  even  extracted  pleasure  out 
of  his  very  activity.  From  such  devotion  and  well  directed  efforts,  in 
which  he  was  so  ably  assisted  and  aided  by  his  associates,  came  a  de- 
gree of  success  seldom  excelled  in  the  same  line  of  trade.  Although 
associated  with  strong,  positive  and  able  partners,  unbroken  harmony 
prevailed  throughout  their  long  association,  and  their  mutual  feeling  of 
rare  good  will  and  respect  for  each  other  in  no  small  measure  was  con- 
ducive to  the  general  prosperity  of  the  house. 

Upon  the  dissolution  of  the  firm  of  Jackson,  Mandell  &  Daniell,  De- 
cember 31,  1891,  when  Mr.  Jackson  and  Mr.  Dwight  Prouty,  his  asso- 
ciate in  business  for  twenty-nine  years,  retired  from  the  business,  the 
occasion  was  made  the  theme  of  many  flattering  comments  in  local  and 


BIOGRAPHIES.  (333 

trade  journals,  which  were  not  only  highly  complimentary  to  the  char- 
acter and  personal  worth  of  the  retiring  partners,  bat  laudatory  of  the 
great  business  house  they  had  been  so  conspicuous  in  creating.  Upon 
the  retirement  of  these  partners,  the  firm  of  Jackson,  Mandell  &  Daniell 
ceased  to  exist,  its  successor  being  the  present  firm  of  Chatman,  Ken- 
dall &  Daniell. 

Mr.  Jackson  was  married  in  1860  to  Miss  Maria  Amanda  Moulton, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Alvah  Moulton,  of  Ossipee,  N.  H.  Comparatively  in 
the  prime  of  life  and  possessing  vigorous  health,  Mr.  Jackson  has  before 
him  the  promise  of  many  years  in  which  to  enjoy  his  well  earned  rest. 
He  is  deeply  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  well  being  of  Boston, 
where  he  has  so  long  resided  and  where  his  sterling  worth  and  high 
character  are  so  well  known,  and  the  city  has  no  firmer  or  more  sincere 
friend. 


JOvSHUA    BENNETT. 

Joshua  Bennett  was  born  in  Billerica,  Mass.,  November  27,  1792, 
and  was  the  son  of  James  Bennett,  a  prosperous  and  respectable  mer- 
chant of  that  town.  He  passed  his  boyhood  upon  his  father's  farm, 
obtaining  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  the  town  and  in  the 
academy  at  Westford,  Mass.  When  about  twenty-four  years  of  age 
he  engaged  in  teaching  a  grammar  school  in  Dorchester,  Mass.  Al- 
though always  fond  of  books,  he  relinquished  the  work  of  teaching  at 
the  end  of  three  years  and  entered  upon  a  business  career  in  which  few 
men  have  shown  equal  sagacity  and  few  have  met  with  equal  success. 
Even  while  a  teacher  he  devoted  his  evenings  to  trade.  As  the  leading 
partner  in  the  firm  of  Bennett  &  Felton  in  Boston,  he  early  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  future  success  and  fortune.  His  active  mind  found 
many  sources  of  wealth.  He  became  a  very  extensive  dealer  in  hops, 
a  business  in  which  his  father  had  preceded  him.  He  had  transactions 
with  most  of  the  hop-growers  and  brewers  of  the  country.  He  became 
an  exporter  of  hops  and  a  distiller.  It  is  told  of  him  as  an  interesting 
incident  that  in  184'.t,  being  in  London  at  a  time  when  the  hop  trade 
was  depressed,  he  actually  purchased  a  large  lot  of  hops  which  he  had 
himself  exported  and  sent  them  back  to  America,  thus  making  two 
profits  upon  the  same  goods. 

80 


634  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

It  was  by  the  skillful  use  of  the  property  early  acquired  in  trade  that 
Mr.  Bennett  amassed  the  most  of  his  ample  fortune.  He  was  a  very 
shrewd  and  successful  dealer  in  real  estate,  making  his  investments 
with  distinguished  sagacity.  He  became  the  possessor  of  a  large 
amount  of  property  in  Lowell  and  of  a  much  larger  amount  in  Boston, 

Mr.  Bennett  was  not  a  politician,  and  he  only  accepted  those  offices 
which  his  compeers  in  the  business  world  bestowed  upon  him  on  ac- 
count of  his  acknowledged  ability  to  fill  them  with  honor  and  success. 
He  was  a  director  of  the  Providence  and  Worcester  Railroad,  and  was 
on  the  first  board  of  directors  of  the  old  Lowell  Bank,  the  earliest  of 
the  discount  banks  of  Lowell,  having  received  its  charter  in  1828. 
This  board  consisted  of  men  of  high  character,  among  whom  were  Kirk 
Boott  and  vSamuel  Batchelder,  two  of  the  most  distinguished  founders 
of  American  manufactures,  and  Josiah  B.  French  and  Nathaniel 
Wright,  both  of  whom  subsequently  became  mayors  of  the  city.  After 
a  service  of  thirty-three  years  as  director,  Mr.  Bennett  was  in  1801 
elected  president  of  the  bank,  which  oflfice  he  filled  with  great  ability 
through  the  entire  period  of  the  civil  war,  resigning  it  on  accovmt  of 
failing  health  only  a  few  months  before  his  death. 

As  a  bank  officer  he  was  conservative  and  sagacious,  and  was  es- 
teemed the  highest  authorit}^  upon  the  question  of  investing  the  funds 
of  the  institution. 

An  excellent  portrait  of  Mr.  Bennett,  the  gift  of  his  grandson,  Joshua 
Bennett  Holden,  of  Boston,  adorns  the  directors'  room  of  this  bank. 

As  a  citizen  Mr.  Bennett  gained  his  highest  honor  by  his  patriotic 
conduct  in  the  early  days  of  the  Rebellion.  When  others  faltered  he 
stepped  boldly  forward.  Not  only  did  he  proffer  to  his  country  his 
own  wealth,  but  he  exerted  his  great  influence  as  a  financier  to  bring 
to  the  rescue  the  moneyed  institutions  with  which  he  was  connected. 
He  had  full  faith  in  his  country,  and  freely  instrusted  to  her  his  wealth. 
It  was  the  noble  conduct  of  men  like  him  who  in  that  hour  of  peril  and 
alarm  inspired  new  hope  and  courage  in  the  national  heart. 

Throughout  the  war  his  patriotism  never  faltered.  To  every  soldier 
who  enlisted  from  his  town,  he  gave  from  his  own  wealth  a  special 
bounty. 

Mr.  Bennett  resided  in  Boston  in  his  early  business  life,  but  in  his 
later  years   his   favorite   residence  was   upon   his    farm    in    Billerica. 

Notwithstanding  his  intense  and  life-long  devotion  to  business,  he 
was  wont  to  take  due  time  for  recreation,  having  made  one  visit  to 


BIOGRAPHIES.  035 

Europe,  and  being  accustomed  to  spend  several  weeks  of  each  summer 
at  vSaratoga  and  Sharon  Springs. 

In  the  culture  of  his  farm  of  fifty  acres  he  also  took  a  special  pleasure. 

In  his  will  he  gave  $25,000  to  the  Washingtonian  Home  in  Boston, 
an  institution  in  which  he  was  greatly  interested.  He  also  gave  $3,000 
to  each  church  of  the  various  denominations  in  the  town  of  Billerica,  as 
well  as  small  legacies  to  their  respective  pastors.  It  is  greatly  to  the 
credit  of  the  heirs,  that  though  his  will  was  not  signed,  all  the  legacies 
for  benevolent  purposes  were  honorably  paid  in  accordance  with  the 
known  wishes  of  the  testator.  On  October  8,  1815,  Mr.  Bennett  mar- 
ried Eleanor,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Richardson,  of  Billerica. 

Mrs.  Bennett  died  at  Billerica  May  G,  1891,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-seven  years.  Her  life  was  one  filled  with  good  deeds,  and  the 
whole  town  miss  her  many  acts  of  kindness  to  rich  and  poor. 

Of  his  two  children,  Ellen,  the  older,  became  the  wife  of  George 
Holden,  of  Boston,  and  Rebecca  became  the  wife  of  William  Wilkins 
Warren,  of  Boston.  The  widow  of  Mr.  Bennett,  in  honor  of  her  hus- 
band, gave  a  library  to  the  town  of  Billerica,  erecting  for  it  a  substan- 
tial brick  edifice.  Mr.  Bennett  died  August  G,  18G5,  in  the  seventy-third 
year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried  at  Mount  Auburn. 


HENRY    M.  WHITNEY. 

Hexrv  Melville  Whitxev,  widely  known  for  the  important  part  he 
has  borne  in  the  development  of  the  electric  transit  S3'stem,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Conway,  Franklin  county,  Mass.,  on  October  22,  1839. 
At  the  time  of  his  birth,  his  father.  General  James  S.  Whitney,  kept 
an  old-fashioned  country  store,  where  the  good  citizens  of  Conway  were 
wont  to  assemble  and  discuss  and  settle,  in  their  own  minds,  the  most 
important  questions  of  the  day.  The  enterprising  public  spirit  of 
General  Whitney,  his  broad  intelligence,  his  capacity  for  business,  and 
his  superior  tact  in  the  management  of  men  and  affairs,  were  destined 
to  leave  their  impress  i;pon  the  boy,  who  thus  grew  up  in  a  home  made 
happy  and  charming  by  the  presence  of  a  good  mother — Lucinda  (Col- 
lins) W^hitnev.  General  Whitney  was  a  stern  old  Democrat  of  the 
Jacksonian  type  and  the  idol  of  the  communit}"  in  which  he  dwelt.  He 
served  two  term  in  the  Legislature,  where  it  is  stated  his  vote  decided 


636  SUFFOLK   COUNTY 

the  election  of  Charles  vSumner  to  the  United  vStates  wSenate;  subse- 
quently, from  1854  to  1800,  he  was  superintendent  of  the  United  States 
Armory  at  Springfield,  and  was  collector  of  the  Port  of  Boston  for  one 
year  preceding-  the  inauguration  of  President  Lincoln.  His  death  oc- 
curred October  24,  1878. 

Of  the  youthful  days  of  Henry  M.  Whitney  there  is  little  to  be  said. 
In  the  public  schools  of  the  town  he  acquired  his  first  rudiments  of 
education,  and  then,  while  still  in  his  teens,  he  was  sent  to  Williston 
Seminary  at  Easthampton.  He  was  accompanied  by  an  elder  brother, 
William  C.  Whitney,  since  famous  as  secretary  of  the  navy  during  the 
administration  of  President  Cleveland. 

Young  Whitney's  term  at  Williston  was  limited  to  one  year.  Re- 
turning to  Conway  he  went  to  work  in  the  store,  and  later  for  three 
years  served  as  clerk  in  the  Conway  Bank,  where  he  developed  that 
business  turn  of  mind  which  has  served  him  so  well  ever  since. 

In  18*)0  his  parents  removed  to  Boston,  where  General  Whitney, 
after  leaving  the  Custom  House,  became  identified  with  enterprises  of 
large  extent  and  importance,  notably  with  the  Boston  Water  Power 
Company  and  the  Metropolitan  vSteamship  Company.  The  son,  in  the 
mean  time,  had  passed  two  years  in  the  Bank  of  Redemption ;  after- . 
wards  was  a  clerk  in  the  naval  agent's  office,  and  later  was  engaged  in 
the  shipping  business  in  New  York  city.  In  18G6  he  became  Boston 
agent  of  the  Metropolitan  Steamship  Company,  and  in  1879,  after  he 
had  obtained  possession  of  the  stock,  which  had  gradually  sunk  in 
value,  he  became  president,  holding  the  same  position  to  this  day. 
From  that  time  to  1887,  Mr.  Whitney  was  recognized  by  all  who  knew 
him  as  an  unusually  keen-witted  and  thrifty  business  man.  His  mind 
was  full  of  enterprises  of  various  kinds  and  character;  in  all  that  he 
engaged  success  followed  him.  Indeed,  everything  to  which  he  turned 
his  attention  seemed  to  bring  him  gold. 

In  the  spring  of  1886  Mr.  Whitney,  who  had  long  foreseen  the  mag- 
nificent possibilities  of  that  section  of  Boston  which  borders  on  the 
suburban  town  of  Brookline,  quietly  purchased  large  tracts  of  land 
along  the  line  of  Beacon  street  in  the  last  named  place.  In  midsummer 
of  the  same  year  he  became  conscious  that  he  had  himself  put  not  less 
than  $800,000  into  the  scheme,  and  that  it  was  likely  to  be  too  heavy 
to  carry  on  alone.  He  at  once  took  a  number  of  his  more  intimate  and 
wealthy  friends  into  his  confidence,  told  them  what  he  had  already  done 
and  what  he  proposed  to  do  further,  and  then  invited  them  to  join  him. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  037 

That  they  acceded  promptly  is  a  striking  evidence  of  the  confidence 
reposed  in  Mr.  Whitney's  integrity,  wisdom  and  tact.  The  syndicate 
thus  formed  was  the  now  famous  AVest  End  Land  Company.  The  re- 
sult of  its  endeavors  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  boulevards  of  w^hich 
this  country  can  boast,  fringed  with  residences  and  suburban  villas  of 
rare  beauty,  such  as  only  the  rich  can  afford. 

The  next  move  was  the  building  of  a  street  railway,  w4iich  should 
connect  Boston  with  Brookline,  and  run  directly  through  this  territory, 
b}'  another  corporation  formed  and  headed  by  Mr.  Whitney.  The 
length  of  the  road  was  about  eight  miles,  and  it  w^as  named  the  West 
End  Street  Railway.  This  Ime  had  been  in  operation  but  a  few  months 
when  the  subject  of  street  blockades  in  Boston  began  to  seriously  worry 
the  public  mind.  At  the  time  the  following  roads,  besides  the  West 
End,  centered  in  Boston:  the  Metropolitan,  the  Cambridge,  the  South 
Boston,  and  the  Consolidated  (Middlesex  and  Highland).  Popular 
sentiment  decreed  that  the  incessant  clashing  of  interests  engendered 
by  so  many  distinct  companies  must  come  to  an  end,  and  that,  too, 
speedily.  Mr.  Whitney  and  the  mature  minds  associated  with  him  be- 
came convinced  that  there  was  only  one  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  that 
only  a  single  plan  could  solve  the  problem — that  was  consolidation.  Such 
a  plan  was  outlined,  and  was  agreed  to  by  the  various  roads.  In  wSep- 
tember,  1887,  Mr.  Whitney  explained  the  policy  of  the  West  End  Street 
Railway  Company,  at  a  meeting  of  the  new  corporation,  in  language  as 
forceful  to-day  as  it  was  prophetic  then.  The  address  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  important  ever  delivered  by  its  author.  One 
passage  in  it  deserves  reprinting  in  this  sketch.     Said  Mr.  Whitney: 

I  believe  that  this  company  is  destined  to  play  a  very  important  part  in  the  lives 
of  this  whole  community.  I  am  myself  deeply  sensible  of  the  responsibility  which 
this  organization  holds  in  this  community.  I  hope  and  believe  that  we  shall  so  be 
able  to  administer  our  affairs  that  not  only  shall  the  stockholders  be  proud  of  the 
organization  and  have  a  security  second  to  none,  but  that  every  employee  shall  be 
proud  to  belong  to  the  organization,  and  that  the  entire  community  will  point  to  it 
with  pride.  We  believe  we  can  do  something  for  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  this 
people  that  we  could  not  do  as  individual  corporations,  and  I  am  deeply  sensible  of 
the  responsibility  that  rests  upon  us  to  do  it.  I  hope  that  this  company  will  meet 
the  future  questions  connected  with  the  transportation  problem  in  the  broadest  way. 

No  words  were  ever  uttered  with  more  profound  sincerity ;  and  that 
they  have  been  scrupulously  lived  up  to,  so  far  as  Mr.  Whiting  is  con- 
cerned, no  one  can  deny,  who  is  conversant  with  all  the  facts  underly- 
ing the  history  of  this  gigantic  enterprise  from  that  date  to  the  present 


638  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

moment.  That  perhaps  the  most  important  franchise  granted  by  the 
State  and  city  to  a  private  corporation  was  placed  thus  in  safe  hands, 
is  equally  true. 

The  part  Mr.  Whitney  bore  in  giving  to  Boston  the  most  complete 
system  of  electric  railways  which  exists  in  the  world  is  well  known.  In 
1887  the  electric  railway  in  Richmond,  Va. ,  attracted  attention  far 
and  wide.  Mr.  Whitney  went  to  that  city  to  study  its  merits.  He  re- 
turned to  Boston,  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  electricity  was 
indeed  the  power  of  the  future.  He  decided  to  test  it  as  a  power  for 
the  present;  and  as  a  result  of  his  conviction,  in  1888,  an  electric  line 
was  opened,  extending  from  Park  Square,  Boston,  to  Oak  vSquare  in 
Brighton  District — a  portion  of  it  being  operated  by  an  underground 
conduit,  and  the  remainder  by  the  trolley  system.  In  February,  1889, 
a  line  of  twenty  motor  cars  from  Bowdoin  vSquare,  Boston,  to  Harvard 
Square,  Cambridge,  was  inaugurated,  and  so  successfulh^  b}'  the  Thom- 
son-Houston Electric  Company,  that  Mr.  Whitney  six  months  later 
gave  an  order  for  six  hundred  additional  motors.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  great  electric  system,  which  to-day  is  both  the  pride  and 
the  boast  of  Boston.  vSince  then  the  history  of  the  West  End  street 
railway  has  been  one  of  constant  development  and  of  rapid  improve- 
ment. Gigantic  power  stations  have  been  erected,  which  are  marvels 
of  engineering  skill ;  more  modern  models  of  apparatus  have  replaced 
those  of  older  and  less  efficient  types;  nearly  1G,000  horse  power  is 
being  daily  furnished  by  the  electric  generators  of  these  stations,  and 
over  1,200  motors  are  under  4()9  electric  cars.  Although  but  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  of  the  two  hundred  and  sixty  operated  by  the 
company  are  equipped  with  the  electric  system,  suburban  property 
reached  by  the  system  has  appreciated  in  value  over  one  hundred  per 
cent. 

Having  carried  the  system  to  such  a  successful  stage  of  completion, 
Mr.  Whitney  through  the  demands  of  other  business  interests  which  re- 
quired attention,  retired,  much  to  the  regret  of  his  associates,  from  the 
presidency  of  the  West  End  Company  in  vSeptember,  1893.  His  able 
management  of  this  great  corporati(Mi  had  won  universal  admiration 
and  gave  him  national  reputation. 

The  Street  Raihvay  Journal  thus  speaks  of  ex-President  Henry  M. 
Whitney,  of  the  West  End  Street  Railway  Company : 

Henry  M.  Whitney  may  rightly  be  called  the  pioneer  of  the  commercial  side  of 
electric  railroading,  and  in  his  retirement  the  street  railway  industry  has  lost  a  mem- 
ber to  whose  perseverance,  intelligence  and  enterprise  it  owes  much. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  639 

With  keen  perception  he  saw  the  possibiHties  of  electricity  for  street  railway  service 
while  the  new  power  was  only  in  its  infancy.  His  faith  in  it  was  so  strong  that  he 
was  not  afraid  to  stake  his  reputation  on  the  success  of  its  application. 

Winning  over  to  his  views  his  fellow-directors  in  the  West  End  Street  Railway 
Company,  he  invested  a  large  amount  of  capital  in  what  was  then  looked  upon  by 
many  financiers  as  a  hazardous  undertaking,  and  by  his  eloquence,  aided  by  his 
indomitable  perseverance,  gained  from  a  conservative  and  somewhat  reluctant  public 
the  privilege  of  installing  in  Boston  the  largest  sji-stem  of  electric  railways  ever  then 
attempted. 

Much  of  tlae  labor  to  be  performed  was  in  an  unexplored  field,  and  costly  experi- 
ments had  to  be  made.  In  the  results  of  these  every  electric  railway  company  in  the 
country  has  been  a  beneficiary.  The  knowledge  acquired  at  immense  cost  in  Boston 
has  been  utilized  in  the  economical  construction  and  operation  of  electric  roads  in 
different  parts  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Whitney  was  always  an  ardent  advocate  of  attracting  to  the  suburbs  the  city's 
workers.  To  aid  in  this  he  has  done  a  great  deal  in  extending  the  distance  of  travel 
on  a  single  fare.  Much  more  would  undoubtedly  have  been  accomplished  by  him  in 
the  way  of  rapid  transit  has  his  offers  and  suggestions  been  met  in  the  same  spirit  as 
that  in  which  they  were  tendered. 

As  an  organizer  in  consolidating  and  unifj-ing  into  one  corporation  the  many  street 
railway  companies  in  Boston,  his  executive  ability  was  especially  marked. 

Mr.  Whitney's  home  is  in  Brookline.  It  was  in  this  beautiful  but 
qtiiet  town  that  he  first  met  Miss  Margaret  Foster  Green,  to  whom  he 
was  married  on  October  3,  1878.  This  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  one  son  and  four  daughters.  The  summer  home  of  the  family 
is  at  Cohasset. 

Mr.  Whitney's  success  in  life  has  been  phenomenal,  a  surprise  even 
to  his  most  intimate  friends.  The  West  End  enterprise  has  not  re- 
quired the  whole  of  his  time  by  any  means,  and  his  name  is  associated 
with  several  other  prosperous  corporations,  notably  the  Hancock  In- 
spirator Company,  the  Non-slip  Horse  Shoe  Company,  the  Metropoli- 
tan Steamship  Company,  and  several  others.  In  all  of  these  enterprises 
he  has  largely  invested  capital,  and  actively  directs  their  policies. 

The  personal  appearance  of  Mr.  Whitney  is  clearly  indicated  by  his 
portrait.  There  is  no  mistaking  the  look  of  firmness  and  decision  his 
eyes  flash  upon  all  occasions,  but  it  is  a  look  tempered  by  refined  cour- 
tesy and  kindness,  except  when  it  confronts  a  man  unworthy  of  his 
trust.  Frank,  outspoken  and  confiding  himself,  Mr.  Whitney  regards 
nothing  more  despicable  than  deceit.  He  is  of  medium  stature,  rather 
stout  and  somewhat  inclined  to  stoop  when  walking.  *He  is  quick  in 
all  his  actions,  perhaps  nervously  so,  and  equally  as  quick  to  decide  a 
qitestion.      In  social  intercourse  he  appears  to  be  more  a  good  listener 


640  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

than  a  good  talker ;  and  yet  few  persons  can  recite  a  more  taking  anec- 
dote or  more  keenly  relish  one.  As  is  generally  conceded,  he  is  a  most 
impressive  public  speaker,  and  always  commands  the  attention  even  of 
his  opponents.  He  possesses  a  wonderful  memory,  a  deep  sense  of  the 
value  of  facts  and  figures,'  and  rarely  advances  an  argument  that  does 
not  rest  on  both.  His  address  to  the  vState  Legislature  in  March,  1891, 
is  an  illustrious  example  of  this  assertion.  Mr.  Whitney's  generosity 
is  proverbial,  his  charities  are  dispensed  freely,  unostentatiousl}^  and 
with  discretion,  and  many  tliere  are  who  to-day  are  indebted  to  him  for 
their  success  in  life.  Happy  in  his  home,  true  to  his  frienships,  appre- 
ciative of  all  efforts  that  tend  to  uplift  humanity,  and  ever  ready  to 
assist  them,  he  enjoys  the  universal  respect  of  the  community. 


FRANCIS  BLAKE. 

Francis  Blakk,  widely  known  through  his  important  invention  in 
connection  with  the  telephone,  was  born  at  Needham,  now  Wellesley 
Hills,  Mass.,  December  25,  1850.  He  is  of  the  eighth  generation  de- 
scended from  William  and  Agnes  Blake,  who  came  to  America  from 
Somersetshire,  England,  before  1636,  and  settled  at  Dorchester  in  that 
part  of  the  town  now  called  Milton.  William  Blake  was  a  distinguished 
leader  in  colonial  affairs,  and  his  descendants  have  kept  his  name  in 
honorable  prominence  to  the  present  time. 

Mr.  Blake  is  a  grandson  of  the  Hon.  Francis  Blake,  of  Worcester, 
State  senator,  and  for  man}'  years  one  of  the  prominent  members  of  the 
Worcester  coiinty  bar,  and  son  of  Francis  Blake,  who  engaged  in  busi- 
ness pursuits  in  early  life,  and  from  1862  to  1874  served  as  United 
States  appraiser  at  Boston.  Mr.  Blake's  mother  was  Caroline  Burling, 
daughter  of  George  Augustus  Trumbull,  of  Worcester,  a  kinsman  of 
General  Jonathan  Trumbull,  the  original  "Brother  Jonathan,"  who 
was  private  secretary  to  George  Washington . 

Mr.  Blake  was  educated  at  public  schools  until  the  year  1866,  when 
his  uncle,  Commodore  George  Smith  Blake,  U.S.N.,  secured  his  ap- 
pointment from  the  Brookline  High  School  to  the  United  States  Coast 
Survey,  in  which  service  he  acquired  the  scientific  education  which  has 
led  to  his  later  successes  in  civil  life.  His  twelve  years'  service  in  the 
Coast  vSurvey  has  connected  his  name  with  inany  of  the  most  important 


BIOGRAPHIES.  641 

scientific  achievements  of  the  corps.  His  first  field  work  was  in  con- 
nection with  a  hydrographic  survey  of  the  Susquehanna  River,  near 
Harve  de  Grace,  ^Maryland,  followed  by  similar  service  on  the  west 
coast  of  Florida  and  the  north  coast  of  Cuba.  In  October,  18G8,  he  was 
ordered  to  astronomical  duty  at  Harvard  College  Observatory  in  con- 
nection with  the  transcontinental  longitiade  determination  between  the 
observatory  and  San  Francisco.  On  this  occasion,  for  the  purpose  of 
determinating  the  velocity  of  telegraphic  time  signals,  a  metallic  cir- 
cuit of  7,000  miles  with  thirteen  repeaters  was  used,  and  it  was  found 
that  a  signal  sent  from  Cambridge  to  vSan  Francisco  was  received  back, 
after  traveling  7,000  miles,  in  eight-tenths  of  a  second.  In  October, 
18G9,  Mr.  Blake  was  ordered  to  determine  the  astronomical  latitude 
and  longitude  of  Cedar  Falls,  la. ,  and  St.  Louis,  Mo. ,  and  for  the  suc- 
cessful accomplishment  of  this  work  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  sub- 
assistant.  Portions  of  the  year  18(;9  he  spent  in  Europe  in  determining 
the  astronomical  difference  of  longitude  between  Brest,  France,  and 
Harvard  College  Observatory,  by  means  of  time-signals  sent  through 
the  French  Atlantic  cable. 

November  22,  1870,  he  was  detached  from  the  Coast  Survey  and  ap- 
pointed astronomer  of  the  Darien  Exploring  Expedition,  under  the 
command  of  Commander  Selfridge,  U.S.N.  This  expedition  was  for 
the  examination  of  the  Atrato  and  Tuyra  River  routes  for  a  ship  canal 
across  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.  Air.  Blake's  work  included  the  deter- 
mination of  astronomical  latitudes  and  longitudes  of  several  points  on 
the  Gulf  and  Pacific  Coasts,  and  in  the  interior,  as  well  as  a  determina- 
of  the  difference  of  longitude  between  Aspinwall  and  Panama.  In  a 
letter,  dated  March  9,  1871,  Commander  Selfridge  wrote  to  the  super- 
tendent  as  follows:  "Upon  the  close  of  Mr.  Blake's  connection  with 
the  expedition,  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  bear  witness  to  the  zeal,  ability 
and  ingenuity  with  which  he  has  labored,  and  to  recommend  him  to 
3'our  favorable  consideration." 

In  March,  1872,  Mr.  Blake  w^as  ordered  to  Europe  for  astronomical 
duty  in  connection  with  the  third  and  final  determination  of  the  differ- 
ence of  longitude  between  Greenwich,  Paris,  and  Cambridge.  He  was 
engaged  for  more  than  a  year  in  this  great  work,  which  was  carried  on 
under  the  general  direction  of  Professor  J.  E.  Hilgard,  then  assistant 
in  charge  of  the  Coast  Survey  Oflfice,  and  later  superintendent  of  the 
Coast  Survey.  Mr.  Blake  made  all  the  European  observations,  being 
stationed  successively  at  Brest,  France;  the  Imperial  Observatory, 
81 


(542  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Paris;  and  the  Royal  Observatory,  Greenwich.  Returning  to  the 
United  States,  he  was  stationed  at  Cambridge  and  Washington  for  the 
determination  of  differences  of  personal  equation. 

On  April  1,  1873,  Mr.  Blake  was  promoted  from  the  rank  of  sub- 
assistant  to  the  rank  of  assistant.  Up  to  this  time  his  promotion  in  the 
service  had  been  very  rapid,  his  work  meeting  with  the  warmest  ap- 
proval of  his  superiors,  the  superintendent  of  the  Coast  Survey  in  a 
letter  to  the  secretary,  in  1871,  declaring:  "  His  observations  have  in- 
variably borne  the  severest  test  in  regard  to  accuracy,"  while  the  assist- 
ant, Charles  O.  Boutelle,  at  the  close  of  Mr.  Blake's  astronomical  work 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  wrote  under  date  of  October  30,  1871 : 
"  The  symmetrical  precision  of  the  latitude  observation  made  by  you 
at  Maryland  Heights,  Clark  and  Bull  Run  stations  has  never  been  ex- 
celled in  the  Coast  Survey." 

In  187-1:  Mr.  Blake  was  ordered  to  duty  in  the  preparation  for  publi- 
cation of  the  results  of  transatlantic  longitude  work.  This  work  in- 
volved a  rediscussion  of  the  result  of  the  transatlantic  longitude  deter- 
minations in  1866  and  1870,  as  well  as  an  original  discussion  of  the 
final  determination  of  1872.  Mr.  Blake  was  so  engaged  for  more  than 
two  years,  and  the  results  of  his  labors  are  embodied  in  Appendix  No. 
18,  United  States  Coast  Survey  Report,  1874.  The  finally  accepted 
values  for  the  difference  of  longitude  between  Harvard  College  Ob- 
servatory and  Greenwich  are : 

HOURS.         MIN.  SEC. 

1866 4  44  80.99 

1870...- 30.98 

1871 30.98 

Mean .. 4  44  30.98 

The  precision  of  the  work  will  perhaps  be  more  evident  to  the  general 
reader  when  it  is  stated  that  this  result  justifies  the  statement  that  the 
distance  between  London  and  Boston  has  been  thrice  measured,  with  a 
resulting  difference  in  the  measurement  of  a  little  more  than  ten  feet. 

Mr.  Blake's  observations  of  1872  gave  a  new  result  for  the  difference 
of  longitude  between  the  Royal  Observatory  at  Greenwich  and  the  Im- 
perial Observatory  at  Paris — 9  min.,  20.97  sec.  The  previously  ac- 
cepted value  was  9  min.,  20.63  sec,  which  left  a  difference  of  0.34  sec, 
or  111  feet  to  be  accounted  for.  Subsequent  observations  by  European 
astronomers  have  confirmed  Mr.  Blake's  results,  and  the  finally  accepted 
value  is  9  min.,  20.95  sec. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  643 

In  1877  Mr.  Blake  represented  the  Coast  Survey  at  a  conference  of 
the  commission  appointed  to  fix  the  boundary  line  between  New  York 
and  Pennsylvania.  This  service  was  followed  by  geodetic  duty  in  con- 
nection with  a  resurvey  of  Boston  Harbor,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Massachusetts  Board  of  Harbor  Commissioners.  This  was  the  last 
field-work  performed  by  Mr,  Blake,  whose  active  career  in  the  Coast 
vSurvey  closed  with  the  following"  correspondence: 

Weston,  Massachusetts,  5  April,  1878. 
Sir:  Private  affairs  not  permitting  me  at  present  to  discharge  my  official  duties,  I 
respectfully  tender  my  resignation  as  an  assistant  in  the   United  States  Coast  Sur- 
vey.    It  is  impossible  for  me  to  express  in  official  language  the  regret  with  which  I 
thus  close  the  twelfth  year  of  my  service. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

Francis  Blake, 
Asst.  U.  S.  Coast  Survey. 
To  the  Hon.  C.  P.   Patterson, 

Stipt.  U,  S.  Coast  Survey,  Washington,  D.  C. 

U.  S.  Coast  Survey  Office, 

Washington,  April  9,  1878. 
Sir:  I  regret  very  greatly  to  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of 
April  5,  tendering  your  resignation  as  an  assistant  of  the  United  States  Coast  Sur- 
vey. I  accept  it  with  the  greatest  reluctance,  and  beg  to  express  thus  officially  my 
sense  of  your  high  abilities  and  character — abilities  trained  to  aspire  to  the  highest 
honors  of  scientific  position,  and  character  to  inspire  confidence  and  esteem.  So 
loath  am  I  to  sever  entirely  your  official  connection  with  the  Survey  that  I  must  re- 
quest you  to  allow  me  to  retain  your  name  tipon  the  list  of  "  extra  observers,"  under 
which  title  Prof.  B.  Pierce,  Prof.  Lovering,  Dr.  Gould,  Prof.  Winlock  and  others  had 
their  names  classed  for  many  years.  This  will,  of  course,  be  merely  honorary ;  but 
it  gives  me  a  "  quasi "  authority  to  communicate  with  you  in  ^  semi-official  way  as 
exceptional  occasion  may  suggest. 

Your  resignation  is  accepted  to  date  from  April  15th. 

Yours  respectfully, 

C.  P.  Patterson,  Supt.  Coast  Survej^ 
F.  Blake,  Assistant  Coast  .Survey. 

During  the  greater  part  of  Mr.  Blake's  last  two  years  of  service  in 
the  Coast  Survey,  he  was  at  his  Weston  home  engaged  in  the  reduction 
of  his  European  field-work  connected  with  the  determination  of  the 
diiierences  of  longitude  between  the  astronomical  observatories  at 
Greenwich,  Paris,  Cambridge  and  Washington.  In  his  leisure-moments 
he  had  devoted  himself  to  experimental  physics,  and  in  so  doing  had 
become  an  enthusiastic  amateur  mechanic;  so  that  at  the  time  of  his 
resignation  he  found  himself  in  possession  of  a  well  equipped  mechan- 
ical laboratory  and  a  self-acquired  ability  to  perform  a  variety  of  me- 


644  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

chanical  operations.  Under  these  conditions,  what  had  been  a  pastime 
naturally  became  a  serious  pursuit  in  life ;  and  within  barely  a  month 
of  the  date  of  his  resignation  Mr.  Blake  had  begun  a  series  of  experi- 
ments which  brought  forth  the  Blake  transmitter,  as  presentefl  to  the 
world  through  the  Bell  Telephone  Company  in  November,  1878.  Mr. 
Blake's  invention  was  of  peculiar  value  at  the  time,  as  the  Bell  Tele- 
phone Company  was  just  beginning  litigations  with  a  rival  company, 
which,  besides  being  financially  strong,  had  entered  the  business  field 
with  a  transmitting  telephone  superior  to  the  original  form  of  the  Bell 
instrument.  The  Blake  transmitter  was  far  superior  to  the  infringing 
instrument,  and  enabled  the  Bell  Telephone  Company  to  hold  its  own 
in  the  sharp  business  competition  which  continued  until,  by  a  judicial 
decision,  the  company  was  assured  a  monopoly  of  the  telephone  busi- 
ness during  the  life  of  the  Bell  patents.  There  are  to-day  more  than 
250,000  Blake  transmitters  in  use  in  the  United  States,  and  probabh'  a 
larger  number  in  all  foreign  countries.  Since  its  first  invention  Mr. 
Blake  has  kept  up  his  interest  in  electrical  research,  and  the  records  in 
the  patent  office  show  that  twenty  patents  have  been  granted  to  him 
during  the  last  twelve  years. 

Mr.  Blake's  life  in  Weston  began  June  24,  1873,  on  which  day  he  was 
married  to  Elizabeth  L.,  daughter  of  Charles  T.  Hubbard.  In  the  year 
of  his  marriage  there  was  the  beginning  of  "  Keewaydin,"  the  beautiful 
estate  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  town,  which  has  since  been  his 
home  and  the  birthplace  of  his  two  children — Agnes,  born  Janviary  2, 
1876 ;  Benjamin  Sewall,  born  February  14,  1877.  Mr.  Blake  has  been 
a  director  of  the  American  Bell  Telephone  Company  since  1878.  He 
was  elected  fellow  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science  in  1874;  fellow  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and 
vSciences  in  1881;  member  of  the  National  Conference  of  Electricians, 
1884;  member  of  the  xVmerican  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers,  1889, 
and  member  of  the  Corporation  of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology, 1889,  and  member  of  the  Boston  vSociety  of  Civil  Engineers  in 
1890.  He  is  a  fellow  of  the  American  Geographical  Society;  member 
of  the  Bostonian  Society;  member  of  the  Boston  vSociety  of  the  Archae- 
ological Institute  of  America,  and  has  for  many  years  been  appointed 
by  the  Board  of  Overseers  of  Harvard  College  a  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee to  visit  the  Jefferson  Physical  Laboratorv.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  most  prominent  social  clubs  of  Boston,  and  his  active  interest  in 
photography  has  led  to  his  election  for  many  years  as  vice-president  of 
the  Boston  Camera  Club. 


^?^:v:y7^: 


BIOGRAPHIES.  G45 

FRANK    JONES. 

Frank  Jones,  one  of  the  prominent  tigures  in  the  political  and  busi- 
ness affairs  of  New  En^^-land,  was  born  in  Barrington,  Strafford 
county,  N.  H.,  September  15,  1832.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  seven 
children,  six  boys  and  one  girl,  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Jones.  His 
youth  was  passed  on  his  father's  farm,  one  of  the  best  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  in  the  local  schools  of  his  native  town  his  education  was 
received.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  left  the  farm  to  begin  his  busi- 
ness career,  at  this  time  joining  an  elder  brother  in  Portsmouth,  where 
he  had  a  store  on  Market  street  for  stoves,  hardware,  tin  and  house- 
hold furnishing  goods.  His  position  was  that  of  salesman,  and  in  those 
days  it  was  the  custom  to  sell  goods  from  farm  to  farm,  and  in  this 
young  Jones  became  so  successful  that  at  the  end  of  four  years  he  had 
gained  sufhcient  money  to  buy  an  interest  in  his  brother's  business. 
Not  long  thereafter  he  purchased  the  entire  business  and  continued  to 
enlarge  his  trade,  until  18(51,  when  he  sold  out  to  a  younger  brother, 
an  employee  in  the  establishment.  Prior  to  this,  however,  Mr.  Jones 
had  embarked  in  the  brewing  business,  having,  in  1858,  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  Swindels  Brewery,  which  had  been  established  by  John 
Swindels,  an  Englishman,  in  1854.  Shortly  after  acquiring  an  interest 
in  this  establishment,  Mr.  Jones  became  sole  owner,  and  such  has  been 
his  excellent  management  of  this  enterprise,  that  to-day  it  is  one  of  the 
most  extensive  ale  breweries  in  America.  Its  growth  and  development 
was  rapid  and  permanent.  A  large  malt-house  was  added  in  1863,  a 
new  brewery  was  built  in  18T1,  and  in  1879  a  second  and  still  larger 
malt-house  was  built,  doubling  the  capacity  of  the  plant.  In  1875  Mr. 
Jones  still  further  added  to  his  brewing  interest  by  the  purchase,  with 
others,  of  the  South  Boston  Brewery  of  Henry  Souther  &  Co.  It  was 
operated  as  the  Bay  Street  Brewery  by  the  firm  of  Jones,  Cook  &  Co., 
of  which  Mr.  Jones  was  the  head  until  1880,  when  it  was  sold  to  the 
Frank  Jones  Brewing  Company,  limited.  The  success  which  had  at- 
tended Mr.  Jones  in  his  business  ventures  naturally  suggested  his 
selection  for  political  preferment,  and  in  18G8  he  was  chosen  mayor  of 
Portsmouth,  and  was  re-elected  the  following  year.  In  this  position  he 
applied  the  same  principles  which  had  contributed  to  his  private  busi- 
ness success;  the  expenses  of  the  city  were  reduced  and  improvements 
of  decided  character  and  utility  were  prudenth'  and  economically  car- 
ried on.      His  able  management  of  city  affairs  to  such  a  degree  met  the 


646  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

approval  of  the  people,  that  in  1875  he  received  the  Democratic  nomina- 
tion and  was  elected  to  Congress,  and  in  1877  was  re-elected  to  a  sec- 
ond term  over  the  Hon.  Oilman  Marston,  one  of  the  ablest  and  most 
popular  Republicans  in  the  State.  Against  his  emphatic  protest  he 
was  made  the  Democratic  candidate  for  governor  in  1880,  and  although 
defeated,  he  received  the  largest  vote  which  had  ever  been  cast  for  a 
Democratic  candidate.  In  the  railroad  development  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, Mr.  Jones  has  taken  a  very  prominent  part,  having  projected  and 
built  more  miles  of  railroad  in  his  native  State  than  any  other  person. 
wSince  its  incorporation  he  has  been  president  of  the  Dover  and 
Portsmouth  Railroad ;  is  a  director  of  the  Wolfborough  Railroad, 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  projectors;  was  for  many  years  a  direc- 
tor of  the  Eastern  Railroad ;  has  been  a  director  of  the  Maine  Cen- 
tral for  twenty  years,  and  has  been  president  of  the  great  Boston 
and  Maine  system.  The  Upper  Coos  Railroad,  over  one  hundred 
miles  in  length  (including  the  Hereford),  connecting  north  with 
the  Quebec  Central,  making  a  through  line  from  Boston  to  Quebec  via 
the  Boston  and  Maine  and  Maine  Central  railroads,  through  the  White 
Mountain  Notch,  was  built  by  him  and  his  associates  in  less  than  one 
year  after  the  grant  of  legislative  authority  Mr.  Jones  is  also  the 
owner  of  two  great  hotels,  the  Rockingham  in  Portsmouth,  and  the 
Wentworth  in  Newcastle.  The  former  is  a  structure  of  his  own  design, 
a  monument  to  his  taste  and  enterprise,  as  its  beauty  and  elegance  is 
the  pride  of  the  city.  The  Wentworth  was  also  planned  by  him  and 
equipped  under  his  direction. 

The  enterprise  shown  by  Mr.  Jones  in  his  boyhood,  says  one  writer,  leaving 
the  farming  town  of  his  birth,  entering  the  seaport  city  as  a  stranger,  his  indomitable 
will  and  courage,  quickness  of  perception  and  rare  judgment,  have  not  only  made 
him  master  of  the  situation,  but  enabled  him  to  succeed  in  a  career  admired  by  his 
acquaintances,  and  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud.  Noted  for  his  liberality,  he  has 
never  sought  to  cover  up  the  adversities  of  childhood,  and  many  a  poor  fellow  has 
received  from  his  hand  material  aid  and  kind  assistance. 

In  his  country  place  he  has  over  one  thousand  acres  of  tillage  land 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  stocked  with  the  finest  cattle  and 
horses.  Maplewood  Farm,  as  it  is  called,  situated  about  one  mile  from 
Portsmouth,  on  Maplewood  avenue,  is  probably  the  more  productive  in 
its  yield  than  any  other  in  the  State.  Here  Mr.  Jones  spends  most  of  his 
time  during  the  summer  months,  while  the  Rockingham  Hotel  is  his 
winter  home.     The  present   wise   statutory  provision,   known   as  the 


BIOGRAPHIES.  (i47 

"  valued"  policy  law,  affecting-  insurance  business  in  New  Hampshire, 
is  largely  the  result  of  his  persistent  efforts.  With  him  it  originated, 
and  through  his  well  directed  endeavors  was  passed  to  enactment.  At 
the  time  of  the  passage  of  this  law,  fifty-eight  foreign  insurance  com- 
panies were  doing  business  in  the  wState.  Upon  the  departure  of  these 
companies  he  was  among  the  foremost  to  organize  reliable  companies 
to  take  the  place  and  business  of  the  old  ones  that  canceled  their 
policies  when  the  law  passed.  The  Granite  State  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  is  president,  is  doing  business  in  nearly  every  wState 
in  the  Union,  and  during  1891  was  the  third  in  the  list  in  the  volume 
of  New  England  business,  competing  with  one  hundred  and  forty 
agency  companies  occupying  this  field.  Mr.  Jones  was  married  Sep- 
tember 15,  1861,  to  Martha  vSophia  Jones,  the  widow  of  his  brother, 
Hiram  Jones,  who  died  in  July,  1859,  leaving  one  child,  Emma  I.,  now 
the  wife  of  Colonel  Charles  A.  Sinclair.  Mrs.  Jones  is  noted  for  her 
benevolence  and  hospitality. 


CHARLES   A.   SINCLAIR. 

Conspicuous  in  the  field  of  railroad  enterprises  in  New  England  has 
been  the  career  of  Hon.  Charles  A.  Sinclair.  He  is  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  for  many  years  has  been  a  prominent  factor  in  the 
politics  of  that  vState.  In  1873  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  of  New  Hampshire,  and  twelve  years  later  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate,  receiving  the  compliment  of  a  re-election 
in  1888  and  again  in  1890,  and  is  still  serving  as  a  member  of  that  body. 
He  was  made  colonel  by  Governor  Weston,  and  served  on  his  staff  in 
1871  and  1872. 

Mr.  Sinclair  entered  the  railroad  field  in  1881.  His  first  experience 
was  with  the  Worcester,  Nashua  and  Rochester  Railroads,  and  early  in 
1881  it  was  found  that  he  had  secured  control  of  that  property.  He 
was  elected  director  of  that  corporation  the  same  year  and  was  subse- 
quently chosen  president.  On  October  13,  1885,  the  road  was  leased 
to  the  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad.  He  has  always  believed  in  and  ad- 
vocated the  idea  of  a  grand  consolidation  of  the  railroad  properties  of 
New  England  that  have  since  been  so  successfully  brought  together  by 
leases  and  consolidations. 


648  SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 

Early  in  ISHG  he  began  purchasing'  the  stock  of  the  Manchester  and 
Lawrence  Railroad ;  secured  control,  and  was  elected  president  at  the 
annual  meeting  in  December.  On  June  1,  1887,  the  road  was  leased  to 
the  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad,  Mr.  Sinclair  retaining  the  presidency, 
and  now  holds  that  office.  In  1884  the  Eastern  Railroad  was  leased  to 
the  Boston  and  Maine,  and  repeated  and  persistent  efforts  were  made 
to  effect  a  consolidation  of  these  properties.  There  was  more  or  less 
friction  between  the  two  boards  of  directors,  the  matter  of  improve- 
ments and  improvement  bonds  being  a  constant  source  of  differences 
of  opinion.  In  consequence,  no  progress  in  this  direction  was  made 
until  early  in  1880,  when  Mr.  vSinclair,  who  had  been  quietly  buying 
the  stock,  succeeded  in  purchasing  in  open  market,  with  others,  a  con- 
trol of  the  stock  of  the  Eastern  Railroad,  and  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  company  in  December  of  that  year  he  was  chosen  a  director.  On 
May  9,  1890,  the  Eastern  consolidated  with  the  Boston  and  Maine. 

Between  1887  and  1888  Mr.  Sinclair,  in  company  with  others,  built 
the  Upper  Coos  and  Hereford  Railroads,  and  later  was  chosen  a  director 
of  these  roads.  On  May  1,  1890,  both  roads  were  leased  to  the  Maine 
Central  Railroad,  a  majority  of  which  stock  is  owned  by  the  Boston  and 
Maine. 

On  December  11,  1890,  Mr.  Sinclair  was  chosen  a  director  of  the 
Boston  and  Maine  Railroad;  a  week  later  was  elected  to  the  directory 
of  the  Maine  Central  Railroad.  After  a  year's  absence  Mr.  Sinclair 
again  returned  to  the  directory  of  the  Boston  and  Maine  in  December, 
1892,  where  his  great  energy  and  untiring  zeal  will  be  positive  factors 
in  its  management. 

Mr.  vSinclair  is  a  well  known  figure  upon  "the  street,"  where  his  keen 
business  knowledge,  methodical  methods  and  indefatigable  energy  have 
been  long  recognized  and  earned  for  him  a  position  such  as  inspires  trust 
and  confidence.  Besides  his  railroad  interests  he  is  interested  in  many 
enterprises.  He  is  proprietor  of  the  Quincy  House  and  the  Moulton 
Cafe  in  Boston ;  owns  the  Poj'tsmontJi  Times.,  the  leading  newspaper  of 
New  Hampshire;  is  largest  owmer  of  the  Morley  Button  Machine  fac- 
tory; also  largest  owner  of  the  Portsmouth  Shoe  Company,  which  em- 
ploys over  1,200  hands;  is  a  director  in  the  Frank  Jones  Brewing 
Company,  limited,  and  a  director  in  the  Massachusetts  National  Bank. 


AJ^"' 


BIOGRAPHIES.  649 

ARTHUR    ROTCH. 

Arthur  Rotch,  son  of  Benjamin  vS.  Rotch  and  Annie  Bigelow  Law- 
rence, daughter  of  Hon.  Abbott  Lawrence,  was  born  in  Boston,  May 
13,  1850.  He  was  fitted  in  Boston  for  Harvard  University,  which  he 
entered  in  18G7  and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1871.  He  then 
studied  architecture  at  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology,  and 
after  a  year  of  office  work  entered  the  Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts  of  Paris. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  Americans  at  that  celebrated  school  to  make  a 
bold  bid  for  honors,  and  carried  off  more  than  any  of  his  contem- 
poraries. During  the  six  years  of  his  foreign  studies  he  traveled 
widely,  especially  studying  decorations.  While  studying  the  Arabian 
mosques  in  Egypt,  he  collaborated  with  Monsietir  Arthur  Rhone,  the 
well  known  French  writer,  on  his  work  on  Egypt. 

On  his  return  to  this  country,  Mr.  Rotch  began  practicing  archi- 
tecture with  George  T.  Tilden,  as  the  firm  of  Rotch  &  Tilden.  The 
value  of  foreign  study  to  young  architects  and  the  dreariness  of  a 
draughtman's  career  were  deeply  impressed  on  Mr.  Rotch 's  mind 
during  his  experience  abroad.  These  impressions  found  a  ready  re- 
sponse in  the  desire  of  his  father  to  found  some  public  charity,  but  the 
latter's  sudden  death  left  the  matter  unsettled.  It  became  the  filial 
duty  of  the  children  to  found  such  a  traveling  scholarship  as  had  been 
contemplated.  With  his  brother  and  three  sisters,  in  1883  he  founded 
the  Rotch  Traveling  Scholarship,  whose  provisions  annually  send  a 
student  of  architecture  to  Europe,  there  to  stud}^  and  travel  for  two 
years.  Naturally  Mr.  Rotch  has  been  the  active  trustee  of  this  prize, 
and  on  him  has  devolved  the  framing  and  execution  of  the  rules  under 
which  the  student  is  selected.  But  this  is  not  the  only  proof  Mr.  Rotch 
has  given  of  his  appreciation  of  his  foreign  studies.  Filled  with  gratitude 
for  the  opportunities  which  the  French  government  gives  gratuitously 
to  strangers,  Mr.  Rotch  was  one  of  the  first  to  promote  the  foundation 
by  American  ex-students  of  the  Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts  of  a  Prize  of 
Gratitude,  which  annually  gives  a  traveling  purse  to  a  French  student. 
The  firm  of  Rotch  &  Tilden  has  constructed  many  public  and  private 
buildings  in  Boston  and  throughout  the  country.  Among  them  are  the 
Art  Museum  and  Art  ^School  of  Wellesle}^  College,  g}annasium  at  Bow- 
doin,  gymnasium,  dormitory  and  library  at  Exeter,  public  libraries  at 
Bridgewater,  Eastport  and  Groton,  churches  of  the  Messiah  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  Boston,  while  their  town  halls,  high  schools  and  commer- 

83 


650  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

cial  buildings  are  scattered  through  many  States.  This  firm  was  the 
first  to  revive  the  Colonial  style  for  modern  buildings,  a  style  which  so 
fully  answers  the  requirements  of  modern  life  that  it  was  immediately 
introduced  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  Mr.  Rotch 
was  the  first  to  advocate  the  use  of  rmigJi  cast,  which  has  since  come 
into  use  and  which  led  to  the  adoption  of  staff  as  the  material  of  the 
Chicago  Fair  buildings. 

Mr.  Rotch  was  supervising  architect  of  the  vSufl^olk  County  Court 
House,  and  the  conception  of  the  grand  central  hall  was  entirely  due 
to  him.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Department  of  Architecture  and  one  of 
the  corporation  of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology,  and  a 
trustee  of  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  and  of  the  Massachusetts 
Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Somerset,  vSt.  Botolph, 
Tavern  and  Art  Clubs  of  Boston,  and  of  clubs  in  several  other  cities. 
He  was  married  in  1892  to  Lisette  De  Wolf  Colt. 

As  a  painter  in  water  colors  Mr.  Rotch  is  well  known,  having  ex- 
hibited for  a  number  of  years  in  the  Paris  Salon,  the  Academy  in 
London,  as  well  as  annually  in  the  chief  exhibitions  in  New  York, 
Philadelphia  and  Boston,  and  was  well  represented  in  the  Art  Depart- 
ment at  the  World's  Fair,  Chicago.  He  is  of  a  literary  as  well  as 
artistic  turn  of  mind.  During  his  studies  abroad  he  was  a  regular  cor- 
respondent of  the  American  Architect  and  an  occasional  correspondent 
of  several  daily  papers,  notably  the  London  Daily  Neivs,  for  which  he 
wrote  up  the  situation  in  Turkey  and  Bulgaria  after  the  Russian  in- 
vasion. His  professional  work  leaves  him  scant  leisure,  but  he  con- 
tributes still  occasionally  criticisms  and  reviews  of  current  art  matters. 
For  two  years  after  he  settled  in  Boston  he  delivered  lectures  on  Deco- 
rative Art  at  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology. 


FREDERICK    H.   PRINCE. 

Frederick  Henry  Prince  is  of  an  illustrious  family,  which  as  long- 
ago  as  1584  was  prominent  in  England,  living  at  that  time  in  Shrews- 
bury, upon  their  estate  known  as  "Abbey  Foregate,"  John  Prince 
being  then  rector  of  East  Sheffield,  In  1633  his  son,  Elder  John 
Prince,  came  to  this  country  and  settled  in  Hull,  Mass.  His  grandson, 
Thomas  Prince,  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1707,  and  in  1717 


^^^^^..^^^^^^  A^ 


jbtOGRAPHlES.  651 

was  ordained  co-pastor  with  Dr.  Sewell  of  the  Old  vSoiith  Church  in 
Boston.  Mr.  Prince's  great-grandfather,  James  Prince,  well  known  in 
his  day  and  generation  as  a  prominent  merchant,  was  appointed  by 
President  Jefferson  as  naval  officer  of  the  Port  of  Boston,  and  after- 
wards as  United  States  marshal  for  the  District  of  Massachusetts.  Mr. 
Prince  is  the  son  of  Frederick  Octavius  and  Helen  (Henry)  Prince,  and 
was  born  in  Winchester,  Mass.,  November  30,  1860.  His  father  is  a 
distinguished  ex-mayor  of  Boston,  and  for  many  years  was  secretary  of 
the  National  Democratic  Committee.  Mr,  Prince  received  his  early 
education  in  public  schools,  and  entered  Harvard  College  in  1878,  but 
left  in  1880  to  go  into  business.  In  1885  he  established  the  banking 
house  of  F.  H.  Prince  &  Co.,  and  its  career  has  been  one  of  uninter- 
rupted prosperity.  Mr.  Prince  has  been  interested  in  some  of  the 
heaviest  financial  undertakings  in  this  country,  among  them  the  pur- 
chase from  the  Thayers,  Vanderbilts  and  others,  of  the  Union  Stock 
Yard  and  Transit  Company  of  Chicago,  which  he  sold  to  a  London 
syndicate  for  $23,000,000;  the  company  is  now  known  as  the  Chicago 
Junction  Railways  and  Union  Stock  Yards  Company.  Mr.  Prince  is 
a  director  of  the  Chicago  Junction  Railways  and  Union  Stock  Yards 
Company,  and  interested  in  the  direction  and  management  of  several 
corporations  and  railroads.  He  is  a  member  of  all  the  leading  clubs  in 
Boston  and  New  York.  In  1884  he  married  Abby  Kinsley  Norman,  a 
daughter  of  George  H.  Norman,  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren. Frederick  and  Norman. 


COL.   AUSTIN  CLARKE  WELLINGTON. 

CoL.  Austin  Clarke  Wellington  was  born  in  the  historic  town  of 
Lexington,  Middlesex  county,  Mass.,  July  17,  1810.  His  military  in- 
stinct and  love  of  martial  characteristics  were  a  family  inheritance.  He 
was  a  direct  descendant  of  the  men  who  on  Lexington  Common  offered 
their  lives  to  found  this  nation,  and  he  proved  worthy  of  his  heroic 
ancestry.  His  great-grandfather,  Capt.  Timothy  Wellington,  with  his 
brother  Benjamin,  participated  in  the  battle  of  Lexington,  Benjamin 
being  the  first  prisoner  of  the  Revolution  captured  by  the  king's  troops 
on  that  eventful  morning,  but  he  escaped,  and  later  rejoined  his  com- 
pany. 


65^  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Jonas  Clarke  and  Harriet  Eliza 
(Bosworth)  Wellington.  His  father  was  born  in  Lexington,  November 
30,  1815,  where  he  served  as  assessor  from  1852-54,  and  town  treasurer 
in  1855.  In  1856  he  removed  to  Cambridge,  where  for  many  years  he 
was  engaged  in  the  coal  business.  He  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the 
Union  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  rendered  valuable  service 
to  the  soldiers.  He  frequently  visited  the  battlefields,  and  by  his  kind- 
ness, encouraging  words  and  attention  to  the  wants  of  the  "  boys  "  at 
the  front  won  their  love  and  respect.  After  the  war  he  ever  took  a 
deep  interest  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repiiblic.  The  J.  C.  Welling- 
ton Sons  of  Veterans,  Camp  14,  in  Cambridge,  was  named  in  his  honor, 
and  received  from  him  its  colors.  He  was  for  several  years  presi- 
dent of  the  Massachusetts  Convention  of  Universalists,  and  was  a  gen- 
erous donor  to  religious  and  philanthropic  objects.  He  served  as  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  Cambridge ;  was  also  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Overseers  of  the  Poor,  and  treasurer  of  Dean  Academy. 
He  died  April  27,  1889. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Lexington.  He 
came  with  his  parents  to  Cambridge  in  1850,  when  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  S.  G.  Bowdlear  &  Co.,  flour  merchants  of  Boston,  as  book- 
keeper, remaining  with  them  until  his  enlistment  in  the  Union  army. 
During  the  three  years  that  followed,  Mr.  Bowdlear,  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm,  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  him,  one  of  his  letters  attest- 
ing to  his  faithfulness  and  their  affection  for  him,  as  follows :  ' '  We  have 
only  pleasant  memories  of  our  model  clerk." 

With  the  blood  of  ancestors  who  were  ready  to  sacrifice  their  all  for 
their  country's  welfare,  flowing  in  his  veins,  he  could  not  be  an  inactive 
factor  when  the  great  struggle  began  between  the  States.  He  was  then 
in  the  full  strength  of  robust  manhood,  and  he  cheerfully  and  readily 
offered  his  services  in  behalf  of  the  Union  cause.  In  August,  1862,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  F,  Thirty-eighth  Massachusetts  Regiment,  and  was 
offered  a  commission,  but  he  refused,  preferring  to  win  by  actual  serv- 
ice whatever  promotion  he  might  merit.  His  regiment  left  Boston 
August  26,  1862,  and  for  two  months  was  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of 
Baltimore.  It  was  then  transferred  to  New  Orleans,  and  took  part  in 
the  Red  River  expedition  and  the  campaign  in  the  western  part  of 
Louisiana.  In  July,  1864,  it  was  transferred  from  the  Gulf  to  Wash- 
ington, and  formed  a  part  of  Sheridan's  army  during  the  closing  period 
of  the  war,  at  which  time  Lieutenant  Wellington,  who  had  been  pro- 


BIOGRAPHIES.  653 

moted  through  all  the  grades,  was  acting  as  adjutant  of  the  regmient. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Bisland,  sieges  of  Port  Hudson,  Cane 
River  Ford,  Mansura  in  Louisana,  and  Opequam,  Fisher's  Hill  and 
Cedar  Creek  in  Virginia.  He  was  mustered  out  June  30,  1865.  His 
regiment  during  its  nearl}^  three  years'  service  suffered  great  depletion 
from  killed  and  wounded.  As  a  soldier  Lieutenant  Wellington  was  re- 
spected and  beloved  by  his  comrades  in  the  field.  Of  this  period  of  his 
career  an  ex-mayor  of  Cambridge  writes:  "He  was  a  noble  young 
man ;  a  splendid  type  of  manhood ;  one  of  those  who  went  to  the  war 
because  they  felt  as  if  their  country  needed  their  services,  and  were 
ready  to  scrifice  their  lives  if  need  be  in  her  defense."  His  tent-mate 
testifies  that  "he  performed  thoroughly  his  duty  under  any  and  all  cir- 
stances.  A  soldier  without  fear  or  reproach,  always  to  be  relied  upon 
in  the  march,  bivouac  or  battle,  his  record  is  without  stain,  an  honor  to 
himself,  to  his  State  and  the  country  he  served  so  well.  His  patriot- 
ism, fidelity,  intelligence  and  courage  were  conspicuous,  winning  for 
him  words  of  commendation  from  commanders  high  in  rank,  whose 
achievements  cover  many  of  the  brightest  pages  in  the  history  of  our 
country." 

Upon  his  return  to  private  life  Colonel  Wellington  engaged  in  the 
coal  business,  which  he  developed  to  large  proportions,  becoming 
widely  and  favorably  known  as  manager  and  treasurer  of  the  Austin  C. 
Wellington  Coal  Company,  one  of  the  largest  concerns  in  this  line  in  New 
England,  and  which  at  the  time  of  Colonel  Wellington's  death  controlled 
wharves  in  Boston,  South  Boston,  Cambridge  and  Brighton.  He  devel- 
oped remarkable  business  ability,  and  attained  enviable  success  in  any 
enterprise  in  which  he  embarked.  His  sterling  integrity,  enterprise 
and  untiring  industry  imited  to  a  magnetism  and  graciousness  of  man- 
ner peculiarly  his  own,  made  him  a  valued  factor  in  any  project  with 
which  he  was  associated.  He  had  that  dauntless  courage  which  never 
seems  to  consider  defeat,  and  this  spirit  was  evinced  in  all  of  his  under- 
takings, enthusing  his  business  associates,  and  in  no  limited  measure 
accounting  for  his  marked  success  in  the  business  world.  His  interest 
in  his  employees,  his  kindness  manifested  in  all  his  relations  to  them 
begot  in  return  feelings  of  the  tenderest  regard  and  affection. 

June  30,  1869,  he  was  married  to  Caroline  Louisa  Fisher,  daughter  of 
George  and  Hannah  C.  (Teele)  Fisher.  She  was  a  woman  of  marked 
literary  attainments,  and  of  refined,  cultivated  nature.  She  was  the 
author  of  a  book  of  poems  entitled :    ' '  Leaflets  Along  the  Pathway  of 


654  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

Life,"  while  her  prose  contributions  were  numerous  and  varied.  Her 
death  occurred  November  33,  1879.  Eight  years  later,  November  29, 
1887,  Colonel  Wellington  married  a  sister  of  his  deceased  wife,  Sarah 
Cordelia  Fisher,  well  known  in  Boston  musical  circles  as  a  soprano 
singer  of  decided  merit.  Her  interest  in  philanthropic  and  literary  as- 
sociations has  been  marked,  presiding  over  the  Ladies'  Aid  Association 
Auxiliary  to  the  Soldier's  Home  in  Chelsea,  director  of  the  Cambridge 
Conservatory  of  Music,  and  also  taking  a  prominent  part  in  other  or- 
ganizations. Her  father  was  one  of  the  earliest  members  of  the  Handel 
and  Haydn  Society,  and  is  well  known  as  a  musical  enthusiast.  He 
was  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Cambridge  Chronicle  fifteen  years.  He 
is  especially  remembered  as  one  who  substantially  aided  and  encour- 
aged his  friend,  Elias  Howe,  the  sewing  machine  inventor,  when  the 
project  seemed  likely  to  fail  for  lack  of  funds.  For  two  years  he  repre- 
sented Cambridge  in  the   House  of  Representatives  of  Massachusetts. 

One  of  the  most  distinguishing  features  of  Colonel  Wellington's  career 
was  his  brilliant  record  in  the  Massachusetts  Volunteer  Militia.  May  2, 
1870,  he  entered  the  service  as  captain  of  the  Boston  Light  Infantry, 
otherwise  known  as  the  famous  "Tigers,"  being  Company  A  of  the 
Seventh  Regiment.  While  captain  of  this  company  his  command  ren- 
dered efficient  service  at  the  great  Boston  fire  in  1872.  In  1873  he  was 
elected  major  of  the  Fourth  Battalion,  which  under  his  leadership  be- 
came widely  known  as  the  crack  organization  of  the  State,  and  at  the 
general  inspection  of  the  military  forces  of  Massachusetts  in  1878 
ranked  the  highest  for  general  military  excellence.  February  24,  1882, 
he  was  elected  colonel  of  the  First  Regiment,  and  the  record  of  this 
regiment  from  the  time  Colonel  Wellington  assumed  command  until 
his  imtimely  death,  was  brilliant  and  unparalleled,  and  what  it  accom- 
plished at  home  and  abroad  was  due  almost  wholly  to  the  untiring  zeal 
of  its  gallant  commander,  who  instilled  into  the  regiment  an  esprit  de 
corps,  which  had  not  before  existed.  Notably  on  two  occasions,  at  the 
funeral  of  General  Grant  in  New  York  in  1885  and  at  the  Constitutional 
celebration  in  Philadelphia  in  1887,  it  did  great  credit  to  the  State,  and 
reflected  honor  upon  its  talented  and  idolized  colonel. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  Colonel 
Wellington  took  an  active  part  in  its  affairs.  In  18G7  he  became  a  com- 
rade in  Post  15 ;  in  1874  was  chosen  commander  of  Post  30,  of  which 
he  was  one  of  the  charter  members,  and  also  served  as  commander  of 
Post  113  in  1887-1888,  till  his  death.      He  also  served  as  inspector-gen- 


BIOGRAPHIES.  655 

eral  of  the  Grand  Arm)^  for  the  Department  of  Massachusetts.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Ancient  and  Honorable  Artillery,  one  of  the  Military 
Examining  Board,  of  the  Sheridan  Veterans,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Soldiers'  Home,  Chelsea,  chairman  of  the  Boston  Coal  Exchange,  pres- 
ident of  the  Charles  River  Towing  Company,  in  1871  a  director  in  the 
Boston  Mercantile  Library  Association,  and  later  its  president,  vice- 
president  of  the  Central  Club  and  chairman  of  the  House  Committee,  a 
member  of  the  New  England  Club,  the  Executive  Business  Associa- 
tion and  the  Art  Club;  secretary  of  the  Irving  Literary  Association  in 
1861,  a  member  of  the  Cambridge  Shakespeare  Club,  the  Handel  and 
Haydn  vSociety  and  the  Ceclia  Club,  the  last  two  being  musical  organ- 
izations of  Boston.  He  was  especially  fond  of  music,  and  possessed  a 
fine  sympathetic  baritone  voice.  He  had  cultivated  literary  tastes ;  was 
fond  of  reading,  and  excelled  in  declamation. 

During  1875  and  1876  Colonel  Wellington  was  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  serving  on  the  Committee  of  Military  Affairs, 
where  he  accomplished  much  in  procuring  needed  legislation  affecting 
the  State  militia.  Everything  pertaining  to  military  matters  indeed 
strongly  appealed  to  him  and  enlisted  his  active  support.  He  fre- 
quently acted  as  judge  of  the  military  prize  drills  of  the  Boston  public 
schools.  He  acted  as  chief  marshal  of  the  Republican  torchlight 
demonstration  in  1884  in  Boston,  and  of  the  Thackeray  Carnival  and 
Music  of  the  Centuries  in  1886. 

One  of  the  greatest  achievements  of  Colonel  Wellington  was  the  brill- 
iant management  of  the  Soldiers'  Home  Carnival  in  Boston  in  1885,  a 
work  of  great  magnitude,  requiring  tireless  attention  and  great  execu- 
tive ability.  It  was  in  every  sense  a  labor  of  love,  and  he  unreservedly 
devoted  himself  to  the  task.  The  enthusiastic  manner  in  which  he  took 
hold  of  the  project,  the  confidence  his  words  and  actions  inspired,  and 
the  consummate  skill  with  which  he  managed  every  detail,  won  uni- 
versal admiration.  It  was  his  best  work  in  behalf  of  the  old  soldiers, 
whom  he  loved,  and  it  was  a  proud  moment  for  him  when  as  chief  mar- 
shal of  the  carnival  he  drew  his  check  for  $64,000,  the  sum  netted  for 
the  Home  after  paying  all  expenses,  during  the  ten  days  of  the  car- 
nival. This  undertaking,  largely  a  personal  one,  was  indicative  of  the 
man.  In  it,  as  in  every  good  and  charitable  work  in  Boston  and  else- 
where, he  was  a  foremost  figure,  cheerfully  giving  of  both  his  time  and 
means  to  their  promotion.  Whatever  he  undertook  was  always  well 
done.     He  had  a  dauntless,  intrepid  spirit,  a  gentle  heart,  which  made 


656  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

him  unmindful  of  self  and  considerate  of  others.  His  death  occurred  at 
Cambridge,  vSeptember  23,  1888,  of  paralysis,  after  a  brief  illness.  His 
life  ended  at  the  flood  tide  of  his  success,  and  when  he  was  apparently 
only  in  the  meridian  of  his  powers  and  usefulness.  The  death  of  few 
have  evoked  more  sincere  sorrow.  He  possessed  a  social,  companion- 
able nature,  which  drew  around  him  a  charming  circle  of  friends, 
whose  loyal,  tender  regard  he  as  warmly  reciprocated.  His  funeral 
was  one  of  the  largest  ever  extended  a  private  citizen  in  New  England, 
representatives  of  the  vState,  militia,  G.  A.  R.  posts,  business  and  social 
circles  being  represented,  the  long  funeral  procession  being  escorted  to 
Mount  Auburn  Cemetery  by  his  loved  First  Regiment,  which  superb 
organization  was  his  noblest  monument  as  a  citizen  soldier. 


CALVIN    ALLEN    RICHARDvS. 

Calvin  Allen  Richards  was  born  born  in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  March 
4,  1828.  His  boyhood  was  passed  in  and  around  Boston,  and  he  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  public  schools,  although  he  left  school  at 
an  early  age  to  assist  his  father,  Isaiah  D.  Richards,  in  his  business. 
He  soon  exhibited  the  wonderful  executive  ability  which  was  so  power- 
fully felt  in  his  after  life ;  and  his  father  early  learned  to  lean  upon  him 
for  assistance  and  counsel.  He  denied  himself  many  of  the  pleasures 
of  young  men  to  devote  his  thoughts  and  attention  to  his  business,  and 
to  the  care  of  his  mother,  who  was  delicate  during  the  closing  years  of 
her  life,  and  to  whom  he  was  most  tenderly  attached. 

On  February  17,  1853,  he  married  Ann  R.  Babcock,  daughter  of 
Dexter  Babcock,  of  the  wholesale  grocery  firm  of  Babcock  &  Coolidge, 
who  is  now  living  an  honored  retired  merchant  in  his  ninety-sixth  year. 
Two  children  were  born  of  this  union — a  son  who  was  instantly  killed 
by  lightning  in  18G3,  and  a  daughter  who  survives  her  father. 

Mr.  Richards  remained  in  business  with  his  father  and  three  brothers 
until  1861,  when  he  opened  a  large  establishment  on  Washington  street, 
and  it  was  while  he  was  in  this  location,  and  during  the  years  of  the 
civil  war,  that  he  amassed  the  bulk  of  his  fortune.  He  was  in  the 
Common  Council  of  Boston  in  1858-59  and  '61,  and  in  1862  he  was  an 
alderman.  This  parliamentary  experience  he  valued,  and  he  was 
eagerly  sought  for  by  all  dining  clubs,  having  always  the  power  to 


(^  /^  ^^^^^l^^C^.^-^^^ 


BIOGRAPHIES.  657 

move  a  large  assembly  to  tears  or  laughter,  as  was  his  wish,  but  his 
rare  wit  was  always  present. 

In  1873  he  went  to  Europe  with  his  family  and  had  a  very  happy  and 
satisfactory  journey. 

In  1874  he  was  induced  to  relinquish  business  cares  somewhat,  and 
became  a  prominent  director  in  the  Metropolitan  Street  Railroad.  In 
this  position  he  soon  made  his  rare  executive  power  felt,  and  he  was 
asked  to  become  its  president,  which  he  did,  and  found  his  office  no 
easy  one.  The  railroad  was  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy,  and  the 
former  managers  had  permitted  a  powerful  rival  corporation  to  spring 
into  existence.  Mr.  Richards  desired  to  restore  his  railroad  to  its 
former  position,  and  how  well  he  succeeded  is  known  to  all  street  rail- 
way men  in  the  United  States.  It  was  a  grand  achievement,  and  con- 
sidered wonderfully  so  by  all,  as,  when  he  entered  this  business,  he 
knew  nothing  of  street  railways,  always  having  been  a  merchant.  Under 
his  able  management  the  Metropolitan  Railroad  became  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  conducted  in  the  coimtry,  rich  and  strong,  and  the 
methods  of  its  president  were  copied  by  many  other  corporations  at 
hoine  and  abroad. 

In  all  important  debates,  either  in  the  Legislature  or  city  govern- 
ment, he  always  argued  his  cases  alone  and  unaided;  and  with  his 
strong  personal  magnetism,  shrewd  common  sense,  and  thorough 
■knowledge  of  the  details  of  his  railroad,  in  statistics,  etc.,  he  almost 
always  succeeded  in  carrying  conviction  to  the  minds  of  those  who, 
at  the  outset,  were  most  bitterly  and  .strenuously  opposed  to  him. 
Those  most  prominent  in  the  legal  profession,  who  were  representing 
street  railways  in  public  hearings,  always  found  Mr.  Richards  a  power- 
ful antagonist,  and  felt  sometimes  he  had  mistaken  his  vocation  in  life, 
often  telling  him  his  strong  points  in  arguments  were  worthy  one  of 
their  own  brotherhood. 

His  stewardship  in  this  large  corporation  was  most  faithfully  and 
conscientiously  fulfilled,  each  important  movement  receiving  his  per- 
sonal supervision.  He  labored  most  zealously  for  the  interest  of  the 
stockholders,  feeling  his  position  to  be  a  sacred  trust,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  tried  to  satisfy  that  most  exacting  body — the  public. 

]\Ir.  Richards  had  also  a  most  wonderful  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  all 

the  men  in  the  employ  of  the  great  railroad,  and  although  a  firm  and 

strict  master  in  all  points  of  duty  on  the  part  of  any  man  in  serving  the 

public  in  a  respectful  and  courteous  manner,  no  one  of  the  employees 

83 


658  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

could  ever  come  to  him  with  any  unjust  claim  made  against  him,  with- 
out having  justice  and  reparation  demanded  from  the  person  who  ap- 
peared before  the  president  with  his  complaint.  No  one  of  the  men 
coi:ld  have  illness  or  death  come  to  him  or  his  dear  ones  without  a 
personal  call  from  Mr.  Richards,  or  a  speedy  messenger  sent  with 
pecuniary  aid,  or  flowers  and  delicacies  for  their  sick.  In  all  the  labor 
disturbances  which  occur  in  large  corporations  employing  so  many 
men,  it  was  his  habit  to  appear  personally  before  their  different  organi- 
zations, and  before  leaving  they  were  satisfied  and  happy,  cheers  tak- 
ing the  place  of  any  ill  feeling  of  unrest  or  uprising  in  opposition  to 
established  rules.  The  warm  love  of  the  men  for  their  president  was 
most  touchingly  displayed  by  heartfelt  expressions  of  sympathy  tendered 
to  his  family  after  his  death.  They  all  felt  they  had  lost  a  personal 
friend  and  adviser,  to  whom  they  could  ever  come  for  comfort  or 
counsel. 

In  1885  Mr.  Richards  became  the  president  of  the  American  Street 
Railway  Association,  composed  of  the  executive  forces  of  almost  all 
the  street  railroads  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  and  until  he 
severed  his  connection  with  railroad  life  he  always  greatly  enjoyed 
attending  the  annual  conventions  of  this  organization,  held  each  year 
in  the  different  cities.  At  these  conventions  he  made  himself  a  power 
by  his  wonderful  foresight  and  wisdom,  and  was  almost  the  first  man 
to  predict  the  electric  power  for  street  cars,  which  he  did  in  a  most 
thrilling  speech  at  the  convention  banquet,  held  at  the  Fifth  Avenue 
Hotel  in  New  York  city,  October,  1884,  and  those  who  were  present 
will  not  soon  forget  it.  He  was  greatly  beloved  by  his  associates  in  this 
organization,  and  always  received  an  earnest  and  heartfelt  invitation  to 
attend  the  conventions  long  after  he  turned  aside  from  railroad  life. 

After  the  consolidation  of  all  the  street  railways  of  Boston,  the 
Metropolitan,  with  the  others,  being  absorbed  in  the  West  End,  a  com- 
plimentary banquet  was  given  to  Mr.  Richards  by  the  directors  of  the 
Metropolitan  Company,  and  with  earnest  expression  of  affection  and 
regret  in  severing  their  connection  with  their  president,  they  presented 
him  with  a  massive  bronze,  on  which  was  a  silver  plate  inscribed: 

Presented  to 
Calvin  A.   Richards 

BY    THE 

Metropolitan  Railroad  Company, 
In  recognition  of  his  valuable  services  as  President, 
By  vote  of  the  Directors,  Oct.  24,  1887, 


BIOGRAPHIES.  659 

This  testimonial  of  regard  touched  the  president  most  deeply. 

After  the  consolidation,  Mr.  Richards  became  associated  with  the 
new  organization  as  general  manager  under  President  Whitne)',  but 
after  a  few  weeks  in  that  position  he  resigned. 

For  a  short  time  thereafter  he  was  connected  with  the  Boston  Heat- 
ing Company,  but  soon  retired  to  private  life,  and  purchased  and  en- 
tirely remodeled  the  large  office  building,  114  State  street,  which  bears 
his  name.  In  this  building  he  had  a  finely  appointed  office,  where  his 
biisiness  friends  enjoyed  meeting  him,  and  where  he  managed  his  own 
personal  business  matters. 

Mr.  Richards  died  on  February  15,  1892,  after  an  illness  of  nearly 
two  years'  duration.  His  funeral  was  attended  by  an  unusually  large 
number  of  prominent  business  and  professional  men,  and  the  floral 
tributes  were  very  numerous  and  elegant. 

His  life  needs  no  eulogy  from  those  who  knew  him — a  strong,  firm, 
conscientious  business  man,  who  achieved  a  wonderful  success,  leaving 
an  ample  fortune.  He  was  a  kind  and  sympathetic  neighbor,  who  could 
never  listen  to  a  tale  of  distress  or  sorrow  without  tears  in  his  eyes  and 
ready  pecuniary  aid;  while  his  tender,  loving  home  life,  those  only 
can  appreciate  who  knew  him  there.  He  always  extended  a  warm 
and  genial  welcome  to  all  his  guests,  and  his  cordial  manner  and  hearty 
grasp  of  the  hand  were  ever  extended  to  all  those  friends  who  crossed 
the  threshold  of  his  happy  home,  where  he  loved  to  linger,  always  pre- 
ferring life  by  his  own  hearthstone  to  that  enjoyed  by  so  many  men  in 
a  life  in  the  world  and  at  their  clubs.  As  a  husband  and  father,  his 
relations  were  inexpressibly  beautiful,  and  his  death  has  left  a  terrible 
void  in  the  home  where  he  lived  so  happily,  amid  every  luxiiry  and 
comfort. 


H.   A.   BLOOD. 

Hiram  Alrro  Blood,  was  born  in  Townsend,  Mass.,  February  3, 
1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Ezra  and  Lydia  Ann  (Jefts)  Blood.  He  received 
an  academical  education  in  the  town  of  his  birth,  and  lived  there  until 
the  age  of  eighteen,  at  which  age  he  w^ent  to  Worcester  in  search  of 
employment.  Two  years  later  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  commis- 
sion house  of  Bliss,  Sutton  &  Co.,  of  that  cit}-,  as  clerk,  and  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  in  1851.  at  which  time  he  opened  a  branch  house  at 


660  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Fitchburg,  where  he  has  since  continued  to  reside.  In  1857  he  dis- 
solved his  connection  with  Bliss,  Sutton  &  Co.,  and  entered  into  a  co- 
partnership with  William  O.  Brown,  of  Fitchburg,  under  the  name  of 
Blood  &  Brown,  which  existed  until  1860,  when  Mr.  Brown  withdrew 
to  enter  the  United  States  army,  becoming  a  major  of  the  Twenty-fifth 
Regiment,  and  a  new  firm  was  formed  under  the  name  of  H.  A.  Blood 
&  Co.,  which  continued  to  carry  on  the  business. 

In  1866  Mr.  Blood  withdrew  from  all  mercantile  pursuits  and  became 
entirely  interested  in  railroads,  to  the  construction  and  operation  of  which 
he  has  since  given  his  time  and  attention.  He  first  became  connected 
with  the  Fitchburg  and  Worcester  Railroad  as  a  director,  and  as  a 
superintendent  and  general  manager.  He  afterwards  built,  or  was 
largely  instrumental  in  building,  the  Boston,  Clinton  and  Fitchburg, 
the  Framingham  and  Lowell,  the  Mansfield  and  Framingham,  and  the 
Fall  River  Railroads,  of  which  he  successively  became  superintendent 
and  general  manager,  and  afterwards  united  and  consolidated  them, 
together  with  the  New  Bedford  and  Taunton  and  the  Taimton  Branch 
Railroads,  into  one  system,  under  the  name  of  the  Boston,  Clinton, 
Fitchburg  and  New  Bedford  Railroad  Company,  reaching  from  Fitch- 
burg and  Lowell  in  the  north  to  Mansfield,  Taunton,  New  Bedford  and 
Fall  River  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  This  system  of  railroads 
was  for  a  time  operated  by  Mr.  Blood  as  general  manager,  and  was 
afterwards  united  and  consolidated  with  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  Com- 
pany, of  which  it  now  forms  an  important  part.  In  the  construction  of 
these  railroads,  and  in  their  subsequent  operation  and  consolidation, 
Mr.  Blood  was  the  moving  and  directing  spirit. 

In  1875  Mr.  Blood  procured  the  charter  for  the  Wachusett  National 
Bank  of  Fitchburg,  obtaining  all  the  subscriptions  to  its  capital  stock, 
established  the  bank,  and  became  its  first  vice-president. 

He  was  the  third  mayor  of  Fitchburg,  and  was  first  elected  by  the 
Board  of  Aldermen  and  Common  Council,  November  2,  1875,  to  fill 
out  the  unexpired  term  of  Hon.  Eugene  T.  Miles,  and  at  the  subsequent 
annual  election  in  December  he  was  elected  by  the  people,  and  was 
inaugurated  in  January,  1876,  and  discharged  the  duties  of  mayor  for 
one  year  and  two  months. 

Mr.  Blood  is  now  chiefly  interested  in  railroads  in  the  vState  of  Ohio, 
being  the  president  of  the  Cleveland,  Canton  and  Southern  Railroad 
Company  in  that  vState,  which  position  he  has  held  since  May,  1884. 
While  still   retaining  his  residence  in  Fitchburg,  most  of  his  business 


BIOGRAPHIES.  661 

affairs  are  transacted  in  Boston,  which,  for  several  years  has  been  his 
business  headquarters.  B)^  sheer  native  force  of  character,  great  busi- 
ness generalship,  and  remarkable  executive  ability,  Mr.  Blood  has 
gained  a  place  in  the  fore  rank  of  the  railroad  men  of  the  country. 


DAVID   THAYER,   M.D. 

David  Thayer,  A.M.,  M.D.,  Boston,  son  of  Deacon  Nathaniel  Em- 
mons Thayer,  was  born  in  Braintree,  Mass.,  July  10,  1813,  and  is  a  direct 
descendant  of  John  Alden  and  Priscilla  of  the  Mayflower  company  who 
landed  on  Plymouth  Rock  in  December,  1620.  He  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  town,  in  the  Weymouth  and  Braintree 
Academy,  in  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover,  in  the  Appleton  Academy 
at  New  Ipswich,  N.  H.,  and  at  Union  College,  Schenectady,  N.  Y. 
His  medical  education  was  acquired  chiefly  in  Boston,  in  the  Medical 
Department  of  Harvard  College  and  in  the  Massachusetts  General 
Hospital.  At  this  time  it  was  not  his  intention  to  become  a  physician, 
but  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Prof.  B.  F.  Joslin,  M.D., 
LL.  D.,  in  1830,  while  an  undergraduate  at  Union  College,  with  the 
intention  of  preparing  himself  for  a  life  of  travel  and  exploration.  He 
went  to  the  Medical  College  at  Pittsfield.  Mass.,  where  he  took  his 
degree  preparatory  to  his  departure  for  Rio  Janeiro,  but  the  death  of 
his  father,  and  the  earnest  desire  of  his  mother,  caused  him  to  abandon 
for  the  present  the  long  cherished  plan  of  becoming  a  traveler,  and  he 
took  an  offlce  in  Boston,  where  he  has  remained  till  the  present — 
through  a  period  of  fifty  years  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 

For  a  year  previous  to  his  leaving  Braintree  he  sat  under  the  preach- 
ing of  Rev.  Edwards  A.  Park,  whose  ministry  was  the  beginning  of  a 
new  chapter  in  the  lives  of  many  of  the  young  people  as  well  as  of 
those  of  middle  age.  Prof.  Park  was  a  brilliant  scholar,  an  eloquent 
speaker  and  a  model  minister.  His  services  were  less  perfunctory  than 
those  of  other  ministers  had  been,  and  he  seemed  to  love  his  vocation 
and  to  seek  the  good  of  his  people.  He  impressed  the  more  intelligent 
with  the  sincerity  of  his  heart,  and  he  taught  them  the  Better  Way. 
Many  became  inore  serious  minded,  and  the  subject  of  the  future  life 
was  a  more  common  topic  of  conversation  among  all  classes.  He  held 
private  meetings  for  conversation  on  the  great  and  important  subject 


662  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

of  the  soul  and  of  the  future  life.  Extraordinary  methods  were  some- 
times resorted  to  in  those  times  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  people's 
attention  to  the  subject  and  to  keep  it  there.  Protracted  meetings  were 
held  in  the  churches,  which  were  continued  soinetimes  through  the 
week,  and  the  people  of  other  parishes  and  other  towns  often  swelled 
the  gatherings  to  large  congregations.  The  best  speaking  talent  among 
the  clergymen  was  often  engaged.  At  inquiry  meetings,  so  called,  the 
state  of  the  heart  was  often  brought  to  a  crucial  test.  Such  questions 
as  these  were  propounded:  Are  you  willing  to  give  your  heart  to  God? 
Are  you  willing  to  be  cast  out  from  his  presence  forever  and  to  be 
damned,  if  it  were  necessary,  to  add  to  the  glory  of  his  kingdom? 
After  an  hour  of  solitary  and  silent  thought,  some  could  answer  in  the 
affirmative.  This  willingness  to  serve  God  was  deemed  conversion. 
Many  joined  the  church.  vSuch  preaching  was  beneficent  in  its  results 
generally.  The  mental  and  moral  conditions  thus  attained  unto  made 
the  recipients  happier  and  their  lives  better.  Dr,  Thayer  remeinbers 
to  this  day  the  mental  conflict  of  that  solitary  hour,  and  he  thinks  that 
its  influence  has  followed  him  along  the  years  of  his  life,  and  that  now 
when  he  is  an  old  man  it  abides  with  hiin  still. 

Dr.  Thayer  has  shown  through  his  whole  life  a  spirit  of  fearlessness 
and  independence  both  in  thought  and  action. 

While  he  was  in  Phillips  Academy  the  Hon.  Geo.  Thompson,  M.P. , 
of  England,  came  to  Andover  and  lectured  against  slavery,  in  the 
Methodist  church.  Students  of  the  Theological  Seminary  and  of 
Phillips  Academy  heard  him.  His  eloquence  of  speech  was  a  divine 
gift.  Says  one  who  heard  him:  "No  orator  is  comparable  to  him;  I 
have  known  hiin  to  hold  an  audience  in  breathless  silence  for  two  hours 
and  a  half."  Sir  Robert  Peel  said  of  him:  "  He  is  the  most  eloquent 
man  in  or  out  of  Parliament."  He  described  the  condition  of  the 
African  slave  in  America,  and  showed  what  was  the  duty  of  the 
church  in  regard  to  it.  Strange  to  say,  the  professors  of  the  Divinity 
vSchool  in  Andover  were  opposed  to  him  and  Garrison  and  to  anti- 
slavery.  Garrison  had  been  lecturing  and  writing  against  slavery  for 
years.  He  had  been  iinprisoned  in  Baltimore  on  account  of  his  anti- 
slavery. 

In  1835,  the  year  in  which  Garrison  was  mobbed,  there  was  not  a 
doctor  of  divinity  in  this  broad  land  that  was  in  favor  of  GaiTison  and 
Thompson.  The  ministers  generally  were  opposed  to  the  anti-slavery 
movement.      It  was  found  to  be  true  that  the  church  was  indeed  the 


BIOGRAPHIES.  663 

bulwark  of  slavery  and  all  were  opposed  to  anti-slaver}'.  vStudents  of 
Phillips  Academy  who  heard  Thompson  thought  they  saw  clearly  what 
was  their  duty.  They  propo.sed  to  organize  an  anti-slavery  society  in 
the  academy.  That  was  forbidden  by  the  faculty.  They  discussed  the 
question  of  slavery  in  the  Philomathian  vSociety  in  the  academy,  but 
that,  too,  was  forbidden.  They  then  sought  to  join  the  anti-slavery 
society  already  existing  in  the  town  of  Andover — that  also  was  not 
allowed.  As  they  felt  aggrieved,  they  called  a  meeting  in  the  academy 
to  discuss  their  grievances — -this,  too,  was  forbidden,  and  they  met  in 
the  woods  at  a  place  called  Indian  Ridge,  where  they  discussed  the 
matter  and  appointed  committees.  They  got  up  a  remonstrance,  had 
it  printed,  and  as  all  they  said  and  did  had  no  effect  on  the  faculty,  ex- 
cept to,  make  them  the  more  determined  to  crush  out  the  anti-slavery 
sentiment  among  the  students  and  to  convince  the  slave-masters  of  our 
subserviency  to  the  peculiar  institutions  of  the  South,  the  students  of 
Phillips  Academy  resolved  to  ask  for  their  credentials  and  turn  their 
backs  on  Andover.  One  of  their  number,  Sherlock  Bristol,  was 
ignominiously  expelled  without  any  charges  brought  against  him. 
This  did  not  intimidate  them  nor  persuade  them  to  submit  to  the 
powers  that  be. 

About  sixty  of  the  students  were  accustomed  to  meet  together  and 
were  heartily  united  in  regard  to  their  dut}'  towards  the  slave.  After 
some  delay  their  request  was  granted  and  they  received  their  creden- 
tials, and  about  fifty  of  them  left  in  a  body;  a  few  of  the  sixty  were 
induced  to  remain.  So  strong  was  the  faculty  in  their  opposition  to 
anti-slavery  that  one  Sunday  afternoon  at  five  o'clock  prayer  meeting, 
old  Professor  vStuart  spoke  of  George  Thompson,  who  was  to  lecture 
that  Sunday  night,  and  said,  "Young  gentlemen,  I  warn  you  on  the 
peril  of  your  souls'  salvation  not  to  go  to  that  meeting  to-night."  And 
in  his  address  to  the  retiring  class  of  young  clergymen  going  forth  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  all  the  world,  said,  "  Young  gentlemen,  regarding 
the  matter  of  slavery,  I  advise  you  to  let  it  alone.  It  is  a  political 
question,  and  we  do  not  wish  to  carry  politics  into  the  pulpit.  If  you 
wish  to  pray  about  it,  pray  about  it  in  secret;  but  don't  preach  about 
it."  In  the  words  of  Dr.  Thayer,  "If  this  is  not  disloyalty  to  the 
teachings  of  the  Master,  then  it  must  be  admitted  that  '  without  con- 
troversy, great  is  the  mystery  of  Godliness.'  " 

Rev.  Sherlock  Bristol,  the  expelled  student  from  Phillips  Academy, 
writing  of  this  period,  says: 


664  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Hon.  George  Thompson  was  advertised  to  lecture  in  the  Methodist  church  I 
think  no  other  church  could  be  secured  for  him.  A*  mob  had  just  driven  him  from 
Boston,  and  wherever  he  went  the  hand  of  violence  was  raised  against  him.  It  was 
hoped  he  could  be  quietly  heard  in  Andover.  Was  it  not  the  school  of  the  prophets 
and  noted  for  its  morality  and  for  its  religious  spirit?  So  Thompson  came,  but,  as 
with  Paul,  bonds  and  affliction  awaited  him  there.  A  railroad  was  being  built 
through  the  place.  The  contractor  was  a  rough,  pro-slavery  character,  and  not  a 
few  roughs  were  in  his  employ.  It  was  boldly  given  out  that  a  mob  would  break  up 
the  meeting,  and  probably  tar  and  feather  Mr.  Thompson.  The  anti-slavery  students 
got  wind  of  it,  and  armed  with  heavy  hickory  clubs,  which  they  used  as  staves,  they 
were  at  the  chapel  as  soon  as  the  doors  were  opened,  and  took  possession  of  a  couple 
of  tiers  of  front  seats,  which  formed  nearly  a  semicircle  around  the  pulpit.  As  the 
house  filled  up,  the  ushers  besought  us  to  vacate  them  and  give  place  to  the  ladies, 
but  we  knew  our  business  and  not  one  of  us  could  be  ousted.  There  were  about  fifty 
of  us,  nearly  all  over  twenty,  the  most  of  us  farmers' s  sons,  and  with  our  long  staves 
or  clubs  standing  erect  by  our  sides,  I  imagine  the  mobocratic  portion  of  the  audience 
studied  us  rather  carefully.  The  speech  was  surpassingly  eloquent.  I  remember 
some  of  its  passages,  one  of  them,  his  apostrophe  to  America,  was  very  striking;  it 
began  with  "  America,  America,  thou  art  the  anointed  cherub,  God's  darling  child; 
apart  from  the  nations  God  hath  set  thee."  etc.  It  fairly  raised  the  audience  to  its 
feet.  The  lecture  was  two  hours  long.  When  it  closed  in  an  instant  every  light  was 
blown  out,  and  the  mob  rushed  for  the  pulpit.  But  those  fifty  students  closed  around 
Thompson  and  Wilson,  the  Methodist  minister,  in  a  phalanx  so  compact  and  with 
clubs  brandished  so  threateningly  that  the  mob  kept  at  a  respectful  distance  and 
finally  dispersed.  We  saw  Thompson  and  Wilson  safe  at  home.  After  consultation 
it  was  agreed  that  six  should  stay  down  town  (South  Parish)  and  patrol  the  streets 
till  morning.  One  should  take  his  station  half  way  up  the  hill  toward  the  Seminary, 
another  should  take  his  stand  at  the  corner  leading  to  the  dormitories  of  the  classical 
school,  the  rest  should  retire  to  their  rooms  and  sleep  with  their  clothes  on,  ready  for 
emergencies.  I  was  one  of  the  six  who  stayed  down  town.  I  and  my  companion 
went  into  a  vacant  lot  and  concealed  ourselves.  After  an  hour  or  so  a  signal  whistle 
was  blown  in  a  distant  part  of  the  town.  It  was  answered  by  another,  and  then  by 
a  third  close  by  us.  We  went  for  him  with  all  speed,  but  he  ran  like  a  deer  and  we 
lost  him.  We  sounded  the  alarm.  It  was  taken  up  by  the  man  half  way  up  the  hill ; 
he  sent  it  to  the  man  at  the  corner,  and  he  aroused  the  dormitories.  Our  squad  of 
six  guards  rushed  for  Wilson's  house  and  held  at  bay  the  gathering  mob.  Scarcely 
had  we  got  there  before  we  heard  the  tramp,  tramp,  tramp  of  a  hundred  students 
dashing  down  Andover  hill  at  a  two-forty  pace.  And  it  sounded  out  in  the  still  hour 
of  the  night  like  the  coming  of  a  regiment  of  cavalry.  The  mob,  most  of  whom  were 
Irish,  listened  a  moment,  then  broke  and  fled  in  every  direction.  Thus  was  Andover 
saved  from  a  crime  against  one  of  the  noblest  of  men,  which  long  years  of  penance 
could  scarce  have  washed  away. 

"Up  to  this  time,"  says  Dr.  Thayer,  "we had  not  organized  an  anti- 
slavery  society.  Fearing  that  we  should  do  so,  the  faculty  of  the 
United  Seminaries  passed  a  regulation  which  read  like  this :  '  No  stu- 
dent shall  join  any  society  in  the  town  of  Andover  without  leave  of  the 


BIOGRAPHIES.  605 

principal  of  the  institution  with  which  he  is  connected.'  Alas,  'The 
best  laid  schemes  of  mice  and  men  aft  gang  aglee. '  So  it  was  in  this 
case.  A  student  whose  room  adjoined  that  in  which  the  faculties  met 
and  discussed  the  matter,  overheard  enough  to  divine  what  was  on  the 
tapis.  He  at  once  informed  us  of  what  was  up.  In  half  an  hour  all  the 
principal  anti-slavery  students  were  gathered  in  the  Methodist  chapel, 
and  then  and  there  formed  an  abolition  societ}^  chose  officers,  etc.,  and 
adjourned.  The  following  Monday  morning  at  prayers  we  beheld  mar- 
shaled on  the  platform  and  around  the  desk,  our  four  principal  profess- 
ors .  Usually  only  one  was  present.  There  was  something  ominous 
in  the  air.  Principal  Johnson's  voice  was  more  tremulous  than  usual. 
Professor  McLane's  face  was  unusually  red  and  flushed.  Professor  Tay- 
lor's eyes  were  riveted  to  the  floor,  while  Professor  Sanborn  sat  uneasy 
and  restless  in  his  chair  of  state. 

"Prayers  over,  Principal  Johnson,  in  agitated  tones,  read  the  stern 
decree,  and  then  looked  over  the  field  to  mark  the  effect  of  the  shot. 
The  other  teachers  also  now  looked  up  and  took  observations.  But  not 
a  wing  seemed  broken,  not  a  feather  ruffled.  We  all  took  it  serenely, 
and  it  was  noted  that  the  anti-slavery  leaders  looked  crosswise  at  each 
other  and  smiled.  What  could  it  mean?  After  the  students  had  gone 
to  their  rooms  for  recitations,  or  to  the  dormitories  for  stud}^  Principal 
Johnson  called  up  one  Peter  T.  Woodbury,  nephew  of  Hon.  Levi 
Woodbur}',  of  New  Hampshire  faine,  and  asked  in  a  confidential  tone : 
'  Peter,  what  did  it  mean — those  complacent  smiles  and  glances  be- 
tween Abolitionists  when  the  new  regulation  was  read?'  'Why, 'said 
Peter  brusquely,  '  they  have  stolen  a  march  on  you.  They  formed  a 
society  last  Saturday  night,  and  all  the  Abolitionists  joined  it."  The 
color  left  Mr.  Johnson's  face.  Recovering  himself,  he  said  plaintively: 
'  You  have  not  joined,  have  you  Peter!  '  '  Yes,  sir,"  said  Peter.  This  was 
a  stunner.  The  next  effort  was  to  induce  the  signers  to  withdraw  their 
names,  but  without  an  instance  of  success.  These  young  Abolitionists 
had  been  converted  to  stay.  They  believed  in  saint's  perseverance, 
and  I  have  never  3'et  heard  of  the  apostacy  of  one  of  them,  or  even  of 
their  temporary  falling  from  grace.  Our  professors,  finding  that 
neither  coaxing  or  flattering  nor  threats  would  do,  proceeded  to  sterner 
measures.  I  w^as  summoned  before  the  faculty  to  answer  to  the  charge 
of  combining  with  others  to  destroy  the  good  name  of  the  academy 
and  bring  it  into  reproach  before  the  public,  etc.,  etc.  Instead  of 
standing. on  the  defensive  I  faced  the  music.    I  boldly  charged  upon  them 

84 


66G  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

the  sin  of  seeking  to  shield  from  exposure  and  condemnation  the  great 
crime  of  slavery,  of  exerting  themselves  to  make  cowards  and  time- 
servers  of  the  young  men  who  were  soon  to  go  forth  to  help  form  and 
reform  the  opinions  of  mankind.  I  remember  telling  them  that  if  we 
were  cowards  here  we  would  be  cowards  in  college,  cowards  in  the  sem- 
inary and  cowards  in  the  ministry.  In  fact,  during  that  interview  I 
think  they  were  in  the  prisoner's  box  quite  as  much  as  I  was.  At  one 
time  they  actually  all  laughed  aloud  at  the  ridiculous  turn  the  trial  had 
taken.  But  they  had  resolved  to  make  an  example  of  me,  and  so  they 
cast  ine  out.  No  specific  charges  were  voted  as  sustained.  I  was 
simply  voted  no  longer  a  member  of  Phillips  Academy,  and  to  have  no 
further  right  to  a  room  or  place  in  the  recitation  rooms.  One  other 
was  dismissed  with  me.  At  once  a  meeting  of  the  anti-slavery  students 
was  called,  a  remonstrance  was  gotten  up  and  published.  It  was 
signed  by  some  sixty  students,  all  of  whom  left  the  institution  without 
diplomas  or  other  testimonials  of  character  or  scholarship.  No  sooner 
was  I  turned  out  of  the  academy  than  Mr.  McLane  wrote  my  pastor  in 
Cheshire.  He  read  the  letter  to  the  church,  and  they  voted  not  to  help 
me  any  more.  The  letter  from  my  pastor  to  me,  though  quite  severe, 
was  in  parts  very  tender  and  parental.  He  regarded  the  anti-slavery 
revival  as  little  better  than  a  blast  from  the  bottomless  pit.  I  remem- 
ber one  sentence  that  he  used:  'Oh,  that  God  would  hide  you  in  his 
pavilion  till  this  storm  is  overpast  ? ' 

"Dear  man,  he  was  sadly  mistaken.  That  strong  wind  and  'the 
rushing  mighty  wind'  of  the  day  of  Pentecost  came  from  the  same 
quarter.  Well,  he  sees  it  now,  and  rejoices  with  us  in  the  great  deliv- 
erance from  America's  chiefest  curse.  My  reply  to  him  was  said  to  be 
rather  spirited.  I  kept  no  copy  of  it,  but  one  who  was  present  when  it 
was  received,  and  heard  it  read,  told  me  that  when  the  good  pastor 
came  to  a  place  where  I  wrote,  'Money  given  by  a  church  on  condition 
of  keeping  silence  about  slavery  is  not  fit  to  buy  a  potter's  field  with,' 
he  laughed  heartily  and  said :  '  He  is  plucky,  is  he  not  ? '  The  Educa- 
tion Society  also  withdrew  its  aid,  and  I  was  now  cast  upon  my  own 
resources  again. 

"After  the  expulsion  of  Bristol  I  went  home  to  Braintree,  where  I 
had  to  encounter  my  pastor,  a  D.  D.,  who  blamed  me  very  much  for 
my  anti-slavery  tendencies,  and  told  me  that  Garrison  was  an  infidel 
and  an  atheist.  With  this  man  I  had  several  interviews.  He  told  my 
sisters  that  I  ought  to  be  made  to  go  back  to  Andover  and  beg  pardon  on 
my  knees. 


BiOGRAPFilHS.  66t 

' '  By  request  of  a  friend  I  carried  to  my  pastor  a  notice  of  an  anti- 
slavery  meeting  to  be  held  on  a  week  day  in  a  neighboring  parish,  and 
asked  him  to  read  it  from  the  pulpit.  This  he  declined  to  do,  '  for  the 
reason  that  slavery  was  a  political  question,  and  he  could  not  carry  pol- 
itics into  the  pulpit. '  I  said  no  more,  but  a  short  time  after  that  a  Rev. 
Mr.  Sparrow,  a  dissenter  from  the  Catholic  church,  preached  against 
the  Pope  of  Rome.  At  the  close  of  the  service  in  the  forenoon,  he 
gave  notice  that  in  the  afternoon  he  would  preach  on  the  political  bear- 
ings of  Catholicism.  He  did  so,  and  my  pastor  took  part  in  the  exer- 
cises. 

"The  next  morning  I  called  to  see  him,  and  spoke  of  the  absurd 
position  in  which  I  found  him ;  that  he  refused  to  read  a  notice  of  an 
anti-slavery  meeting  to  be  held  on  a  week  day  in  a  neighboring  parish 
because  of  the  political  bearing  of  the  question  of  slavery,  but  that  he 
admitted  a  brother  minister  to  preach  a  whole  sermon  on  the  political 
bearings  of  Catholicism  on  the  holy  Sabbath  day,  and  that  he  took 
part  in  the  exercises.  What  did  my  pastor  say  ?  Did  he  explain?  No. 
But  he  ascended  into  a  towering  passion.  With  both  hands  rai.sed  on 
high,  with  brows  knit  and  ever}'  feature  marking  the  cowardly  purpose 
of  his  soul,  he  exclaimed :  '  I  am  not  to  be  intimidated  by  any  such  ar- 
gument. I  don't  care  if  all  my  parish  leave  me.  The  tyranny  they  are 
trying  to  exercise  over  me  is  worse  than  the  tyranny  of  Nicholas  of 
Russia,'  etc.,  etc. 

"I  retired  as  modesth'  as  I  could,  and  the  luore  I  thought  of  it  the 
more  I  determined  to  write  to  him,  and  to  show  him  that  I  had  lost  my 
respect  for  him ;  that  I  believed  him  to  be  a  hypocrite,  a  time-server 
and  a  coward ;  that  the  rich  men  of  his  church  and  society  held  him  in 
the  palm  of  their  hand,  that  he  did  not  dare  to  preach  an  anti-slavery 
sermon  in  his  pulpit,  that  he  did  not  care  if  the  millions  of  poor  Afri- 
cans all  went  to  hell  if  he  could  preserve  the  harmony  of  the  church 
North  and  South;  and  such  a  church  as  Jesus  Christ  never  sanctioned. 
I  told  him  that  I  would  never  hear  him  preach  till  he  repented,  and  I 
demanded  an  honorable  discharge  from  his  church,  which  I  never  re- 
ceived. 

"  That  the  above  character  was  true  the  following  must  testify:  At 
the  funeral  of  the  son  of  one  of  his  richest  parishioners,  who  died  a 
drunkard,  he  carried  him  on  the  wings  of  white  angels  and  left  him  in  the 
bosom  of  his  Father  in  the  heavenly  kingdom.  But  at  the  funeral  of  a 
poor  young  man,  who  was  a  good  boy  at  home  and  a  good  boy  at  school. 


668  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

and  was  the  idol  of  his  poor  mother — he  had  given  his  life  to  his  coun- 
try, was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  Va. ,  taken  prisoner 
and  carried  to  Richmond,  paroled  and  came  home  to  die — -what  did 
this  conscientious  pastor  say  to  console  the  grief  of  the  sorrowing 
mother  ?  These  inemorable  words.  '  If  there  is  any  hope  that  he  has 
gone  to  the  bosom  of  his  vSavior  it  is  a  matter  of  rejoicing.'  After  this 
I  never  spoke  with  him.  But  the  good  pastor  has  gone  to  his  rest,  with 
the  love  and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  friends,  and  a  name  honored 
and  respected  in  all  the  churches.  A  costly  granite  monument,  with 
laudatory  inscription,  marks  the  spot  of  his  final  resting  place." 

This  course  of  Dr.  Thayer's  and  his  fellow  students,  was  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  anti-slavery  movement.  Though  generally  condemned 
at  the  time  by  the  clergy,,  conservative  men  now  sa}',  "For  once  the 
students  were  right."  His  venerable  grandfather,  Deacon  Eliphaz 
Thayer,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  who  had  served  under  Washington 
at  West  Point  at  the  time  of  the  defection  of  Gen.  Benedict  Arnold,  and 
the  capture  and  execution  of  the  unfortunate  Major  Andre,  approved 
of  his  course  and  was  proud  of  him.  Dr.  Thayer  has  been  since  that  time 
an  enemy  of  every  kind  of  oppression,  and  his  house  was  the. asylum  of 
fugitive  slaves  for  twenty  years  before  the  war  that  emancipated  a 
race.  And  one  of  John  Brown's  men,  a  white  man,  who  had  escaped 
from  Harper's  Ferry,  was  concealed  in  Dr.  Thayer's  house  on  the  day 
John  Brown  was  executed. 

Dr.  Thayer  was  an  admirer  of  the  heroism  of  Garrison  and  Phillips ; 
of  Francis  Jackson,  who  said:  "When  I  shut  my  door  against  the 
fugitive  from  oppression,  maj'  the  Almighty  shut  the  door  of  his  mercy 
against  ine, "  and  of  Governor  Andrew,  who  siiid:  "I  know  not  what 
record  of  sin  awaits  me  in  the  other  world,  but  this  I  do  know,  that  I 
never  was  so  mean  as  to  despise  any  man  because  he  was  poor,  because- 
he  was  ignorant,  or  because  he  was  black." 

If  there  is  anything  in  the  life  of  Dr.  Thayer  that  indicates  a  hyper- 
sensitiveness  and  pity  for  the  oppressed,  it  is  due  largely  to  influences 
pre-natal,  and  is  equally  true  of  others  who  were  active  in  their  sympa- 
thies with  the  slaves,  among  whom  may  be  mentioned  Rev.  Henry 
Ward  Beecher,  Rev.  Charles  T.  Torry,  who  died  in  prison  for  aiding 
slaves  to  escape.  Rev.  Amos  Dresser,  who  served  a  term  in  the  State 
prison  of  Tennessee  for  his  sympathy  for  the  slaves,  Hon.  Montgomery 
Blair,  and  many  others,  who  were  born  the  same  year  when  our  coun- 
try was  involved  in  a  war  with  Great  Britain,  in  which  great  and  out- 


BIOGRAPHIES.  669 

rageoiis  cruelties  were  inflicted  along  the  northern  frontier  and  at  sea 
along  our  coast,  among  which  may  be  named  as  instances  of  special 
atrocity  the  massacre  of  our  soldiers,  who  surrendered  on  condition  of 
protection  from  the  Indian  tomahawk  at  Frenchtown,  at  Fort  Dearborn, 
where  Chicago  now  stands,  and  at  other  cold-blooded  inassacres. 

Dr.  Thayer  still  has  pleasant  memories  of  his  connection  with  the 
"underground  railroad  "  and  the  vigilance  committee,  in  v/hich  he  was 
an  active  member. 

For  eight  years  Dr.  Thayer  was  professor  of  practice  and  institutes 
of  medicine  in  Boston  University.  Though  educated  in  the  regular 
practice,  he  was  induced  to  examine  the  merits  of  homt^opathy,  and  (ut 
semper)  his  first  experiments  being  successful,  he  continued  to  make 
further  trials,  and  he  became  a  thorough  convert  to  the  doctrines  of 
Hahnemann.  In  1854  he  was  called  to  attend  a  case  of  bilious  colic  which 
was  supposed  to  be  caused  from  the  passage  of  gall-stones.  At  that 
time  there  was  not  a  writer  in  Europe  or  in  America  who  had  told  us 
the  remedy  for  this  painful  disease.  After  numerous  trials  and  some 
failures.  Dr.  Thayer  selected  cinchona  (Peruvian  bark),  which  he  gave 
in  the  honK^eopathic  way.  It  cured  the  case  entirely,  and  it  has  not 
returned  in  thirty-eight  years.  During  this  long  period  he  has  treated 
about  2,000  cases  of  gall-stone  colic  and  has  cured  every  one  of  them, 
without  a  single  exception.  Dr.  Thayer  inade  his  discovery  known  to 
his  colleagues  as  soon  as  he  became  convinced  of  its  certainty. 

Dr.  Thayer  also  made  the  discovery  of  the  art  of  curing  fistulae  recti 
without  the  use  of  the  knife.  This  he  has  also  communicated  to  his 
associates  in  the  profession.  He  has  also  demonstrated  the  truth  of 
the  statements  that  cases  of  rachitis  (bow-legs),  distorted  spines,  and 
other  deformities  of  the  bones  can,  if  taken  in  good  season — early  in 
infancy — be  radically  and  entirely  cured  with  a  high  potency  of  silicea 
and  calcarea  carbonica.  Throiigh  a  period  of  more  than  a  quarter  of 
a  century  he  has  not  known  a  case  of  failure  to  cure.  Dr.  Thayer 
hereby  confirms  the  truth  of  the  discoveries  of  Hahnemann  and  others. 
Early  in  his  practice  he  found  that  stricture  of  the  oesophagus  was  re- 
garded as  an  incurable  disease.  He  had  a  case — a  Miss  R.,  in  Roxbury. 
He  consulted  his  friend,  Dr.  Winslow  Lewis,  who  assured  him  that  his 
patient  would  die  of  starvation,  which  she  did.  Through  a  period  of 
years  he  had  several  similar  cases,  all  of  which  proved  fatal.  Once 
while  making  a  proving  on  himself,  of  a  certain  drug  remedy,  he  felt 
a  sensation    in   the    throat    which    reminded    him    of  stricture   of  the 


670  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

oesophagus.  He  determined,  if  he  should  have  another  case,  to  try 
that  remedy.  He  has  never  lost  a  case  of  stricture  of  the  oesophagus 
since.  That  remedy  is  podophyllin.  But  the  doctor  adds  that  there 
are  some  cases  of  stricture  of  the  oesophagus  which  are  not  curable  by 
podophyllin  alone,  but  require,  in  addition,  some  treatment  with  kali 
hydriadicuni.  While  studying  natural  history  in  Union  College  in  1836 
his  attention  was  called  to  the  mystery  of  the  flight  of  birds.  He  dis- 
sected hundreds  of  birds  of  various  species,  from  the  smallest  humming 
bird  to  the  largest  eagles  and  the  migratory  sea  fowl  that  visit  these 
shores,  to  discover  the  secret,  but  without  solving  the  sublime  problem. 
In  1889  he  received  letters  patent  for  a  device  for  navigating  the  air, 
which  he  calls  the  Aerial  Railway.  Every  specification  was  granted 
by  the  governments  of  the  United  States,  Canada,  England,  France, 
Germany  and  Belguim.  Whether  this  enterprise  be  practical  or  not, 
his  original  and  poetic  maxim  is  still  true : 

Who  builds  no  castles  in  the  air 
Will  never  build  them  anywhere. 


SAMUEL    BAKER    RINDGE. 

Daniel  Rindgr,  who  is  believed  to  be  the  ancestor  of  all  of  the  name 
in  America,  came  from  England  to  Massachusetts  Bay  in  1638,  settling 
first  at  Roxbury,  but  soon  removing  to  Ipswich,  where  descendants  of 
his  name  remained  for  five  generations.  He  appears  to  have  owned 
land  on  Heart  Break  Hill  (a  name  which  is  variously  explained,  bitt 
probably  due  to  its  difficult  ascent),  also  one  house  on  the  Turkey 
vShore  and  another  in  High  street,  and  his  farm  was  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  town  of  Hamilton. 

The  Portsmouth  family  of  Rindge  was  an  offshoot  from  that  at  Ips- 
wich. One  Daniel  Rindge  of  that  branch  was  a  successful  merchant 
there,  and  another,  John  Rindge,  became  a  prominent  man  in  the 
New  Hampshire  colon}^  and  a  member  of  the  Colonial  Council,  in  which 
capacity  he  signed  bills  of  credit,  as  appears  by  a  specimen  still  pre- 
served in  the  museum  at  Plymouth,  Mass.  He  was  chosen  to  repre- 
sent the  colony  before  the  King  in  England,  in  relation  to  the  disputed 
boundary  'line  on  the  Massachusetts  side,  and  the  town  of  Rindge  in 
New  Hampshire  was  named  in  honor  of  him. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  671 

Daniel  Rindge,  the  first  settler,  had  a  son  Roger ;  Roger  a  son  Daniel ; 
this  Daniel  a  son  also  Daniel ;  this  last  Daniel  a  son  John ;  and  John  a 
son  Samuel — all  of  these  except  the  first  being  natives  of  Ipswich. 

Samuel  Rindge,  born  January  29,  1791,  went  from  Ipswich  to  Salem, 
and  thence  to  East  Cambridge,  then  known  as  Craigie's  Point,  where 
he  was  employed  for  many  years  by  the  New  England  Glass  Company 
as  overseer  and  purchaser  of  supplies.  Previous  to  this  he  had  been  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  which  was  shipped  to  the  South 
and  sold  there.  He  married,  February  17,  1820,  Maria  Bradlee  Wait, 
and  died  February  1,  1850. 

His  eldest  son,  Samuel  Baker  Rindge,  was  born  December  26,  1820; 
married,  April  29, 1845,  Clarissa  Harrington,  of  Lexington,  Mass.,  and 
died  May  3, 1883.  Of  six  children  only  one,  Frederick  Hastings  Rindge, 
survived  his  parents. 

His  eldest  son,  vSamuel  Baker  Rindge,  after  the  brief  but  solid 
schooling  of  his  time,  began  his  business  life  with  no  capital  except  a 
sound  body  and  a  willing  mind.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  (1836)  he 
entered  the  employment  of  Parker  &  Blanchard,  which  was  the  first 
firm  in  Boston  that  engaged  in  and  relied  solely  upon  the  business  of 
selling  for  the  manufacturers  American-made  textile  fabrics.  The 
manufacturing  business  itself  was  in  its  infancy  and  gave  no  sign  of 
its  later  wonderful  development.  The  boy's  position  was  one  that 
called  for  much  hard  work  and  yielded  but  small  remuneration.  He 
was  expected  to  be  the  first  to  come  and  the  last  to  go,  and  in  the  time 
between  was  expected  to  make  himself  generally  useful.  In  such  a 
place  a  shirk  would  have  found  himself  unhappy,  but  the  lad  Rindge  was 
no  shirk ;  his  own  work  was  always  done  promptly,  and  it  was  always 
his  inclination  to  reach  out  for  a  share  in  the  duties  of  those  above 
him.  When  he  was  "the  boy"  he  was  always  ready  to  fill  a  gap  in 
the  bookkeeping,  and  when  he  became  the  bookkeeper  he  managed,  by 
working  out  of  hours,  to  get  time  to  act  as  a  salesman  in  the  busier 
portions  of  the  day.  He  was  absteinious  in  his  habits,  and  recognized 
alcoholic  beverages  and  tobacco  as  his  enemies.  His  powers  of  observa- 
tion and  his  memory  were  alike  remarkable;  he  saw  everything  and 
forgot  nothing.  As  an  accountant  he  was  thorough  and  exact ;  as  a 
salesman  he  was  active  and  popular;  he  made  himself  an  excellent 
judge  of  the  qualities  of  manufactured  goods,  and  an  expert  in  wool 
and  other  raw  materials. 


672  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Such  a  man  could  not  but  rise,  and  in  the  year  1847  he  was  achiiitted 
a  partner  in  the  firm,  then  styled  Parker,  Wilder  &  Parker,  and  when 
he  died  he  was  the  senior  member  of  the  house,  then  Parker,  Wilder 
&  Co. 

He  g'rew  with  his  business,  opening  his  mind  and  enlarging'  his  scale 
of  action  as  manufacturing  developed  and  the  times  changed.  Losses 
never  discouraged,  but  simply  instructed  him,  and  the  end  of  a  season 
of  panic  which  swept  away  a  large  fraction  of  his  capital  found  him  full 
of  confidence  in  himself,  not  bewailing  the  past  but  looking  forward 
cheerily  to  the  future. 

It  was  a  fault  in  his  mercantile  character  that  he  took  upon  himself 
too  much,  and  that  as  his  work  grew  he  did  not  depend  more  upon  his 
employees.  It  has  been  said  of  him  that  he  did  the  work  of  ten  men ; 
certainly  he  loved  work,  but  it  would  have  been  wise,  and  it  would 
probably  have  prolonged  his  life  if  he  had  been  willing  to  limit  himself 
more  closely  to  the  navigation  of  the  ship,  leaving  others  to  trim  the 
sails  and  keep  the  watch. 

He  was  a  stalwart  man  to  the  last,  and  his  cheeks  kept  a  ruddy  hue 
of  health.  His  powerful  physique  was  illustrated  by  his  interference 
in  one  instance  to  put  a  stop  to  a  brutal  fight  between  two  men  in  a 
country  town,  where  as  they  were  struggling  on  the  ground  he  grasped 
one  of  them  by  the  collar  of  his  coat  and  raised  him  to  his  feet  as  if  he 
hud  been  a  child.  But  even  the  stoutest  of  men  may  be  overloaded, 
and  Mr.  Rindge,  although  warned  of  his  danger,  preferred  apparently 
to  incur  the  risk  rather  than  deny  himself  the  exhilaration  of  earnest 
occupation. 

Nor  was  he  content  to  confine  his  work  to  his  own  especial  avoca- 
tions. To  be  a  director  in  the  manufacturing  concerns  in  which  he 
was  interested  was  to  make  but  little  addition  to  his  cares,  for  he  would 
have  felt  the  same  responsibility  as  their  buying  and  selling  agent;  but 
as  his  reputation  for  business  sagacity  increased  he  was  induced  to 
assume  additional  duties.  For  two  years  he  was  an  alderman  of  Cam- 
bridge. He  was  a  director  in  two  banks,  the  president  of  one ;  trustee 
in  the  Cambridge  Savings  Bank,  president  of  the  Union  Glass  Com- 
pany, director  in  the  Cambridge  Railroad  Company  and  in  other  cor- 
porations. Besides  all  these,  when  consulted  by  friends  he  was  not 
content  to  limit  his  advice  to  generalities,  but  was  apt  to  make  a  study 
of  their  interests  as  if  they  were  his  own ;  and  it  was  said  by  an  eminent 
lawyer  of  Boston  that  he  had  never  known  Mr.  Rindge's  ec^ual  in  ability 


BIOGRAPHIES.  673 

to  grasp  the  deepest  questions  of  business  and  the  complicated  problems 
often  connected  therewith. 

One  can  only  wonder  that  such  a  man  should  have  lived  so  long. 
His  strong  constitution  may  explain  in  part  his  ability  to  bear  a  heavy 
strain,  and  his  readiness  to  enter  into  any  passing  recreation,  to  enjoy 
travel  and  to  be  easily  diverted  may  explain  the  rest.  He  fovmd  but 
little  diversion  in  books — men  and  things  were  more  interesting  to 
him. 

Mr.  Rindge  was  fortunate,  too,  in  his  wife,  a  woman  of  remarkable 
kindliness  and  charity,  everywhere  revered  for  her  many  amiable  qual- 
ities, and  nowhere  better  appreciated  than  in  her  own  home.  Socially 
she  was  connected  with  many  charitable  societies  in  Cambridge,  and 
being  a  strict  church-goer,  she  exerted  a  widespread  influence  upon 
the  morals  of  the  city.  She  died  in  less  than  two  years  after  her  wid- 
owhood, leaving  by  her  will  charitable  foundations  to  commemorate 
her  husband. 

At  a  union  meeting  of  officers  of  various  corporations  with  which  he 
had  been  connected,  resolutions  were  passed  in  memory  of  ]\Ir.  Rindge, 
and  it  was  said  that  every  eye  was  dimmed  by  tears. 

As  showing  the  general  esteem  in  which  he  was  held,  these  few  ex- 
tracts from  many  public  notices  may  suffice: 

As  a  merchant,  says  a  Boston  paper,  he  leaves  a  character  above  reproach ;  as  a 
citizen  he  was  universall)-  respected,  and  he  will  be  greatly  missed  by  the  mercantile 
communities  of  Boston  and  New  York,  where  he  was  widely  known  and  where  he 
was  accorded  a  position  second  to  none. 

As  a  business  man.  writes  a  Cambridge  editor,  he  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem, 
as  is  evidenced  by  his  associations  in  this  city.  For  many  years  he  was  a  director  in 
the  Charles  River  National  Bank,  and  later  became  its  president.  He  was  also  a 
director  in  the  Lechmere  National  Bank,  and  a  trustee  of  the  Cambridge  Savings 
Bank.  Mr.  Rindge  was  always  identified  with  projects  for  the  good  of  the  city,  and 
was  a  liberal  giver  to  worthy  causes. 

With  an  ambition  to  work  and  win,  says  another  notice,  he  was  always  jealous  of 
his  character ;  nothing  could  wean  him  from  the  path  he  had  chosen.  As  he  grew 
in  years,  so  grow  his  reputation  for  probity  and  commercial  ability.  .  .  .  With 
advancement  he  assumed  the  burdens  following  such  promotion  with  a  degree  of 
modesty  equaled  only  by  the  diligence  and  uprightness  exercised  in  the  execution  of 
all  trusts  committed  to  his  care.  And  thus  half  a  centur}^  of  years  in  business  life 
was  passed,  the  experience  of  each  year  adding  to  the  fullness  of  a  mind  alreadv 
admired  for  the  display  of  such  superior  qualities. 

In  the  last  years  of  his  life,  Mr.  Rindge  passed  the  summer  seasons 
by  the  sea,  at   the  old  town  of  Marblehead,  at   first  as  the  tenant  of 

85 


674  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

others,  but  finally  in  the  beautiful  home  which  he  built  at  Little  Top 
Hill,  near  Peach's  Point.  Here  he  threw  off  all  business  cares  and 
immersed  himself  in  healthy  country  living.  His  regard  for  the  people 
of  Marblehead  was  warmly  returned,  as  is  testified  by  the  deep  feeling 
which  marked  his  obituary  in  the  local  press. 

It  was  with  saddened  faces  and  heavy  hearts,  says  the  Marblehead  Messenger, 
that  our  people  heard  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Samuel  B.  Rindge  last  week.  No  person 
ever  died  in  our  midst  who  was  more  universally  respected  than  he. 

From  the  first  he  seemed  to  love  our  people,  and  they  in  turn  had  learned  to  love 
him.  Unlike  a  good  many  who  have  sojourned  in  our  community  as  summer  resi- 
dents, he  could  see  nothing  strange  in  our  dialect  or  behavior  that  could  excite 
ridicule  or  comment.  Our  crooked  narrow  streets  and  quaint  old  houses  called 
forth  from  him  no  disparaging  remarks,  and  he  could  see  in  those  he  met,  men, 
women  and  children  created  in  the  image  of  God  like  himself,  and  that  he  was  com- 
manded to  love  them,  and  this  he  did  most  earnestly,  and  his  love  was  reciprocated 
by  them. 

He  did  not  seem  over  anxious  to  form  an  acquaintance  with  the  elite,  so  called, 
although  he  treated  all  courteously,  but  rather  the  men  of  the  people,  the  day  laborer. 
He  never  passed  one  on  the  street  without  a  kindly  salutatipn  and  a  friendly  greet- 
ing, and  if  he  was  burdened  with  a  bundle  or  had  a  long  walk  to  or  from  his  work, 
he  was  invited  to  a  seat  beside  him  in  his  carriage  to  enjoy  a  ride  and  also  the 
pleasure  of  his  entertaining  and  genial  conversation. 

But  above  all,  he  was  a  friend  to  the  needy  and  down-trodden.  No  one  who  ever 
asked  alms  for  himself  or  others,  or  a  favor  of  any  kind  from  him,  was  ever  refused; 
but  he  never  published  it  to  the  world,  for  quietly  and  without  display  he  gave 
generously  of  his  ample  wealth.  His  creed  seemed  to  be  mf)re  than  an  empty  form, 
for,  like  the  Master,  he  went  about  doing  good.  He  was  in  every  sense  a  true 
Christian  gentleman. 

The  world  is  made  better  by  such  lives.  It  would  be  well  for  some  of  our  wealthy 
men  to  stop  and  consider  if  it  is  not  better  to  make  friends  instead  of  enemies  of  their 
fellow  men  who  have  less  means  than  themselves.  Let  them  study  the  life  of  this 
good  man,  whose  deeds  are  so  enshrined  in  all  our  hearts  as  never  to  be  forgotten. 

Akin  to  the  features  of  character  above  commended  is  the  interest 
Mr.  Rindge  took  in  the  persons  employed  in  mills  under  his  direction. 
He  remembered  and  recognized  men  and  women,  and  enjoyed  talking 
with  them,  and  this  not  as  de  haul  en  bas,  but  placing  himself  and 
them  on  the  same  level. 

It  was  the  desire  of  his  family  that  the  funeral  should  be  private,  and 
their  wish  was  respected ;  but  most  unexpectedly  a  great  throng  at- 
tended at  the  burial.  Neighbors  and  business  friends,  official  associates 
and  employees,  and  many  persons  whom  he  had  befriended  were  there, 
bearing  witness  by  their  attendance  to  their  esteem  and  his  worth. 


HSif  1B^ 


jJHfr 


9<^^<y/y 


^tOCRAPHlES.  6t5 

WILLIAM  P.   HUNT. 

William  Prescott  Hunt  was  born  in  Bath,  N.H.,  January  14,  1827, 
and  is  a  son  of  Caleb  and  Rebecca  (Pool)  Hunt,  the  latter  a  cousin  of 
W.  H.  Prescott,  the  historian.  His  father  was  a  woolen  manufacturer 
at  Bath,  N.H.,  and  imported  the  first  carding  machine  used  in  that 
State.  Mr.  Hunt  was  prepared  for  entrance  to  Dartmouth  College,  but 
choosing  a  business  career  he  entered  the  service  of  the  South  Boston 
Iron  Company  in  1847,  and  has  been  identified  with  that  corporation 
through  its  various  changes  ever  since.  In  1863  he  was  elected  treas- 
urer of  the  company,  and  in  187G  president  and  treasurer,  holding  the 
latter  positions  at  the  present  time.  He  has  also  been  largely  inter- 
ested in  other  industrial  enterprises.  From  1875  to  1892  he  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Forbes  Lithographic  Manufacturing  Company ;  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Boston  Machine  Company  from  1804  to  1884;  has  been  a 
director  in  the  Boston  Lead  Manufacturing  Compan}^  since  1880;  and 
was  a  director  in  the  Carver  Cotton  Gin  Company  from  18G0  to  1888. 
For  many  years  he  has  also  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  management 
of  Boston  financial  institutions.  In  1872  he  was  elected  a  director  of 
the  Atlas  National  Bank,  and  from  1878  to  1882  served  as  president. 
For  ten  years  he  was  a  director  in  the  Manufacturers'  Insurance  Com- 
pany. In  these  various  indiLstrial  and  financial  institutions  Mr.  Hunt 
has  been  a  potent  factor  in  their  success,  freely  devoting  his  long  busi- 
ness experience,  his  time  and  energies  to  their  prosperity.  Mr.  Hunt 
was  first  married  in  1856  to  Miss  Catherine  Mullen,  of  New  York  city, 
who  died  in  18G9.  In  1871  he  married  Miss  Helen  S.  Ctimmings,  of 
New^  Bedford,  Mass.  He  has  five  children:  Mar}^  E.,  William  Pres- 
cott, Henr}^  M.,  Arthur  P.  and  John  Cummings  Hunt. 


MICHAEL    H.    SIMPSON. 

Michael  H.  Simpson,  who  brought  into  a  high  state  of  development 
the  well  known  industries  connected  with  the  Roxbury  Carpet  Com- 
pany and  the  Saxonville  Mill,  was  born  November  15,  1809,  and  was 
the  son  of  Paul  Simpson,  a  wealthy  ship  owner  of  Newburyport  during 
the  days  when  a  phenomenal  success  sometimes  attended  the  sending 
of  cargoes  of  merchandise  to  foreign  ports.     Deciding  early  upon  a 


076  SUPFOLK  COUNTY. 

business  career,  young  Simpson  entered  into  it  with  that  energy  and 
keen  insight  which  distinguished  him  in  after  life.  Before  they  were 
of  age,  he,  with  Charles  H.  Coffin,  of  Newburyport,  and  George  Otis, 
son  of  Harrison  Gray  Otis,  of  Boston  (afterwards  partners),  made  a 
highly  successful  venture  by  sending  a  ship  and  cargo  to  Calcutta, 
they  being  the  sole  owners.  This  may,  perhaps,  be  considered  the 
basis  of  the  fortune  which  Mr.  vSimpson  afterwards  acquired.  His 
business  career  soon  showed  that  to  a  fine  physical  constitution  he 
united  a  keen  sagacity  in  adopting  means  to  ends,  unusual  executive 
ability  and  an  indomitable  will.  By  the  connection  of  his  firm  with  the 
wool  trade  of  South  America,  his  attention  was  drawn  to  the  necessit}^ 
of  freeing  Buenos  Ayres  wool  from  burrs  to  enhance  its  value.  His 
inventive  brain  soon  grasped  the  situation,  and  he  produced  a  machine 
for  this  purpose,  which  proved  of  great  value,  the  modern  burring  ma- 
chine, now  in  general  use,  being  the  outgrowth  of  this  invention.  In 
the  various  industries  with  which  his  name  was  connected,  for  him  to 
discover  the  need  or  necessity  for  improvement  was  to  give  himself  no 
rest  until  he  had  devised  a  way  for  the  accompli.shment  of  the  desired 
end.  His  extensive  career  as  a  inanufacturer  and  employer  of  labor 
also  gave  scope  for  the  development  of  those  finer  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  which  characterized  the  man.  It  was  his  delight  to  lay  out 
parks  and  drives  in  connection  with  his  estates,  which  he  always  opened 
to  the  public.  In  order  to  give  employment  he  would  purchase  tracts 
of  waste  land  and  convert  them  into  richly  productive  fields.  As  a 
friend  and  companion  he  was  genial  and  charming.  He  possessed  a 
mind  well  stored  with  the  resources  of  history  and  philosophy.  He 
was  a  inan  of  keen  business  perceptions  and  was  remarkabl}^  success- 
ful in  all  of  his  various  inv-estments  and  enterprises. 

He  ever  recognized  a  beneficent,  overruling  Providence  in  all  the 
ways  of  life,  and  sought  by  precept  and  example  to  inculcate  the  prin- 
ciples of  a  high  morality  in  all  those  with  whom  he  was  brought  in 
contact.  His  love  for  his  native  town  manifested  itself  in  his  generous 
benefactions  to  the  Public  Library,  toward  town  improvements,  a  fund 
for  keeping  the  streets  watered,  and  in  various  other  ways. 

Mr.  vSimpson  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Elizabeth  Ril- 
ham,  of  Boston,  by  whom  he  had  several  children.  His  second  mar- 
riage was  to  Evangeline  E.  Thurston  Marrs,  of  Framingham,  who 
survives  him.  His  death  occurred  at  his  residence  in  Boston,  Decem- 
22,  1884. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  677 

ALBERT   A.   POPE. 

Albert  Augustus  Pope,  the  founder  of  the  bicycle  industries  in  the 
United  States,  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  May  20,  1843.  He  traces 
his  genealog)'  through  many  well-known  New  England  families  of 
Pope,  Pierce,  Cole,  Stubbs,  Neale,  and  others.  His  father,  Charles 
Pope,  was  an  active  and  stirring  business  man,  and  his  mother,  a 
daughter  of  Capt.  James  Bogman,  of  Boston,  was  a  lady  of  rare  dis- 
cernment and  quiet  decision  of  character,  who  taught  her  son  the  habits 
of  economy,  order  and  method,  to  the  exercise  of  which  he  attributes 
much  of  his  success  in  life.  When  young  Pope  was  only  nine  years  of 
age,  his  father  met  with  business  reverses  which  placed  the  family  in 
decidedly  straitened  circumstances.  Albert  began  at  once  his  life  of 
work  and  business  activity  by  riding  a  horse  to  plow  for  a  neighboring 
farmer  in  Brookline,  which  was  his  home  at  that  time.  Three  years 
later  he  commenced  buying  fruit  and  vegetables  of  the  farmers  and 
selling  them  to  the  neighbors,  showing  his  innate  ability  as  a  manager 
by  employing  boys  to  assist  him  and  reaping  a  profit  from  their  labors. 
He  soon  had  between  forty  and  fifty  customers,  and  in  one  season  this 
business  jielded  him  a  profit  of  $100.  During  this  time  he  received  a 
fair  public  school  education,  which  was  all  the  training  he  ever  had 
from  schools,  though  by  careful  reading  and  persistent  application  he 
has  obtained  an  exceptional  fund  of  general  knowledge.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  he  left  the  high  school  and  secured  employment  in  the  Quincy 
Market,  and  later  on  took  a  position  with  a  firm  dealing  in  shoe  find- 
ings. While  there  he  did  all  the  work  of  a  porter,  carrying  heavy  bags 
of  pegs  and  100-lb.  bales  of  thread — work  that  would  not  be  imposed 
on  a  full  grown  man  in  these  days — -and  for  this  he  received  only  four 
dollars  a  week,  two  of  which  he  paid  for  board,  and  saved  money  out 
of  the  balance.  An  accurate  account  of  his  expenses  shows  that  he 
exercised  the  strictest  economy.  The  store  was  five  miles  from  his 
hoine,  yet  he  frequently  walked  to  and  from  business  in  order  to  save 
the  car  fare  of  sixteen  cents.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  began  the 
study  of  military  tactics,  joining  the  Salignac's  Zouaves  and  the  Home 
Guards  of  Brookline,  of  which  company  he  soon  became  captain.  So 
intense  was  his  interest  that  he  kept  a  mu.sket  in  the  store  and  with  it 
drilled  his  fellow  clerks  and  the  "  bosses  "  whenever  business  would 
permit.  At  nineteen  years  of  age  he  joined  the  volunteer  forces  of  the 
Union  army  and  went  to  the  front  as  second  lieutenant  in  the  Thirty- 


6^8  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

fifth  Massachusetts  Infantry  August  22,  1862.  His  promotion  to  first 
lieutenant,  March  23,  1863,  and  to  captain,  April  1,  1864,  are  evidences 
of  his  ability  and  valor.  He  was  employed  upon  important  detached 
services,  and  acted  as  commander  of  his  regiment  on  many  occasions 
when  the  colonel  was  absent  or  disabled.  He  organized  within  twenty- 
four  hours  a  provisional  regiment  of  artillery  from  the  convalescent 
camp  at  Alexandria,  and  with  this  force  he  advanced  to  the  defence  of 
Washington,  assuming  command  of  Fort  Slocum  and  Fort  Stevens 
with  forty-seven  pieces  of  artillery.  This  was  a  move  which  called  for 
great  ability  in  managing  men,  and  it  was  accomplished  with  such  skill 
that  Captain  Pope  was  highly  complimented  by  his  superior  officers.  He 
served  in  the  principal  Virginia  campaigns,  was  with  Burnside  in  Ten- 
nessee, with  Grant  at  Vicksburg,  and  with  Sherman  at  Jackson,  Miss. 
He  commanded  Fort  Hell  before  Petersburg,  and  in  the  last  attack  led 
his  regiment  into  the  the  city,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  He  was 
brevetted  major  "for  gallant  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg, 
Va. ,"  and  lievitenant-colonel  "for  gallant  conduct  in  the  battles  of 
Knoxville,  Poplar  Springs  Church  and  front  of  Petersburg,"  March  13, 
1865.  After  the  war  Colonel  Pope  returned  quietly  to  his  former  em- 
ployers, but  soon  went  into  business  for  himself  in  slipper  decorations 
and  shoe  manufacturers'  supplies.  In  1877  he  became  enthusiastic 
over  the  bicycle,  and,  with  his  rare  foresight,  determined  to  go  into 
their  manufacture.  This  was  done  under  the  name  of  the  Pope  Manu- 
facturing Company,  a  corporation  for  which  he  furnished  the  capital 
and  of  which  he  became,  and  has  ever  since  continued,  the  president 
and  active  manager.  This  company  was  organized  for  the  making  and 
selling  of  small  patented  articles ;  but  within  a  year  Colonel  Pope  had 
resolved  to  stake  all  its  future  on  the  bicycle,  and  he  thus  made  his 
coinpany  the  pioneer  in  the  business.  There  was  not  only  no  demand 
for  wheels  at  that  time,  but  in  many  places  the  prejudice  against  them 
was  both  outspoken  and  intolerant.  This  opposition  had  to  be  over- 
come and  a  market  created.  Colonel  Pope  exercised  great  diplo- 
macy in  treating  this  phase  of  the  business.  He  imported  the  best 
'C3^cling  literature  to  be  had,  bound  it  up  with  the  advertisement  of 
rival  firms  and  distributed  it  freely  throughout  the  country.  Through 
the  influence  and  encouragement  of  the  Pope  Manufacturing  Company 
home  talent  also  was  brought  to  bear  on  the  question,  resulting  in  the 
production  of  Mr.  Pratt's  book,  "  The  American  Bicycler,"  and  in  the 
founding  of  the  illustrated  magazine,  The  Wheelman,  which  cost  up- 


BIOGRAPHIES.  679 

wards  of  $60,000,  and  which  is  flourishing  as  the  Ontiiig  of  to-day. 
The  educating  process  was  followed  by  the  opening  of  the  highways 
and  parks  for  the  use  of  wheelmen,  the  company  expending  thousands 
of  dollars  in  settling  the  Central  Park  case  in  New  York,  the  South 
Park  matter  in  Chicago,  and  the  Fairmount  Park  contest  in  Phila- 
delphia. The  successful  organizing  and  prosperous  growth  of  this 
industry  bear  a  well  deserved  tribute  to  Colonel  Pope  as  a  promoter 
and  manager  of  large  business  interests,  and  as  a  financier  of  strength 
and  fertility.  Colonel  Pope  is  a  director  in  many  banking  and  business 
corporations,  and  his  advice  is  sought  after  and  valued. 

He  is  the  pioneer  in  the  great  movement  for  highway  improvement, 
and  has  contributed  liberally  of  his  means  and  time  for  the  advance- 
ment of  this  project.  His  speeches  on  this  subject  have  been  widely 
read  and  quoted.  His  latest  move  for  a  comprehensive  road  exhibit  at 
the  Columbian  Exposition  aroused  the  press  and  the  public  in  general 
to  the  importance  of  the  road  question. 

He  married  September  20,  1871,  Abbie,  daughter  of  George  and 
Matilda  (Smallwood)  Linder,  of  Newton,  Mass.,  and  they  have  four 
sons  and  one  daiighter. 


AMASA  WALKER,   LL.D. 

A.MASA  Wai.kkk,  eldest  son  of  Deacon  Walter  Walker,  was  born  in 
Woodstock,  Conn.,  ]\Iay  -t,  1T09.  In  1800  his  parents  bought  the  estate 
in  the  North  Parish  of  Brookfield,  Mass.,  on  which  their  son  Amasa 
subsequently  lived  and  died.  Amasa  Walker  was  a  feeble  and  delicate 
child.  Lack  of  ph3-sical  stamina  deprived  him  of  tire  enjoyment  of 
most  of  the  athletic  sports  practiced  by  his  companions.  The  fact, 
however,  had  its  compensation  in  the  impulse  given  to  study  and  re- 
flection. 

On  his  father's  estate  in  North  Brookfield,  Amasa  Walker  was  reared, 
attending  the  Center  District  School ;  and,  in  the  intervals  of  stud}-, 
working  upon  his  father's  farm,  or  sticking  card-teeth  for  the  manu- 
facturers at  Leicester.  Naturally  a  good  and  even  brilliant  scholar,  the 
child  and  youth  took  the  utmost  advantage  of  the  limited  opportunities 
offered  by  the  village  school,  and  acquired  that  thorough  training  in 
English  which,  without  the  advantages  of  a  college  education,  enabled 
him  to  discuss  abstruse  questions  of  political  science  clearly,  effectively 


680  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

and  agreeably,  and  to  address  senates  and  universities  with  acceptance. 
In  1814  he  became  a  clerk  in  Colonel  Henshaw's  store.  During  the 
winter  of  1815  to  '16  he  was  laid  up  as  the  result  of  a  physical  injury; 
but  in  the  spring  of  1816  went  to  live  with  Dr.  Crossfield,  who  had 
opened  a  store  in  wSouth  Brookfield.  In  June  the  store  was  burned,  and 
he  became  clerk  to  Captain  Moses  Bond,  then  trading  in  North  Brook- 
field.  In  1817  he  began  to  fit  for  Amherst  College,  under  the  tuition 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Snell.  His  zeal  in  study  soon  outran  his  strength,  and 
his  health  completely  broke  down,  compelling  the  abandonment  of  the 
college  project.  During  the  winter  of  1817  to  1818,  he  taught  a  district 
school,  and  then  went  again  to  live  with  Captain  Bond.  For  two  years 
following  he  taught  school  in  various  districts  of  North  Brookfield,  or 
worked  upon  the  farm  at  home. 

In  October,  1820,  in  company  with  Allen  Newell,  he  bought  the  store 
and  stock  of  Major  Holt,  of  West  Brookfield.  The  partnership  con- 
tinued successfully  until  February,  1823,  when  Mr.  Walker  sold  out  his 
interest  and  became  agent  of  the  Methuen  Manufacturing  Company, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  '  In  1825  he  entered  into  business 
in  Boston  with  Charles  G.  Carleton,  under  the  title  of  Carleton  & 
Walker,  and  on  the  6th  of  July,  1826,  married  his  partner's  sister,  Eme- 
line,  daughter  of  Deacon  Jonathan  Carleton,  of  Boston.  Mrs.  Walker 
died  July  24,  1828,  leaving  one  child,  who  died  in  infancy.  In  1829 
Mr.  Walker  went  into  business  by  himself,  where  his  energy  enabled 
him  to  achieve  success;  yet,  notwithstanding  the  urgent  demands  of  his 
business  and  his  always  delicate  health,  often  threatening  complete  pros- 
tration, he  took  a  prominent  part  in  a  great  variety  of  political,  social 
and  intellectual  efforts. 

In  1829  he  helped  to  organize  the  Boston  Lyceum,  and  was  its  first 
secretary.  In  the  same  year  he  entered  actively  into  the  movement 
against  Masonry,  which  culminated  in  the  nomination  of  William  Wirt 
for  the  presidency  in  1832.  In  the  latter  year  he  became  president  of 
the  Boston  Lyceum  and  a  director  of  the  Franklin  Bank.  In  1833  he 
delivered  the  Fourth  of  July  oration  before  the  Young  Men's  Society  of 
Boston.  In  1834,'  June  23,  he  married  Miss  Hannah  Ambrose,  of  Con- 
cord, N.  H.,  by  whom  he  had  three  children,  all  of  whom  survived  him. 
In  1835  Mr.  Walker  lost  both  father  and  mother  by  death.  In  this  year 
he  wrote  a  series  of  articles  in  the  Daily  Advertiser.,  calling  attention  to 
the  necessity  of  a  railroad  to  connect  Boston  with  Albany  and  the  West 
beyond.     These  articles  (signed.  South  Market  Street)  gave  rise  to  a 


BIOGRAPHIES.  681 

public  meeting;,  which  resulted  in  securing;  the  stock  of  the  Western 
Railway.  In  1837  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  directors,  serving-  in 
that  capacity  four  years. 

In  June,  1839,  Mr.  Walker  visited  St.  Louis  and  Alton,  and  addressed 
meeting's  of  the  citizens,  iirging  the  importance  of  early  and  strenuous 
efforts  to  secure  a  continuous  all  rail  line  of  communication  between 
Boston  and  the  Mississippi.  Newspaper  reports  of  these  addresses  have 
been  preserved  and  constitute  a  most  interesting-  feature  in  our  com- 
mercial history.  At  that  time  railroad  engines  weighed  but  nine  tons. 
A  train  of  cars  carried  but  fifty  tons  of  freight.  A  journey  by  rail  was 
only  less  tedious  than  by  canal.  Mr.  Walker  assured  his  hearers  that 
locomotives  weighing  fourteen  tons  would  soon  be  built ;  that  trains  in 
the  future  would  carry  as  much  as  a  hundred  and  fifty  tons ;  and  that, 
incredible  as  it  might  seem,  a  Boston  merchant  would  yet  make  the 
journey  to  St.  Louis  in  five  days,  eating  and  sleeping  on  the  cars.  In 
his  description  of  passenger  cars  "  of  two  stories,"  the  upper  being  for 
lodging,  we  have  the  germ  of  the  Pullman  car. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  anti-slavery  movement,  Mr.  Walker  had 
joined  actively  in  that  effort,  speaking  and  writing  freely;  he  never, 
however,  acceded  to  opinions  adverse  to  the  union  of  the  States.  He 
insisted  upon  constitutional  methods  within  the  Union  and  subject  to 
the  laws.  In  1839  he  became  president  of  the  Boston  Temperance 
Societ}^  the  first  association  of  its  kind  in  the  city.  Mr.  Walker's  pub- 
lished writings  on  total  abstinence  began  in  1826. 

In  1840,  owing  to  increasing  bodily  infirmities,  Mr.  Walker  retired 
permanently  from  business.  The  scale  of  his  mercantile  transactions 
had  been  extensive,  and  he  had  done  more  to  open  the  trade  of  Boston 
with  the  South  and  Southwest  than  any  other  merchant  of  the  same 
generation ;  but  the  large  profits  of  his  business  had  been  impaired  by 
the  almost  total  wreck  of  trade  and  industry  in  1837  and  1839,  so  that 
he  retired  with  only  a  moderate  competence,  sufficient,  however,  for  all 
his  needs.  Not  even  ill  health  could  diminish  his  interest  in  public 
affairs;  and  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  Harrison  campaign,  strenu- 
ously advocating  the  establishment  of  the  Sub-Treasury  system.  For 
this  he  was  subjected  to  much  obloquy;  but  the  results  of  forty  years' 
financial  experience  have  completely  demonstrated  his  sagacity. 

The  winter  of  1810  to  1841  Mr.  Walker  spent  in  Florida  on  account 
of  his  health.  In  1842  he  went  to  Oberlin,  O.,  on  account  of  his  great 
interest  in  the  organization  of  a  college  in  that  town,  to  which  he  had 
86 


682  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

contributed  of  his  means,  and  remained  there  ten  months,  giving  lec- 
tures in  political  economy,  a  subject  to  which  his  mind  had  been  in- 
creasingly drawn  by  the  financial  experiences  of  1837  and  1839.  In  Maj^, 
1843,  he  finally  took  up  his  residence  at  North  Brookfield,  on  his 
father's  estate ;  but  went  almost  immediately  to  England  as  delegate 
to  the  First  International  Peace  Congress,  of  which  he  became  one  of 
the  vice-presidents.  In  1844  he  resided  mainly  in  North  Brookfield ; 
but  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  at  Oberlin  College  and  attended  peace 
conventions  in  various  parts  of  the  country. 

In  1848  his  anti-slavery  convictions  led  to  his  taking  an  active  part 
in  the  formation  of  the  Free  vSoil  Party.  He  was  a  member  of  the  con- 
vention which  placed  Van  Buren  in  nomination  for  the  presidency.  In 
the  fall  of  that  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives. He  took  his  seat  January,  1849,  and  became  the  Free 
Soil  and  Democratic  candidate  for  speaker.  In  the  summer  of  this  year 
he  attended  the  International  Peace  Congress  of  Paris,  becoming  one 
of  its  vice-presidents.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  elected  to 
the  State  vSenate.  Taking  his  seat  in  January,  1850,  he  brought  for- 
ward his  plan  for  a  sealed  ballot  law,  which  was  enacted  the  following 
year. 

In  1851  and  1852  he  was  elected  secretary  of  state  by  the  united 
Free  Soil  and  Democratic  vote.  In  the  latter  year  he  received  the 
degree  of  Master  of  Arts  from  Middlebury  College.  In  1853  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  convention  for  revising  the  Constitution  of 
Massachusetts,  and  became  chairman  of  the  committee  on  suffrage. 
From  1853  to  1859  he  was  one  of  the  examiners  in  political  economy  at 
Harvard  University.  In  1854  he  took  a  part  in  the  organization  of  the 
North  Brookfield  Savings  Bank,  and  became  its  first  president.  He 
was  this  year  appointed  lecturer  on  political  economy  in  Amherst 
College. 

This  year,  185'*',  was  one  of  great  import  to  the  life  of  Mr.  Walker. 
Early  in  that  year  he  began  the  publication,  in  Hunfs  McrcJiants' 
Magazine^  of  a  series  of  articles  on  political  economy.  The  series  had 
already  progressed  so  far  as  to  give  Mr.  Walker's  views  on  money, 
when  the  financial  panic  commenced.  Almost  by  chance  Mr.  Walker 
attended,  early  in  October,  a  large  meeting  of  the  merchants  of  Bos- 
ton, intended  to  fortify  the  banks  of  that  city  in  their  determination  to 
maintain  specie  payments.  At  this  meeting  Mr.  Walker  took  the 
ground  that  the  banks  could  not  possibly  maintain  specie  payments  for 


BIOGRAPHIES.  683 

more  than  two  weeks,  and  that  it  was  desirable  they  should  at  once  sus- 
pend, instead  of  causing  the  failure  of  the  best  merchants  of  the  city, 
as  they  must  inevitably  do  by  refusing  discounts  in  a  vain  attempt  to 
save  their  own  so-called  honor.  This  speech  created  a  great  sensation 
at  the  time,  and  gave  rise  to  a  heated  discussion  in  the  public  press ; 
but  the  suspension,  within  twelve  days,  of  every  bank  in  Boston,  after 
causing  the  failure  of  great  numbers  of  the  best  mercantile  houses, 
some  of  them  worth  millions  of  dollars,  gave  so  striking  a  comfirmation 
to  Mr.  Walker's  views  as  to  bring  him  into  great  prominence  as  an 
authority  on  finance.  This  episode  may  be  considered  the  turning 
point  in  his  intellectual  career.  From  this  time  till  the  day  of  his  death, 
the  subject  of  the  currency  absorbed  all  the  time  he  had  to  devote  to 
public  affairs.  His  attention  had  been  especially  called  to  the  defects 
of  the  American  system  of  paper  money  by  the  financial  convulsions  of 
1837-9 ;  and  his  exile  in  Florida  during  the  winter  of  1840-1,  whither 
he  carried  the  works  of  Adam  vSmith  and  Ricado,  gave  him  opportunity 
for  reflection,  of  which  the  results  appeared  in  a  pamphlet  on  the 
Nature  of  Money,  published  in  the  fall  of  185T.  Mr.  Walker  did  not, 
like  many  American  writers,  condemn  the  issue  of  bank  notes;  but  he 
recommended  such  restrictions  upon  issue  as  should  place  the  paper 
money  of  the  country  on  a  sound  basis. 

In  July  of  1859  Mr.  Walker  visited  Europe  again;  and  in  the  fall  of 
that  year  was  elected  to  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives, 
where  he  took  an  important  part  in  the  revision  of  the  laws  relating  to 
banking  and  the  issue  of  paper  money.  At  the  presidential  election  of 
1860  Mr.  Walker  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Electoral  College  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, casting  his  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  outbreak,  1859 
-60,  of  the  cattle  disease,  known  as  pleuro-pneumonia,  led  to  an  enact- 
ment by  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts,  at  a  special  session,  of  a  law 
for  its  extirpation ;  and  a  commission  was  appointed  for  this  purpose, 
of  which  Mr.  Walker  was  made  chairman.  The  commission  performed 
its  work  so  vigorously  and  thoroughly  as  to  secure  the  complete  extir- 
pation of  this  pest. 

Beginning  in  1859  Mr.  Walker  continued  for  several  years  to  deliver 
an  annual  course  of  lectures  in  Amherst  College.  In  the  fall  of  1863 
he  was  elected  a  representative  in  Congress  for  an  unexpired  term. 
During  the  session  of  1863-3  he  made  several  speeches  on  finance.  In 
1866  he  published  his  main  work  in  economics,  entitled  "  The  Science 
of  Wealth."    This  work  passed,  in  the  following  years,  through  not  less 


(584  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

than  eight  American  editions,  was  translated  into  Italian,  and  received 
commendation  from  the  economists  of  Atnerica  and  Europe.  The  moral 
enthusiasm,  confidence  in  the  right,  and  hope  for  the  future,  which  per- 
vaded the  book,  together  with  its  wealth  of  examples  drawn  from  Amer- 
ican life,  gave  it  a  peculiar  interest  to  writers  and  students  of  political 
economy  in  Europe.  In  1867  Mr.  Walker  received  the  degree  of  Doc- 
tor of  Laws  from  Amherst  College.  Until  his  death  he  continued  to 
write  extensively  in  magazines  and  in  the  daily  and  weekly  papers.  His 
leisure  gave  frequent  opportunities  for  travel ;  and  he  spent  not  a  little 
of  each  year  in  visits  to  Boston,  New  Haven  or  Washington,  or  in  trips 
to  Florida  or  California. 

Always  cheerful  and  sanguine,  in  spite  of  great  delicacy  of  health  and 
frequent  attacks  of  pain  and  sickness,  the  last  years  of  his  life  were  the 
happiest.  He  continued  his  physical  and  intellectual  activity  unim- 
paired to  the  very  instant  when,  on  the  29th  of  October,  1875,  without 
a  word  or  sigh,  he  ceased  to  breathe.  Had  the  end  been  foreseen  it 
would  have  been  most  welcome,  for  he  had  in  July  Ipst  his  wife,  his 
companion  for  more  than  forty  3^ears.  The  father,  Walter  Walker,  had 
in  like  manner  closely  followed  his  wife  to  the  grave. 

Mr.  Walker  was  in  figure  slender  and  erect ;  and  was  very  quick  and 
graceful  in  his  movements,  producing  the  effects  of  being  much  taller 
than  he  was.  His  features  were  regular  and  clear-cut,  and  his  whole 
appearance  at  once  engaging  and  commanding.  His  voice  was  of  un- 
usual richness  and  power;  and  in  public  speaking  he  had  a  singular 
faculty  of  closely  holding  the  attention  of  his  audience,  however  large 
or  however  unfriendly.  He  made  little  use  of  rhetorical  ornament ;  but 
spoke  with  a  fullness  of  knowledge,  clearness  of  expression  and  earnest- 
ness of  purpose  seldom  surpassed.  He  was  fond  of  company ;  and  his 
delight  was  in  the  communication  of  his  ideas  and  sentiments,  or  in 
learning  the  purposes,  feelings  and  wishings  of  the  young.  Wherever 
he  traveled  he  easily  and  quickly  made  acquaintance,  and  immediately 
seized  the  occasion  either  to  acquire  or  to  impart  information.  In  pri- 
vate charities,  and  in  contributions  to  enterprises  of  public  interest,  he 
was  liberal  and  even  lavish. 


BIOGRAPHIES.  685 

HEXRY  LEE. 


BY    HAMILTON   ANDREWS    HILL. 


Henry  Lee,  whose  portrait  we  present  herewith,  was  a  representa- 
tive merchant  and  man,  and  he  represented  a  notable  family.  In  a 
memorial  of  his  nephew,  John  Clarke  Lee  (one  of  the  founders  of  the 
house  of  Lee,  Higg-inson  &  Compan}'),  by  the  Rev.  E.  B.  Willson, 
from  which  we  shall  quote  more  than  once  in  this  sketch,  it  is  said : 
"The  Lees  of  this  line  appear  to  have  been,  from  the  first  American 
forefather  known  to  us  down  to  the  subject  of  this  notice,  a  people  with 
a  positive  flavor,  in  whom  was  a  strong  individuality  of  character;  not 
rounded  and  toned  to  a  conventional  and  commonplace  type,  yet  very 
genuine  withal,  and  without  affectation  of  eccentricity." 

Henry  Lee's  great-grandfather  was  an  upright  business  man  in  Bos- 
ton, a  much  respected  citizen  of  the  town,  and  an  honored  member  and 
office-bearer  in  one  of  the  churches  of  the  established  order,  for  fifty  or 
sixty  years  in  the  eighteenth  century.  His  obituary,  published  July 
21,  17GG,  was  as  follows:  "  Yesterday  morning  died  Mr.  Thomas  Lee, 
in  the  ninety-fourth  year  of  his  age,  who  in  the  early  and  active  part  of 
Life  carried  on  a  considerable  Trade  in  this  Town,  though  he  deserves  to 
be  recorded,  rather  for  the  unblemished  Integrity  of  his  Dealings,  and 
the  exact  Punctuality  of  his  Payments,  than  for  the  Extent  of  his  Trade, 
or  the  Length  of  his  Life." 

Thomas,  the  eldest  son  of  Thomas  Lee,  was  born  in  Boston,  was  edti- 
cated  at  Harvard  College,  and  settled  in  vSalem,  where  he  became  a 
prominent  merchant,  and  was  entrusted  with  various  important  duties 
in  the  town,  and  served  as  its  representative  in  the  General  Court.  He 
died  in  1747,  leaving  a  son  Joseph,  then  three  years  old,  who  was  de- 
prived by  the  circumstances  of  his  family  of  the  advantages  of  a  liberal 
education,  and  was  obliged  to  go  to  sea  at  the  age  of  thirteen.  This 
Joseph  Lee  in  due  time  succeeded  to  the  command  of  a  vessel,  and  then 
became  a  merchant  and  shipowner.  He  married  Elizabeth  Cabot,  who 
belonged  to  a  family  of  merchants.  George  Cabot,  who  afterward 
made  a  distinguished  name  as  a  public  man  and  a  senator  of  the  United 
States,  served  his  brother-in-law  through  all  grades  from  cabin-boy  up- 
ward, and  the  two  were  partners  for  many  years,  and  carried  on  a  large 
and  profitable  trade  with  the  West  Indies,  Spain  and  the  Baltic.  What 
the  biographer  of  George  Cabot  tells  us  of  his  early  experiences  at  sea, 


686  SUPFOLK  COUNTY 

illustrates  the  nature  of  the  training  which  made  great  merchants  and 
great  men  in  Massachusetts  a  hundred  years  ago:  "  Not  yet  seventeen 
years  old,  he  shipped  as  cabin-boy  in  a  vessel  commanded  by  his 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  Joseph  Lee.  vSuch  a  change  in  his  mode  of  life 
must  have  been  a  sharp  one  to  a  yoimg  collegian  of  studious  habits ; 
nor  was  his  lot  softened  by  relationship  with  his  captain ;  for  if  family 
tradition  maj^  be  trusted,  Mr.  Lee  gave  his  young  kinsman,  the  full 
benefit  of  severe  ship's  discipline." 

Mr.  Joseph  Lee  and  the  Messrs.  Cabot  moved  froin  Salem  to  Beverly, 
which  latter  port  was  a  busy  one  in  their  day ;  other  merchants  there 
at  the  same  time  were  Moses  Brown,  Israel  Thorndike,  and  John  and 
Thomas  Stephens.  Mr.  Lee,  better  known  as  Captain  Lee,  understood 
naval  construction  thoroughly;  his  inodels  were  a  great  improvement 
upon  anything  which  had  hitherto  been  in  use,  and  were  adopted  by 
many  of  the  merchants  and  mechanics  in  Boston,  as  well  as  on  the 
north  shore.  Commodore  Downes  used  to  say  that  in  the  War  of  1812 
the  "  Lee  model  "  was  the  favorite  model  in  the  navy. 

Henry  Lee,  sixth  son  and  ninth  child  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Cabot) 
Lee,  of  w^hom  we  are  now  to  speak  particularly,  was  born  in  Beverly, 
Februaty  4,  1782.  He  was  educated  at  Phillips  (Andover)  Academy, 
and  at  Billerica,  where  Dr.  Ebenezer  Pemberton,  who  had  been  princi- 
pal of  Phillips  from  1786  to  1795,  kept  school  for  some  years.  Two  of 
his  brothers  had  been  sent  to  Harvard  College,  and  his  father  offered 
to  send  him,  but  there  was  a  prejudice  in  those  days  against  a  college 
education  for  a  youth  who  had  a  business  career  before  him,  and  he 
decided  therefore  not  to  go.  He  entered  the  counting-room  of  Marston 
Watson,  Rowe's  Wharf,  Boston,  and,  early  in  the  present  century, 
w^ent  into  business  with  his  brother  Joseph,  first  having  an  office  at  No. 
9  Doane  street,  and  then  in  Phillips  Building,  Kilby  and  Water  streets. 
The  brothers  were  not  successful;  and,  in  1811,  Mr.  Henry  Lee  went  to 
Calcutta,  by  way  of  London,  in  the  brig  Reaper,  which  belonged  to 
him  or  his  father.  Whether  this  was  his  first  voyage  to  the  East  In- 
dies we  do  not  know.  He  remained  in  Calcutta  during  the  War  of 
1812,  and  came  into  very  friendly  relations  wnth  the  great  English 
houses  there,  which  were  continued  after  his  return  to  the  United 
States.  He  brought  home  with  him  not  only  a  large  acquaintanceship, 
but  a  fund  of  valuable  information ;  and  he  was  regarded  as  an  author- 
ity both  in  Calciitta  and  Boston  on  all  questions  affecting  the  trade  be- 
tween the  two  ports.      His  Calcutta  friends  reposed  such  trust  in  him 


BIOGRAPHIES.  687 

that,  before  the  Barings  furnished  American  merchants  with  letters  of 
credit,  all  the  younger  and  some  of  the  long  established  houses  de- 
pended on  a  letter  from  Mr.  Lee  to  substantiate  and  define  their  pecuni- 
ary responsibilit}^  and  thus  to  enable  them  to  sell  their  bills  to  the 
resident  merchants.  His  store  was  at  No.  39  India  Wharf,  and  he  was 
associated  with  Mr.  Ozias  Goodwin,  who  had  served  him  as  clerk  and 
supercargo,  and,  later,  w4th  Mr.  William  S.  Bullard,  who  had  been 
brought  up  by  him  in  the  business.  The  firm  was  well  known  and 
highly  respected  in  all  the  commercial  centers  in  the  United  vStates  and 
Europe,  and  the  goods  imported  by  it  from  Calcutta,  ^ladras  and  Bom- 
bay were  shipped  again  to  the  West  Indies,  South  America  and  various 
European  ports,  as  well  as  coastwise  to  New'  York,  Philadelphia  and  the 
Southern  cities.  ^Ir.  Lee  was  somewhat  sanguine,  however,  and  more 
than  once  met  with  temporary  reverses.  He  was  better  fitted  for  the 
legal  profession  than  for  active  business,  and  had  it  not  been  for  his 
unconquerable  shyness  of  manner  he  would  have  been  useful  and  emi- 
nent in  public  life.  He  was  an  able  statistician,  and  an  enthusiastic 
student  of  political  economy,  and  while  the  conclusions  to  which  he 
came  in  this  department  were  not  in  accord  with  the  prevailing  opin- 
ions in  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  he  was  recog-nized  in  England 
as  a  high  authority  by  statisticians  like  McCulloch,  economists  like 
Tooke  and  Newmarch,  and  Anti-Corn  Law  Leaguers  like  Villiers  and 
Thorneley. 

When  the  question  of  protection  began  to  be  an  issue  in  New  Eng- 
land, Mr.  Lee  ranged  himself  with  those  who  were  opposed  to  tariff 
duties  except  for  purposes  of  national  revenue.  In  1820  nearly  all  the 
leading  business  men  of  Boston  were  anti-protectionists,  and,  led  by 
Mr.  Webster,  they  vigorously  protested  against  any  advance  upon  the 
low  rates  of  duty  then  in  force.  But,  as  the  manufacturing  industries 
in  cotton  and  \vool  obtained  a  foothold  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and 
became  organized,  the  demand  for  protection  on  the  behalf  of  those 
who  had  invested  capital  in  them  divided  public  opinion  sharply,  and 
the  line  was  drawn  between  those  who  were  concerned  in  these  indus- 
tries and  the  merchants  who  represented  foreign  commerce.  During 
the  autumn  of  1826  three  conventions  were  held  in  Boston  b\-  the 
w^oolen  manufacturers  of  Massachusetts  and  adjacent  vStates.  A  pro- 
tective duty  on  woolen  goods  of  thirty-three  and  a  third  per  cent,  had 
been  laid  two  or  three  years  previously,  but  the  same  act  had  advanced 
the  protection  on  wool  from  fifteen  to  thirty  per  cent. ,  and  the  woolen 


688  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

manufacturers,  thus  handicapped,  were  now  calling  not  only  for  a 
higher  rate  of  duty  on  the  manufactured  article,  but  for  a  change  from 
ad  valoi'cm  to  specific  duties.  An  active  campaign  to  this  end  was 
prosecuted  throi;gh  the  newspapers,  and  by  circulars  scattered  broad- 
cast, under  the  direction  of  a  committee  of  correspondence  consisting 
of  Jonas  B.  Brown,  James  M.  Robbins,  Lewis  Tappan,  James  Wolcott, 
jr.,  and  Joshua  Clapp  As  the  discussions  became  intense,  the  motives 
of  those  who  were  opposed  to  further  protection  were  criticised,  and 
suspicion  was  thrown  even  upon  their  patriotism.  The  committee  of 
correspondence,  in  a  circular  published  in  November,  1826,  said:  "  It 
is  not  now  a  question  between  different  American  interests,  but  one 
between  Americans  and  Englishmen."  Matthew  Carey,  of  Phila- 
delphia, described  the  merchants  from  Maine  to  Savannah  as  a  solid 
phalanx,  united  "to  oppose  every  attempt  to  afford  relief  to  their 
fellow  citizens,  however  acute  their  distress,  however  intense  their 
sufferings."  Of  the  Essex  Junto,  of  which  the  Cabots  and  Lees  were 
prominent  members,  Mr.  Clay  said  on  the  floor  of  Congress  that  its 
predilection  for  foreign  trade  and  for  British  fabrics  was  unconquer- 
able. 

In  1827  a  meeting  was  held  in  Boston  of  citizens  "opposed  to  the 
further  increase  of  the  existing  burthensome  duties  on  imported 
articles,  and  especially  the  injurious  consequences  to  the  community  at 
large  of  further  duties  on  imported  woolen  goods."  An  influential 
committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Nathaniel  Goddard,  Lemuel 
Shaw,  Isaac  Winslow,  Thomas  W.  Ward,  Henry  Lee,  Samuel  Swett, 
Daniel  P.  Parker  and  others.  The  duty  of  preparing  a  report  was 
assigned  by  the  committee  to  Mr.  Lee,  and  the  result  of  his  labors  was 
a  pamphlet  of  nearly  two  hundred  pages  octavo,  in  which  the  whole 
question  of  the  tariff,  both  in  its  general  bearings,  and  in  connection 
with  the  particular  measures  then  under  consideration,  is  discussed  in 
a  masterly  way,  and  which  might  well  be  made  use  of  to-day  by  those 
who  wish  to  study  the  subject  from  all  sides.  The  views  of  Franklin, 
of  Hamilton  in  his  report  on  manufactures,  and  of  Webster  in  his 
speeches  of  1820  and  later,  are  quoted  and  applied,  and  the  action  of 
the  Harrisburg  Convention  of  the  year  before  is  examined  in  detail. 
The  report,  which  came  to  be  known  as  the  Boston  Report,  bears  date 
November  30,  1827,  and,  in  presenting  it,  the  committee  said:  "  Your 
committee  are  aware  of  the  peculiarly  difficult  position  in  which  this 
ciuestion  is  now  placed,  by  the  accidental  if  not  designed  connexion  of 


BIOGRAPHIES.  G89 

this  subject,  under  the  specious  name  of  the  American  system  [an 
imitation  of  the  old  Colonial  system],  with  certain  controverted  political 
questions,  between  which  and  that  system  your  committee  believe  there 
is  no  natural  or  necessary  relation." 

While  conceding-  the  power  of  Congress  to  impose  duties  for  revenue, 
the  effect  of  which  would  be  to  encourage  and  promote  manufactures, 
the  report  says:  "  It  is  the  abuse  of  this  power,  when  carried  to  such 
extremes  as  to  prohibit  imports  and  consec[uently  lessen  our  export 
trade,  destroy  revenue,  burden  one  part  of  the  nation  with  heavy  taxes 
for  the  benefit  of  another,  which  constitutes  the  wrong,  and  which,  we 
contend,  is  neither  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  or  letter  of  a  constitu- 
tion which  was  intended  to  guarantee  equal  laws,  ecpial  rights,  as  well 
as   ecpial   burdens,  to   all   who   live   under  it." 

We  quote  the  closing  paragraph  of  the  report : 

"  In  conclusion,  we  say,  the  system  we  are  opposing  is  not  patriotic, 
is  not  American.  Disguise  it  under  what  names  you  will,  it  is  still  a 
system  founded  on  error  and  injustice.  It  is  a  system  in  which  there 
are  principles  at  work  that  will  first  weaken,  and  finally  break,  those 
social,  moral,  and  political  ties  which  bind  this  Union  together.  We 
call  then  upon  the  farmer,  the  merchant,  the  mechanic,  the  navigator, 
the  laborer,  the  citizen  at  larg^e,  upon  every  one  who  feels  an  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  his  country,  and,  above  all,  upon  the  prudent,  just 
and  enlightened  manvifacturer,  to  join  us  in  resisting  it." 

The  memorial  to  Congress  which  accompanied  this  report  was  writ- 
ten by  Lemuel  vShaw.  The  Free  Trade  Advoeate,  edited  by  Condy 
Raguet,  in  Philadelphia,  gave  the  following  judgment  on  Mr.  Lee's 
pamphlet:  "Of  all  the  publications  which  have  appeared  in  this 
country,  in  favour  of  the  principles  of  free  trade,  and  in  opposition  to 
the  narrow,  selfish  and  anti-national  policy  nuiscalled  the  '  American 
system,' there  is  none  which  stands  so  conspicuous  as  the  'report  of 
a  committee  of  the  citizens  of  Boston  and  vicinity  opposed  to  a  further 
increase  of  duties  on  importations,'  first  published  on  the  oOth  of  No- 
vember, 1827,  prior  to  the  passage  of  the  last  tariff  law.  This  work 
occupies  a  volume  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  pages  of  closely  printed 
octavo,  and  has  passed  through  four  editions,  respectively  at  Boston, 
New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Charleston.  It  is  ascribed  to  the  pen  of 
a  practical  merchant,  one  of  the  members  of  the  committee,  and  when 
we  say  that  it  contains  more  substantial  information,  more  sound 
doctrine,    and   more    practical    illustration   connected    with    the  great 

87 


690  SUFFOLK  COUNTY 

truths  of  political  economy,  than  is  to  be  found  in  the  same  space  in  any 
book  in  the  English  language,  we  express  the  opinion,  we  believe,  of 
all  those  with  whom  we  have  conversed  on  the  subject,  whose  judgment 
in  such  matters  is  entitled  to  an}-  weight.  The  Boston  Report  is,  in 
fine,  in  our  humble  estimation,  the  most  triumphant  vindication  of  the 
principles  which  it  has  been  the  design  of  this  jcnirnal  to  inculcate,  and 
the  most  masterly  refutation  of  all  the  fallacies  of  the  restrictive  party, 
that  has  ever  appeared  in  print;  and  we  cannot  too  strongly  recom- 
mend it  to  the  perusal  of  all  who  are  desirous  of  thoroughly  under- 
standing the  true  interest  of  the  country.  For  our  own  part,  we  are 
free  to  confess  it,  and  we  do  it  without  any  design  to  flatter  the  respect- 
able gentleman  who  is  the  subject  of  these  remarks,  that  most  of  the 
limited  knowledge  which  we  possess  of  the  practical  operation  of  the 
restrictive  system  has  been  derived  from  the  Boston  Report,  and  that 
without  the  existence  of  that  work  as  a  pioneer  to  prepare  the  way,  our 
labours  as  an  humble  coadjutor  in  the  great  cause  of  agricultural  and 
commercial  freedom  would  not  have  been  as  light  as  they  have  thus  far 
proved  to  be. 

"In  our  paper  of  to-day  wc  publish  from  the  Report  in  question  a 
section  upon  the  causes  of  the  fall  in  the  prices  of  cotton  goods,  which 
we  flatter  ourselves  will  be  read  with  interest  and  profit,  not  only  by 
those  who  have  never  seen  it  before,  but  even  by  those  who  are  already 
familiar  with  the  contents  of  Mr.  Lee's  volume." 

The  Congressional  election  in  Boston  in  1830  turned  upon  the  issue 
between  free  trade  and  protection.  Captain  William  Sturgis  was 
selected  to  represent  the  former,  but  he  withdrew  at  the  last  moment, 
and  Mr.  Lee  accepted  the  candidacy  in  his  place.  Mr.  Nathan  Apple- 
ton  was  the  candidate  of  the  prcjtectionists,  and  he  was  elected  after  a 
close  contest.  On  taking  his  seat  in  Congress,  Mr.  Appleton  was 
assigned  by  the  speaker,  Mr.  Stevenson,  of  Virginia,  to  a  position  on 
the  Committee  on  Invalid  Pensions;  "this  appointment  could  be 
considered  in  no  other  light  than  a  spiteful  revenge  upon  the  city  of 
Boston  for  having  disappointed  the  administration  in  the  choice  of  the 
representative." 

A  Free  Trade  Convention  was  held  in  Philadelphia  in  1831,  and  Mr. 
Lee  took  a  leading  part  in  its  proceedings.  A  very  forcible  memorial 
for  presentation  to  Congress  was  drafted  by  Albert  Gallatin,  who  pre- 
sided over  its  deliberations  ;  at  the  request  of  the  permanent  comniittee 
Mr.    Lee  prepared  an  "Exposition   of   Evidence"  in  support  of  the 


BIOGRAPHIES.  691 

memorial,  and  this  was  printed  and  widely  circulated.  It  is  fnll  of 
statistical  matter,  carefully  compiled  and  clearly  presented,  and  it  is  a 
monument  to  the  ability,  the  painstaking  industry,  and  the  public  spirit 
of  the  author. 

In  1834,  when  General  Jackson  was  in  conflict  with  the  Bank  of  the 
United  States,  the  government  deposits  having  already  been  withdrawn, 
Mr.  Lee,  with  Mr.  Nathan  Appleton,  Mr.  Patrick  T.  Jackson,  and 
others,  went  to  Washington  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Boston,  to 
remonstrate  with  the  adn:iinistration,  and  to  do  what  could  be  done 
towards  a  renewal  of  the  charter  of  the  bank.  On  their  way  they  had 
an  interview  with  Mr.  Biddle,  the  president,  whose  policy  of  violently 
contracting  the  currency  they  disapproved  and  protested  against.  To 
relieve  the  pressure  in  the  inoney  market  and  the  general  distress 
which  followed  the  closing  of  the  bank,  a  meeting  was  held  in  Boston, 
January  18,  1836,  at  which  Thomas  B.  Wales  presided,  and  George 
William  Gordon  served  as  secretary.  The  meeting  was  called  specific- 
ally "to  consider  the  need  of  a  bank  with  a  capital  sufficient  to  do  the 
business  which  had  been  done  by  the  Branch  Bank  of  the  United 
States,"  and  it  was  resolved  to  ask  the  Legislature  "  to  incorporate  a 
bank  with  a  capital  of  not  exceeding  ten  millions  of  dollars,  one-half  to 
be  subscribed  and  paid  for  by  the  State  in  four  per  cent,  bonds."  The 
memorial  embodying  this  proposition  was  drawn  up  by  a  committee 
consisting  of  Henry  Lee,  Henry  Rice,  George  Bond,  Thomas  B.  Curtis, 
James  McGregor,  Ozias  Goodwin,  Horace  Gray,  and  others,  and  it  re- 
ceived the  signature  of  Perkins  and  Company  and  seventeen  hundred 
and  thirty-six  others.  It  said:  "The  increased  and  increasing  busi- 
ness of  the  whole  Commonwealth  requires  the  aid  of  foreign  capital, 
and  such  capital  cannot  be  obtained  without  the  credit  of  the  State. 
Such  an  institution  will  not  only  relieve  the  wants  of  the  community, 
but  will  give  a  new  impulse  to  all  the  concerns  of  agriculture,  manu- 
factures, commerce  and  the  fisheries."  Mr.  Lee  wrote  "an  exposition 
of  the  facts  and  arguments  in  support  of  the  memorial,"  which  w^as 
printed  with  the  legislative  documents  of  the  year.  Strong  ground  is 
taken  in  this  paper  against  the  usury  laws  then  on  the  statute  book  of 
the  Commonwealth ;  but  in  this  particular  Mr.  Lee  says  expressly  that 
he  does  not  represent  the  opinions  of  all  the  memorialists. 

At  the  urgent  request  of  his  son,  Mr.  Lee  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness in  1840,  and  henceforth  devoted  himself  to  the  more  congenial 
pursuits  of  reading  and  writing,  and  to  the  study  of  the  great  questions 


692  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

of  the  day.  He  was  succeeded,  in  the  same  store  on  India  Wharf,  by 
the  firm  of  Billiard,  Lee  and  Company,  which  consisted  of  Messrs. 
William  vS.  Bnllard,  Henry  Lee,  jr.,  and  Stephen  H.  Bullard.  After 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  spent  in  honorable  and  peaceful  re- 
tirement, and  in  the  exercise  of  a  genial  and  healthful  influence  upon 
all  who  knew  him,  he  died  on  the  Gth  of  February,  IHfif.  In  announc- 
ing the  event  of  his  death,  the  Boston  Daily  Advertiser  said: 

Mr.  Henry  Lee,  who  died  at  his  residence  in  this  cit}'  yesterday  morning  at  the 
venerable  age  of  eighty-five  years,  had  been  well  known  to  our  business  community 
almost  from  the  beginning  of  this  century,  and  was  highly  respected  for  his  attain- 
ments, his  public  spirit,  and  his  manj^  estimable  personal  qualities.  In  the  prime  of 
his  life  he  was  well  known  as  a  writer  on  financial  topics,  and  it  was  his  singular 
fortune  in  1882  to  receive  the  vote  of  South  Carolina  for  vice-president  of  the  United 
States  on  a  ticket  with  John  Floyd,  for  whom  she  voted  for  president.  In  the  latter 
part  of  his  life,  until  advanced  age  compelled  him  to  withdraw  his  mind  from  the  ex- 
citement of  politics,  we  believe  that  Mr.  Lee  was  a  strong  upholder  of  the  ideas  of 
Massachusetts.  His  death  removes  one  of  the  most  famiUar  names  from  the  hon- 
ored list  of  our  merchants  of  the  old  school. 

It  should  be  said  that  the  vote  given  to  Mr.  Lee  for  the  vice-presi- 
dency by  the  State  of.  South  Carolina  was  merely  an  expression  of  its 
gratitude  for  his  opposition  to  high  tarifi^  legislation,  and  not  because 
he  had  any  sympathy  with  its  attempt  at  nullification.  The  refer- 
ence of  the  Advertiser  to  his  being  a  strong  upholder  of  "  the  ideas  of 
Massachusetts,"  meant,  of  course,  that  he  gave  his  support  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party,  which  were  accepted  by  the  majority  of 
the  people  of  the  State  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  and  in  the  years 
that  followed. 

His  simplicit}',  his  cordiality,  his  eloquence  in  conversation  (for  noth- 
ing would  have  induced  him  to  speak  in  piiblic),  his  general  informa- 
tion, contributed  to  place  him  in  friendly  relations  with  the  whole 
community,  and  few  men  m  private  station  have  been  more  respected 
and  beloved. 

He  married,  June  1(1,  1809,  Mary,  youngest  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Jonathan  Jackson,  by  whom  he  had  six  children.  His  wife's  brothers, 
Judge  Charles  and  Doctor  James  Jackson,  were  eminent  in  their  pro- 
fessions, and  universall}^  respected  and  beloved ;  her  brother,  Mr. 
Patrick  Tracy  Jackson,  and  her  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Francis  Cabot 
Lowell, after  a  brief  career  as  East  India  merchants,  founded  at  Waltham 
the  first  successful  cotton  cloth  factory  in  Massachusetts,  but  never 
advocated  permanent  high  dtities,   as  did  the  Appletons,  Lawrences, 


BIOGRAPHIES.  693 

etc..  who  became  first  the  sellino-  ag-ents  for  and  then  stockholders  in 
the  factories. 

The  judicious  estimate  of  his  personal  character  and  worth,  g-iven  at 
his  funeral  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hedge,  will  help  to  make  our  sketch  more 
complete: 

Our  friend,  whose  mortal  remains  we  are  about  to  commit  to  their  final  rest,  has 
left  an  image  in  our  memory  which  all  who  knew  him  in  the  days  f)f  his  strength 
will  delight  to  cherish. 

I  feel  that  I  should  be  false  to  the  spirit  of  his  character,  and  do  violence,  especially 
to  that  modesty  and  simplicity,  which  seem  to  me  its  distinguishing  characteristics, 
were  I  to  expatiate  concerning  it  in  the  wa\'  of  eulogy. 

But  I  cannot,  in  justice  to  myself,  on  this  occasion,  refrain  from  giving  utterance 
to  my  own  deep  sense  of  his  nobleness  and  worth. 

These  who  in  years  gone  by  were  associated  with  him  in  the  way  of  business  will 
bear  witness  to  the  high  principles  and  lofty  integrity  which  gov^erned  his  conduct  in 
all  commercial  relations,  and  impelled  him  after  repeated  misfortunes  to  cancel  obli- 
gations which  the  law  could  no  longer  exact,  but  which  his  own  quick  sense  of  honor 
made  none  the  less  binding. 

I,  who  knew  him  only  in  the  latter  days  of  his  retirement,  can  speak  onh'  of  his 
qualities  as  they  exhibited  themselves  in  social  intercour.se.  I  esteemed  it  a  privilege 
to  converse  with  one  whose  pursuits  and  large  experience  of  men  and  life  had  fur- 
nished his  mind  with  such  ample  stores  of  thought  and  anecdote,  and  who  had  at  his 
command  such  varied  and  exact  information  on  topics  of  public  and  national  inter- 
est.    I  rarely  left  him  without  feeling  myself  enriched  by  his  conversation. 

But  what  mo.st  impressed  and  charmed  me  in  his  social  character,  as  I  recall  it, 
was  his  perfect  naturalness,  his  affluent  humor,  and  a  certain  gaiety  of  spirit,  found 
only,  as  I  believe,  in  connection  with  great  purity  and  innocence  of  heart  and  life. 
I  have  seen  him  at  the  age  of  nearly  four  score  engaged  in  sports  with  young  chil- 
dren as  if  himself  were  one  of  them,  with  entire  abandonment  of  all  false  ideas  of 
dignity  and  reserve.  He  seemed  to  me  to  retain  in  extreme  age  the  playfulness  and 
gentleness  of  a  little  child. 

I  recall,  moreover,  with  vivid  satisfaction  the  high  tone  and  generous  strain  of 
sentiments  expressed  by  him  on  the  great  political  question  of  the  time  in  which  I 
knew  him,  and  I  well  remember  the  encouragement  I  derived  from  the  patriotic  zeal 
and  prompt  decision  with  which,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  the  old  man  embraced 
the  side  of  liberty  and  union. 

His  earthly  existence  was  an  acceptable  offering,  and  when  the  sacrifice  was  done 
it  was  meet  that  the  flame  should  go  out.  The  incense  of  that  sacrifice  has  ascended 
to  heaven ;  to  us  remains  the  odor  of  a  useful  and  honorable  life. 

Mr.  Howells  has  preserved  for  all  time,  in  one  of  his  volumes,  the 
memorv  of  the  Calcutta  trade,  with  wdiose  great  development  and 
gradual  decline  Mr.  Henry  Lee's  active  life  was  contemporaneous.  The 
story  is  told  by  one  who  is  supposed  to  have  worked  his  wa}^  from  the 
forecastle  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  from  the  cabin  to  the  coimting-room : 


694  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

"The  place  [India  Wharf  J  was  sacred  to  the  shipping  of  the  grandest 
commerce  in  the  world.  There  they  lay,  those  beautiful  ships,  clean 
as  silver,  every  one  of  them,  manned  by  honest  Yankee  crews.  Not 
by  ruffians  from  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  There  were  gentlemen's 
sons  before  the  mast,  with  their  share  in  the  venture,  going  out  for  the 
excitement  of  the  thing,  boys  from  Harvard,  fellows  of  education  and 
spirit;  and  the  forecastle  was  filled  with  good  Toms  and  Jiins  and  Joes 
from  the  Cape,  chaps  whose  aunts  you  knew ;  good  stock  through  and 
through,  sound  to  the  core.  We  had  on  a  mixed  cargo,  and  we  might 
be  going  to  trade  with  eastern  ports  on  the  way  ovit.  Nobody  knew 
what  market  we  should  find  in  Calcutta.  It  was  pure  adventure,  and 
a  calculation  of  chances,  and  it  was  a  great  school  of  character.  It  was 
a  trade  that  made  men  as  well  as  fortunes ;  it  took  thought  and  fore- 
thought. The  owners  planned  their  ventures  like  generals  planning  a 
campaign.  They  were  not  going  to  see  us  again  for  a  year;  they  were 
not  going  to  hear  of  us  till  we  were  signalled  outside  on  our  return." 

It  has  been  well  said  by  a  friendly  critic  of  Mr.  Howells:  "This 
passage  deserves  a  place  in  the  best  history  of  Boston  that  shall  be 
written,  for  it  perfectly  pictures  one  of  the  great  periods  in  Boston's 
commercial  past,  a  period  when  the  magnificent  East  India  trade  of  the 
port  laid  the  foundation  for  much  of  its  present  wealth  and  greatness. 
How  strongly  the  difference  between  the  broadening,  cultivating  effect 
upon  those  engaged  in  a  trade  which  carried  the  mind  out  into  remote 
parts  of  the  world,  and  the  restrictive  effect  of  most  of  the  mercantile 
occupations  of  to-day,  is  brought  out.  To  be  in  the  East  India  trade 
was  almost  a  liberal  education  in  itself." 


JOSEPH  NICKERSON. 

Joseph  Nickerson  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  William  Nickerson  who 
came  from  the  County  of  Norfolk  in  England  in  April,  1037.  He  landed 
in  Boston,  but  soon  after  purchased  from  the  Indians  a  large  tract  of 
land  in  Yarmouth,  on  Cape  Cod,  and  settled  upon  it.  The  grandfather 
of  Joseph  settled  in  Brewster,  where  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was 
born  March  3,  1804.  He  died  in  the  same  town  February  28,  1880. 
He  was  the  son  of  David  and  Priscilla  (Snow)  Nickerson.  David  Nick- 
erson was  a  ship  master.      He  died  at  sea  at  a  comparatively  early  age, 


BTOGRAPHIES.  005 

leaving  five  sons,  David,  Joseph,  Jonathan  Snow,  Frederic,  and  Thomas. 
All,  except  Thonias,  went  to  sea  and  became  ship  masters.  Frederic 
and  Thomas  became  successful  merchants  and  ship  owners,  and  later 
in  life  became  largely  interested  in  railroads.  Frederic  was  a  director 
in  the  Union  Pacific,  and  Thomas  was  president  of  the  Atchison,  To- 
peka  and  Santa  Fe  and  Mexican  Central  Railroad  Companies. 

Joseph,  the  second  son,  was  about  twelve  years  old  when  his  father 
died.  He  at  once  started  as  a  cabin  boy,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
had  won  his  way  to  the  command  of  a  full  rigged  ship.  He  soon  be- 
came part  owner  of  his  ship  and  cargoes,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
retired  with  a  fortune.  He  settled  in  Boston,  and  at  some  time  in  the 
thirties  he  with  Captain  Osborn  Howes  traveled  in  the  West.  They 
foresaw  that  a  city  would  be  built  on  Lake  Michigan  near  where  Chi- 
cago now  is,  and  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  where  they  thought  it 
would  be  located.  The  city  came  as  they  predicted,  but  unfortunately 
did  not  cover  their  land. 

He  soon  after  engaged  in  business  in  Boston,  and  acquired  very  large 
interests  in  shipping.  He  also  became  a  inanufacturer,  and  owned 
mills  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton.  He  was  president  of  the  Arling- 
ton Mills  in  Lawrence,  owning  at  one  time  a  majority  of  the  stock.  As 
his  wealth  increased  hebecaine  interested  in  railroads.  He  aided  in  the 
construction  of  the  railroads  in  Iowa,  which  now  form  a  part  of  the 
Northwestern  .system.  He  had  a  larger  interest  than  any  other  man  in 
the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company,  and  it  was 
mainly  due  to  his  courage  and  resources  that  the  road  was  carried  safely 
through  a  period  of  financial  depression.  L^p  to  the  last  day  of  his  life 
his  business  operations  were  carried  on  with  full  vigor.  He  was  a  man 
of  strong  character  and  convictions,  self  reliant  and  sagacious.  He  was 
a  born  leader  of  men  in  large  undertakings,  and  there  were  few,  if  any, 
whose  judgment  inspired  wider  or  more  profound  confidence.  His 
sympathies  were  deep,  and  he  was  most  generous  in  aiding  his  friends 
in  financial  troubles.  He  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Emi- 
line  Winslow,  and  the  second,  who  survives  him,  was  Louise  Winslow, 
daughter  of  Abraham  Winslow,  of  Brewster.  He  left  by  his  second 
wife  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  elder,  Albert  Winslow,  suc- 
ceeded him  as  president  of  the  Arlington  Mills  and  as  director  of  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company.  Albert  Winslow 
died  in  1803,  and  the  younget  son,  George  Augustus,  a  graduate  of  Har- 
vard College  in  the  class  of  1876,  is  now  president  of  the  Arlington 


(m  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Mills,  and  a  director  in   the  x\tchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad 
Company. 


FREDERICK   LOTHROP  AMES. 

Freukrick  L(jthr()p  Amks,  one  of  the  country's  i^-reat  capitalists,  and 
widely  known  as  a  man  of  strong'  and  unsullied  character,  was  born  in 
Easton,  Mass.,  June  y,  1835.  He  was  the  son  of  Oliver  and  Sarah  Lo- 
throp  Ames,  his  mother  being  the  daughter  of  Hon.  Howard  Lothrop,  of 
Easton,  wlio  had  served  in  the  Massachusetts  vSenate,  and  in  other  of- 
ficial positions,  and  sister  of  Hon.  George  Van  Ness  Lothrop,  United 
States  minister  to  Russia,  during  Cleveland's  first  administration. 

At  Bruton,  in  the  shire  of  Somerset,  England,  was  the  ancestral  hcnne 
of  the  Ames  family,  and  thence,  some  fifteen  years  after  the  New  Eng- 
land fathers  set  foot  on  Plymouth  rock,  William,  the  first  one  whose 
name  appears  in  Massachusetts  annals,  removed  to  the  settlement  of 
Braintree. 

The  history  of  the  Ames  family  forms  an  interesting  cha])ter  in  the 
industrial  annals  of  New  England.  The  foundations  of  the  famih* 
fortunes  were  laid  about  ITT-'),  when  Capt.  John  Ames,  great-grand- 
father of  our  subject,  liegan  the  making  of  shovels  in  West  Bridge- 
water.  Captain  John's  son,  Oliver,  learned  his  trade  at  his  father's 
forge,  went  to  Easton,  and  in  1803  established  the  works,  and  firm, 
which  have  since  attained  world-wide  reputation,  under  the  name  of 
Oliver  Ames  &  Sons.  Of  Oliver's  sons,  the  best  known  were  Oakes, 
and  Oliver,  the  latter  being  the  father  of  Frederick  L.  Ames. 

The  first  Oliver  Ames,  who  gave  his  name  to  the  shovel  manufactory, 
never  became  practically  interested  in  railroad  affairs;  in  fact,  within 
the  period  of  his  active  career,  railroad  building  had  reached  limits  of 
comparatively  small  magnitude,  and  his  mind  and  abilities  were  fully 
occupied  with  the  enterprises  which  he  had  in  hand.  It  was  during 
the  gold  excitement  in  California,  and  a  few  years  after,  during  the 
similar  excitement  in  Australia,  that  Oliver  Ames  &  Sons  began  to  de- 
velop their  great  trade,  which  rapidly  grew  to  large  proportions.  Later, 
the  firm  supplied  immense  quantities  of  shovels  to  the  United  States 
government  during  the  civil  war,  and  afterwards,  through  the  sons, 
Oakes  and  Oliver,  became  interested  in  the  building  of  the  Union  Pa- 
cific Railroad,     The  full  tide  of  the  business  success  of  these  two  broth- 


BIOGRAPHIES.  GOT 

ers  fell  upon  the  exciting"  times  incident  to  the  first  great  railway  de- 
velopment in  this  country.  Large  minded  and  vigorous,  and  possess- 
ing- excellent  judgment  and  clear-sightedness,  they  foresaw  the  ad- 
vantages that  were  likely  to  result  to  the  country,  and  themselves,  from 
just  and  judicious  management  of  the  rising  interests,  and  accordinglv 
threw  themselves  into  railroad  development  with  all  the  ardor  and  abil- 
ity for  which  their  name  had  already  become  noted.  Without  them, 
and  others  like  them,  would  never,  in  their  day,  have  been  forged  the 
link  that  binds  east  and  west  in  bonds  that  shall  never  more  be  sev- 
ered. 

In  the  decade  between  1870  and  1880,  both  died, — Oakes,  the  elder, 
in  1873,  and  Oliver,  the  younger,  in  1877. 

Frederick  L.  Ames  received  his  early  edi\cation  at  Concord,  Mass. 
He  was  prepared  for  college  at  Phillips  Exeter  Academy,  and  was 
graduated  from  Harvard  University  in  1854.  In  recent  years,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  he  served  as  fellow  and  trustee  of  that  institu- 
tion. In  his  youth  he  had  a  strong  fancy  for  the  ,law,  but,  in  accord- 
ance with  his  father's  wishes,  he  went  into  business,  beginning  as  a 
clerk  in  the  office  of  Oliver  Ames  &  Sons  at  North  Easton,  and  secur- 
ing promotions  from  grade  to  grade,  according  to  the  rules  which  pre- 
vailed in  the  establishment.  After,  several  years'  labor  as  a  subordi- 
nate, he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  accountant's  department;  here  he 
exhibited  marked  business  ability,  and  solel}^  by  his  industry  and  apti- 
tude won  advancement.  He  was  in  his  twenty-eighth  year  when,  in  ]  S(;:i, 
by  the  deatli  of  his  grandfather,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm.  In 
187(i,  before  his  father's  death,  the  firm  was  reorganized  under  the  title 
of  Oliver  Ames  6c  vSons  Corporation,  Frederick  L.  Ames,  treasurer. 
Soon  after  he  succeeded  his  father  as  the  official,  and  actual  head,  of 
that  great  manufacturing  concern. 

But  it  was  not  exactly  in  the  path  that  his  father  had  marked  out  f(jr 
him  that  he  became  most  famous.  When  his  father  died  he  was  already 
a  rich  man,  by  reason  of  the  great  success  that  had  attended  his  indi- 
vidual enterprises  in  the  business  world.  He  had  invested  as  liber- 
ally as  he  could  afford  in  western  railroads,  and  while  he  was  still 
comparatively  a  young  man,  he  was  a  director  in  the  Union  Pacific, 
the  Chicago  and  Northwestern,  the  Missouri  Pacific,  and  Texas  Pacific 
roads,  and  had  gradually  diverted  his  interests  from  manufacturing  to 
railroads. 


698  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

While  he  retained  his  interest  in  the  North  Easton  factory  of  his  an- 
cestors, being  treasurer  of  the  corporation  at  the  time  of  his  death,  it 
was  in  the  larger  field  of  railroad  enterprises  that  he  distinguished  him- 
self, and  has  left  a  name  conspicuous  among  the  foremost  men  of  the 
railroad  world.  Being  a  judge  of  the  value,  quality,  resources  and  pos- 
sibilities of  railway  property,  he  was  considered  an  adviser  almost  un- 
equaled  in  such  matters.  Universally  conceded  to  have  been  one  of 
the  best  informed  men  in  railroad  business  in  the  country,  he  was  vice- 
president  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  Company,  a  director  in  the  Old 
Colony  vSteamboat  Company,  and  held  directorships  in  about  half  a  hun- 
dred other  railroad  companies,  including  the  following:  Atchison,  Col- 
orado &  Pacific ;  Atchison,  Jewell  Company  &  Western ;  Boulder  Valley 
&  Central  City  Wagon  Road  ;  Carbon  Cut-Off  Company ;  Central  Branch 
Union  Pacific ;  Chicago  &  Northwestern ;  Colorado  Western ;  Denver, 
Leadville  &  Gvinnison;  Denver,  Union  &  Terminal ;  Echo  &  Park  City; 
Fall  River,  Warren  &  Providence;  Fitchburg;  Fort  Worth  &  Denver 
City ;  Gray's  Peak ;  Snake  River  &  Leadville ;  Golden  Boulder  &  Cari- 
bou; Junction  City  &  Fort  Kearney;  Kansas  Central;  Kansas  City  & 
Omaha;  Laramie,  North  Park  &  Pacific  Railroad  &  Telegraph  Com- 
pany; Lawrence  &  Emporia ;  Leavenworth;  Topeka  &  Southwestern ; 
Loveland  Pass  Mining  &  Railroad  Tunnel ;  Manhattan,  Alma  &  Bur- 
lington; Montana;  Montana  Union;  North  Park  &  Grand  River  Val- 
ley Railroad  &  Telegraph  Compan}';  Omaha  &  Elkhorn  Valley;  Ore- 
gon Railway  &  Navigation  Company;  Oregon  Railway  &  Extension 
Company;  Oregon  Short  Line  &  Utah  Northern;  Providence,  Warren 
&  Bristol;  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Isle;  Salina  &  South  Weston;  vSolo- 
mon ;  Union  Pacific;  Union  Pacific,  Lincoln  &  Colorado;  Union  Pa- 
cific, Denver  &  Gulf;  Washington  &  Idaho;  Walla  Walla  &  Colorado 
River. 

Besides  his  official  connections  with  railroads,  Mr.  Ames's  remark- 
able business  energies  found  employment  in  other  fields.  He  was 
president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  North  Easton,  president  of  the 
North  Easton  Savings  Bank,  and  of  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  Dock  and  Ele- 
vator Company,  and  a  director  in  the  New  England  Trust  Company, 
the  Old  Colony  Trust  Company,  the  Bay  State  Trust  Company,  the 
American  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  the  Mercantile  Trust  Company  of 
New  York,  General  Electric  Company,  Western  Union  Telegraph  Com- 
pany, and  others. 


Biographies.  69§ 

In  the  business  world  Mr.  Ames  was  not  regarded  as  a  speculator, 
his  operations  being  always  undertaken  from  practical  standpoints. 
His  judgment  was  clear,  cool  and  sound,  unmoved  by  mere  hope,  en- 
thusiasm or  excitement  of  any  kind,  leading  him  straight  to  the  mark. 
He  was  neither  elated  b}-  success,  nor  depressed  by  failure,  but  kept 
an  even  temper  amid  the  distractions  of  a  most  active  business  life. 
Associated  in  the  closest  relations  with  some  of  the  most  noted  busi- 
ness characters  in  the  country,  his  shrewdness  and  sound  judgment  en- 
abled him  to  work  with  them  as  their  equal  in  enterprise  and  ability  to 
manage,  when  legitimate  operations  were  in  question,  while  his  probity, 
and  strict  integrity,  rendered  him  proof  against  any  doubtful  enterprises 
or  compromising  combinations.  He  had  all  the  Ames  method  in  busi- 
ness operations,  neglecting  no  details  which  ought  to  occupy  his  atten- 
tion, untiring  and  methodical  in  business  habits,  energetic  to  the  last 
degree,  forgetting  nothing,  and  forsaking  nothing,  on  the  ground  of 
lack  of  necessity  for  personal  action. 

Thus  far  we  have  considered  Mr.  Ames  only  as  an  able  and  eminent 
business  man,  but  he  was  much  more  than  that.  His  was  a  strong  and 
cultivated  intellect,  a  self-poised,  self-respecting,  vigorous  character. 
He  was  a  refined  gentleman,  who  was  at  once  courteous  and  dignified, 
a  man  conversant  with,  and  interested  in.  all  the  great  ciuestions  of  the 
day,  with  decided  literary  and  intellectual  tastes,  a  lover  of  the  beauti- 
ful in  nature  and  in  art.  Not  only  in  business  matters,  but  upon  the 
many  other  subjects  to  which  he  turned  his  attention,  his  judgment 
was  remarkablv  clear  and  sound,  always  commanding  attention  and  re- 
spect. 

For  years  past  he  had  been  warmly  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  Harvard 
University.  Through  his  liberality  the  Arnold  Arboretum  and  the  Bo- 
tanical Department  of  the  university,  in  which  he  was  especially  inter- 
ested, have  been  able  to  greatly  extend  their  usefulness. 

In  early  life  his  profound  love  of  nature,  which  he  enjoyed  to  the 
last,  turned  him  to  horticulture,  in  which  he  became  deeply  engaged. 
Mr.  Ames  was  one  of  the  most  liberal  patrons  of  horticulture  America 
has  produced,  and  his  collection  of  orchids  was  a  great  source  of  pride 
to  every  one  interested  in  the  progress  of  the  art  in  which  he  found  his 
principal  pleasure.  This  great  collection,  begun  many  years  ago,  has 
gradually  grown  and  improved  until  it  surpasses  all  other  collections  of 
these  plants  in  America,  and  in  number,  variety  and  condition  has  not 
a  superior.      Mr.   Ames's  love  of  nature  was  real  and  profound,   and 


700  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

his  exact  and  comprehensive  knowledg-e  of  the  plants  in  which  he  was 
particularly  interested,  has  given  him  an  international  reputation 
among"  orchidologists,  and  many  rare  orchids  have  been  named  for  him. 
His  ambition  and  success  in  establishing"  this  noted  collection,  sur- 
rounded in  his  glasshouses  in  North  Easton  by  much  of  rare  horticult- 
ural beauty,  and  in  great  variety,  has  resulted  in  having  the  fame 
for  this  work  credited  not  alone  to  Mr.  Ames  and  his  own  State,  but 
also  to  our  nation.  Honor  to  the  man  whose  work  brings  honor  to  his 
country. 

For  nearly  thirty  years  Mr.  Ames  was  an  active  member  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Horticultural  Society ;  he  had  long  been  one  of  its  vice-presi- 
dents, and  as  a  member  of  the  finance  committee  rendered  it  valuable 
service. 

His  country  home  in  North  Easton  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  and 
beautiful  estates  in  New  England.  His  large  greenhouses  have  been 
a  public  l^enefit  and  delight,  as  they  have  been  freely  opened,  not  only 
to  the  residents  of  North  Easton,  who  took  great  pride  in  them,  but 
also  to  visitors  from  far  and  near. 

His  interest  in  rural  arts  and  in  rural  economy  was  deep  and  active, 
and  he  was  for  many  years  a  trustee  of  the  Massachusetts  Societv  for 
Promoting"  Agriculture. 

Mr.  Ames  was  intensely  a  New  Englander,  and  had  an  abiding  faith 
in  the  future  of  Boston,  where  his  wealth  had  been  invested  to  a  de- 
gree that  made  him  the  city's  largest  owner  of  real  estate.  Here,  also, 
it  was,  that  as  a  client  of  Richardson,  he  exercised  a  marked  influence 
for  improvement  upon  the  business  architecture  of  the  city,  such  as 
probably  no  other  individual  has  yet  exerted.  In  the  great  tower-like 
Ames  building",  at  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Court  streets,  de- 
signed by  Richardson's  successors,  Mr.  Ames  leaves  a  substantial  monu- 
ment, in  the  form  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  and  original  examples 
of  the  gigantic  office  structures,  that  characterize  our  leading  American 
cities. 

But  loyalty  to  his  native  town  and  village  was  one  of  his  marked 
characteristics,  and  it  was  manifest  in  the  beautiful  architectural  addi- 
tions he  made  to  the  place.  With  his  mother  and  sister  he  largely  in- 
creased the  bequest  left  by  his  father  to  build,  equip  and  endow  a  pub- 
lic library,  and,  employing  Richardson  as  architect,  he  erected  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  library  buildings  in  the  country.  His  gate-lodge, 
at  the  north  entrance  of  his  grounds,   built  of  moss  covered  stones  of 


BIOGRAPHIES.  701 

irregailar  shape,  is  exceeding-ly  unique  and  interesting.  This  and  the 
beautiful  railroad  station  which  Mr.  Ames  erected  at  his  own  expense 
for  the  adornment  of  the  village,  are  also  worthy  memorials  of  Rich- 
ardson's genius. 

Mr.  Ames  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  fine  arts,  and  showed  unusual 
discrimination  in  the  selection  of  his  purchases.  In  his  winter  home 
in  Boston,  he  had  a  superb  collection  of  paintings,  tapestries,  jades 
and  crystals,  among  the  latter,  the  largest  known.  He  owned  some 
of  the  finest  examples  of  Millet,  Rosseau,  Troyon,  Dias,  Daubigny  and 
Corot,  and  man_v  other  important  paintings,  notably  two  very  fine  por- 
traits by  Rembrandt,  dated  1G32,  of  undoubted  genuineness,  and  great 
value. 

In  politics  Mr.  Ames  was  originally  a  Whig,  but  later  became  a  Re- 
publican. He  never,  however,  cherished  political  aspirations,  and  his 
tastes  disinclined  him  to  seek  positions  that  would  bring  him  into  pub- 
lic notice.  ]\Iuch  against  his  will  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  in 
18T2.  The  nomination  had  been  made  in  his  absence,  and  without  his 
knowledge.  He  served  during  his  term  on  the  committee  on  manufact- 
ures, and  agriculture.  In  religious  life  he  was  a  devoted  Unitarian, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  church  at  North  Easton, 
and  of  the  First  Unitarian  Church  of  Boston,  and  he  was  one  of  the 
most  generous  givers  to  denominational  objects. 

He  was  a  liberal  contributor  to  charitable  enterprises,  and  person- 
ally devoted  much  time  and  money  to  worth}^  objects.  He  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Home  for  Incurables,  and  a  trustee  of  the  Children's  Hos- 
pital, of  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  and  of  the  McLean  In- 
sane Asylum.  He  was  also  deeply  concerned  in  the  work  of  the  Kin- 
dergarten for  the  Blind. 

On  the  Tth  of  June,  1860,  Mr.  Ames  was  married  to  Rebecca  Caro- 
line, only  child  of  James  Blair,  of  wSt,  Louis,  Mo.  vSix  children  were 
born  to  them,  of  whom  five  are  now  living:  Helen  Angier,  the  wife  of 
Robert  C.  Hooper,  of  Boston ;  Oliver,  who  married  Elise  A.  West,  of 
Boston ;  Mary  Shreve  ;  Lothrop ;  and  John  vStanley. 

Mr.  Ames  possessed  the  happy  faculty  of  leaving  his  business  cares 
behind  him  when  he  crossed  the  threshold  of  his  home.  It  was  there 
that  he  found  his  truest  delight.  There,  with  his  wife  and  children, 
surrounded  by  the  works  of  art  he  so  well  appreciated,  deeply  interested 
in  the  best  books,  he  passed  his  happiest  hours,  and  gained  the  rest 


-ros  SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

that  enabled  him  to  undergo  the  severe  and  ceaseless  tension  of  his 
business  affairs. 

Mr.  Ames's  death  occurred  September  13,  1893,  in  the  height  of  his 
great  business  activities,  and  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  financial  inter- 
ests of  Boston,  and  of  all  New  England.  The  press  of  New  England, 
and  of  the  entire  country,  paid  common  tribute  to  his  distinguished 
abilities,  eminent  services,  and  unblemished  character.  Of  honored 
lineage  and  sterling  personal  character,  as  a  great  man  of  business  he 
will  be  best,  and  very  properl}^  remembered.  Here  he  takes  rank 
with  the  foremost  of  his  generation  in  this  country,  and  it  should  be 
held  to  his  lasting  honor,  that  he  won  this  proud  place,  without  com- 
promising the  characteristic  integrity  of  the  Massachusetts  gentle- 
man. 


INDEX. 


Abbolt,  Edward  A.,  27(;. 

Edwin  H.,  358. 

Jeremiah,  297. 

John  C,  329. 

Timothy,  303. 
Aborn,  Samuel  O.,  353. 
Abrams,  Benjamin,  288. 
Adams,  Abel,  122,  263,  275. 

Alvin,  357. 

A.  J.,  323. 

Aquila,  333. 

Charles  B.,  356. 

Charles  B.  P.,  345,  355. 

Charles  Francis,  343. 

Chester,  231,  247,  248,  411,  412. 

Edward,  411. 

Edward  D.,  367. 

Edward  H.,  268,  269. 

Edwin  P.,  273. 

George  E.,  322. 

George  S.,  273,  322. 

HenrVS.,  478.  483. 

Isaac'  288,  333. 

I.  W.,  371. 

Jacob,  288. 

James,  273,  325,  412. 

James,  jr.,  272. 

James  E.,  426. 

lohn,  46,  53,  239, 

John  Oumcy,  498. 

JohnR.,  275,284. 

Joseph  H.,  150,  256. 

Luther,  367. 

Nathaniel,  359. 

l^aul,  420. 

Phineas,  241. 

Rufus,  321. 

Samuel,   60,   61,    71,   91,    179,   237, 
333. 

Seth,  333. 

Thomas,  334. 

Wilham,  237,  325. 

William  H.,240,  321. 
Albree,  John,  296. 


Alden,  George  A.,  349. 

George  E.,  425. 
Aldrich,  S.  N.,  239,  240,  395. 
Alexander,  Charles  N.,  434. 

Ebenezer,  423. 

Emery,  288. 

James,  159. 
Alford,  O.  H.,  344. 
Alger,  Horatio,  477. 
Allen,  Benjamin  L.,  325. 

Calvin,  426. 

Charles  H.,  364,  430,  431. 

C.  J.  P.,  333. 

Prederick,  428. 

Prederick  D.,  347. 

Ira,  426. 

James,  39. 

Joseph,  Rev.,  183,  242. 

Solomon,  237. 

William  H.,  240. 
Allerton,  Isaac,  119. 
Allison,  James,  276. 

American  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  440. 
American  Steamship  Company,  158,  161. 
Ames,  Pisher,  84,  85.  96. 

Frank  M.,  370. 

Frederick    L.,  437,    439,  440,   441, 
696-702. 

Nathaniel,  237. 

Oakes,  317. 

OakesA.,  370. 

Oliver,  362,  370,  420,  440. 
Amesbury,  Matthias,  288,  290. 
Amorv,  Arthur,  235. 

'Charles  W.,  402. 

Frederic,  240. 

James  S.,  402,  407. 

Jonathan,  57,  246. 

Jonathan,  jr.  230,  235,  399. 

Thomas  C,  115,  233,234. 
Ammidon  &  Bovle,  102, 

Philip,  119. 
Andrews,  A.  M.,  422. 

Ebenezer  T.,  237,  241. 


'04 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY 


Andrews,  E.  T.,  247. 

Frank  W. ,  3oB. 

Henry,  420. 

Justin,  266. 

T.  W.,  282. 

William  T.  142,  156,  256,  257,  4(18. 
Anderson,  JohnF. ,  278. 
Andros,  Sir  Edmund,  24,  36,  170. 
Anthony,  D.  M.,  367. 
Appleton,  Benjamin  B.,  256. 

Ebenezer,  237,  241. 

George  C,  423. 

Nathan,  250,  261,  277,  316. 

Nathaniel,  94,  131,  235,  241. 

Nathaniel  W.,  246. 

Samuel,  102,  242,  260,  261. 

Thomas,  368. 

William,    131,    140,    156,    246,  256, 
407. 

William  C. ,  426. 
Apthorp,  John  I.,  234. 
Armstrong,  George  W.,  283. 

S.  f.,  247,  248. 
Arnold,  Barachiah,  37. 

Louis,  410. 

S.  S.,  276. 

Wihiam,  273. 
Ashcroft,  Edward  H.,  329. 
Ashley,  O.  D.,   329. 
Aspinwall,  Col.  Thomas,  136. 
Atherton,  Samuel,  245,  340,  438. 

William,  352. 
Atkins,  Benjamin,  266,  275. 

E^benezer,  419. 

Ehsha,  329,  370. 
Atkinson,  Edward,  358,  441. 

George,  239. 

Theodore,  26. 
Atlantic  National  Bank,  275-277. 
Atlas  National  Bank,  292. 
Atwood,  E.  H.,  363. 
Austin,  Arthur  William,  491. 

Benjamin,  235,  237. 

Benjamin,  jr.,  83. 

David,  322. 

Edward,  153. 

James,  124. 

James  T.,  288,  289. 

Samuel,  153. 

S.,  jr.,  121. 

S.  Harris,  359. 

Wilham  R.,  413. 
Avery,  Abraham,  423. 

John,  138,  423. 
Babcock,  Abraham,  256. 

Adam,  233.  234. 

Charles  A.,  359. 

John  B. ,  355. 


Babcock,  Samuel,  237. 

Backup,  John,  426,  427. 

Bacon,  Daniel  C,  153,  235,  284,  416,  417. 

Eben,  267. 

Jacob,  288. 

Joseph  v.,  284,  285. 

Robert,  288. 

William  B.,  150,  327. 
Bagnall,  Thomas,  426. 
Bailey,  Dudley  P. ,  375. 

Edwin  Curtis,  470,  483. 

Herbert  B.,  311. 

James  W.,  311. 

John  P.,  278. 

Joseph  O.,  323. 

Joseph T.,  309,  310,  311,  322,428. 
Baker,  Daniel  C,  314. 

David  C,  329. 

EzraH.,  150,  247,  248. 

Francis,  288. 

Henry  F.,  276. 

Ruel,  307. 

Seth,  288. 
Balch,  Joseph,  258. 
Ball,  Joshua  D.,  429. 
Ballard,  Lewis,  266. 

William  T. ,  235. 
Ballister,  Joseph,  122,  268. 
Baldwin,  Aaron,  266,  267,  297. 

Charles  A.,  371. 

Enoch,  296,  297. 

Henry,  431. 

James  W\,  317,  322,  323. 

Judson,  427. 

Life,   339. 

Thomas,  Rev. ,  399. 

William  H.,  423. 
Ballou,  Hosea,  266. 
Balston,  Jonathan,  37. 
Bancroft,  George,  140. 
Bangs,  Benjaniin,  237,  314,  420. 

Edward,  281. 
Bank  of  Credit,  217. 

North  America,  218. 
Banking  Institutions,  217. 
Barbour,  Frank  H.,  305. 
Baring  Bros.  &  Co.,  99,  114,  145. 
Barker,  Edward  T.,  485. 

Hiram,  339. 

James,  237. 
Barnard  &  Trull,  288,  289. 

George  M.,  262. 
Barnes,  Curtis,  237. 

F.  E. ,  355. 

Jotham,  237. 
Barren,  Joseph,  82,  87. 
Barrett,  Charles,  241,  242. 

Joseph,  227. 


INDEX. 


'05 


Barrv,  Charles  C,  357,  420. 

'  Roj^al  P.,  357. 
Bartlett,  Enoch,  341,  242,  25!),  409. 

George,  411. 

Henrv,  426. 

John,' 409. 

Levi,  130,  263,  281. 

L.  P.,  jr.,  315. 

Nelson,  413,  414. 

Nelson  S. ,  263,  373. 

Stephen,  339,  330. 
Barton,  Edward  H.,425. 
Bason,  William,  237. 
Bass,  George,  388. 
Bassett,  Henry  J.,  241. 

Joseph,  jr.,  388. 

William,  305,  343. 

William,  jr.,  346. 
Batchelder,  Jonathan,  375. 

T.,  340. 

T.  &  E.,  340. 
Bates,  Benjamin  E.,  317,  318,  357,  383, 
389,  395. 

Edward  C,  314,  317,333. 

George,  337. 

Isaac  Chapman,  148. 

Jacob  P.,  347. 

John  A.,  388. 

John  D.,  384. 

Joshua,  114. 

Martin,  388. 
Batt,  Charles  R.,  361. 
Baury,  John,  340. 
Baxter,  Daniel,  337,  266. 

Joseph,  237. 

Sidney  R. ,  371. 
Bay  State  Trust  Company,  439. 
Bayley,  Benjamm  P.,  435. 
Beach,  Clementine,  S37. 
Beal,  Alexander,  337. 

Henry  R.,  438. 

James  H.,  385,  389,  394. 

Leander,  420. 

Thomas  P.,  285,  393,395. 

W.  L. ,  348. 
Beals,  William,  420. 
Bean,  A.  H.,  287. 
Beckford  &  Bates,  114. 
Beebe,  Cyrus  B.,  438. 

James  M.,  148,  149,   150,  314,   321, 
326,  327,  402. 
Belcher,  Sarson,  83. 

Andrew,  37. 
Belknap,  Andrew  E.,  144. 

Jeremy,  Rev.,  70,  71. 
Bellingham,  Richard,  26. 
Bellows,  John,  246,  347,  899, 
Benedict,  William  G.,  347,  431. 
89 


Bennett,  Jonas,  333,  323,  357. 

Josiah  O.,  391. 

Stephen  H.,  322. 
Benyon,  Abner  I.,  391. 
Bernard,  Bartholomew,  36. 

Sir  Francis,  55,  65. 
Bigelow,  A.  S.,  364. 

A.  O.,  334,  357. 

John,  355. 

•John  P.,  314. 

Samuel,  434. 

Timothy,  330,  341. 
Billings,  C.  O.,  364,  395. 

Samuel,  237. 
Bingham,  Elisha,  258. 
Binnev,  Amos,  237,  256,  368,  288,  290. 

Amos,  jr.,  388. 

John,  268,  269,  370,  275,  285,  389. 
Bird,  James,  jr.,  373. 
Bishop,  Charles  J.,  364. 
Bixby,  Clark  S.,  488. 
Blackburn,  George,  348. 
Blackmar,  W.  W. ,  336. 
Blackstone  National  Bank,  324-326. 
Blackwell,  John,  170. 
Blake,  Edward,  24. 

Edward,  jr.,  243,  343. 

George,  338,  337. 

George  Baty,  139,  150,  537-532. 

George  P.,  326. 

J.  G. ,  373,  439. 

Joshua,  134,  258. 

Josiah  W.,  416. 
Blanchard,  Andrew,  jr.,  368,  373. 

Denman,  283. 

Joseph  P.,  388. 

S.  S.,  387. 

W.  S.,  395. 
Blaney,  Charles  P.,  383. 

William  O.,  371. 
Blasdale,  Henry,  348. 
Blodgett,  John  W.,331. 

Luther,  307,  309,  311. 

Samuel,  jr.,  331. 
Blood,  H.  A.,  659-661. 
Board  of  Trade,  148. 
Boardman  &  Pope,  114. 

William,  259. 

William  H.,  417. 
Bockus,  Charles,  150. 
Bollan,  William,  187. 
BoUes,  Richard  P.,  867. 
Bolster,  Solomon  A. ,  410. 
Bond,  E.  P.,  436. 

George,  124,  134,  139,  140,  249. 

George  William,  417. 

Nathan,  85. 
Bonner,  John,  36. 


706 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Boott,  Kirk,  99,  114,  261. 

John  W.,249. 
Bordman,  William  H.,  150. 
Borland,  John,  293. 
Boston  Athenaeum,  2G1. 

Chamber  of  Commerce,  148. 

Clearing-house,  375. 

Commercial  Exchange,  148. 

Corn  Exchange,  148. 

Five  Cent  Savings  Bank,  420-421. 

Importmg  Company,  119. 

and  Liverpool   Packet    Company, 
119,  120. 

National  Bank,  336-337. 

Penny  Savings  Bank,  428. 

Produce  Exchange,  148. 

Safe  Deposit  and  Trust  Company, 
486. 

Postal  Service,  443-504. 
Bourne,  Ezra  A.,  237,  239,  246. 
Boutineau,  Stephen,  39. 
Bouve,  Thomas  T.,  235. 
Bowditch,  Ingersoll,  153. 

J.  I.,  235. 

William  I.,  429. 
Bowdoin,  Pierre,  224. 

James,  39,  221,  224,  225,  407,  452. 
Bowen,  Pennel,  81. 
Bovvker,  Albert,  419. 
Bowman,  Abner,  288,  290. 

Sylvester,  314. 
Boyd,  William  M.,  237. 
Boydell,  John,  456,  457,  480. 
Boyden,  Merrill  N.,  327. 
Boylston  National  Bank,  306-314. 
Boynton,  Eleazer,  326. 
Brackett,  J.  Q.  A.,  428. 

Jeffrey  R.,  331. 

Lemuel,  266. 

Nathaniel,  322. 

W.  Henry,  267, 

WiUiamH.,410. 
Bradford,  Alden,  241. 

Gamaliel,  262. 

John,  114. 

Samuel  T.,  278,  281. 

William  B.,  268. 
Bradlee,  David,  235,  242. 

David  W.,  242. 

F.  H.,  235. 

J.  Bowdoin,  150. 

John,  242. 

John  T.,  245. 

Joseph  P.,  242,293. 

Josiah,  115,  128,  235,  242. 

Nathaniel  J.,  356. 

Samuel,  242,  266. 

Samuels.,  242. 

Thomas,  242. 


Bradlee,  Thomas  D.,  293. 

Thomas  G. ,  288. 
Bradstreet,  Charles  W.,  153. 
Bramhall  &  Howe,  153. 

William,  150,  304. 
Brattle,  Thomas,  32. 
Brazer,  John,  236,  237. 
Breck,  C.  H.,  367. 

Samuel,  ^21. 
Breed,  E.  &  J.,114. 

Francis  W.,  332. 
Brevort,  Henry,  419. 
Brewer,  Eben,  249. 

Ebenezer,  249,  250,  252. 

Gardner,  295,  304. 

Isaac  C,  254. 

John,  249. 

John  L.,  240. 

Joseph  N. ,  426. 
Brewster,  Jacob  W.,  237. 

John,  677. 

Osmvn,  348,  423. 

Swee't  &  Co.,  489. 
Bridge,  E.  T.,  489. 

Mathew,  237. 

William,  237. 
Briggs,  Edwm,  345. 

Horatio  Otis,  833,  345,  34(). 

Lloyd,  346. 

Oliver  L. ,  372. 
Brigham,  Edward  D.,  250. 

Joseph  B..  322. 

Stephen,  246. 

William,  428. 
Brighton  Five  Cent  Savings  Bank,  424- 

425. 
Brimmer,  Andrew,  57,  230. 

Martin,  140,  143. 
Brinley,  George,  256. 
Brintnall,  Benjamin,  411. 
Broadhead,  Daniel  D.,  284. 
Broadway  National  Bank,  333-334. 
Brock,  George  E.,  424. 

William,  457. 
Brodhead,  D.  P.,  290. 
Bromfield,  John,  101,  261. 
Brooker,  William,  455,  456,  479. 
Brooks,  Edward,  277,  402. 

Edward  C,  285. 

George  H.,  424. 

Henry,  264. 

Henry  C,  432. 

John,'259. 

Jonathan,  273,  288. 

Luke,  296,  297. 

Noah,  303. 

Peter  C,  280,  233,  234,  264,  277,  322, 
407. 

William  G.,  259. 


INDEX. 


707 


Brown,  Atherton  T.,  310,  410. 

Benjamin  D.,  288. 

Benjamin  F. ,  357. 

Charles,  143,  281,  408. 

Charles  H.,  293,  41«. 

Edward  I.,  2G7. 

Edward  J.,  315. 

Edward  W.,  327. 

Fred  K. ,  272. 

George  W.,  419. 

James  Wentworth,  432. 

John,  284. 

John  I  ,  266. 

Jonathan,  290. 

Joseph,  jr.,  329. 

Joseph  A. ,  423. 

Joseph  H.,  270. 

J.  Vincent,  288. 

J.  B.,269. 

Newell,  288. 

Samuel,  82,87,  92,  230,  231. 

Samuel  N.,  370,  423. 

Thomas,  305. 

T.  Ouincv,  276. 

Vernon,  149,  150. 

William,  309,  310. 
Browne,  Edward  I.,  402,  408. 

Thomas,  jr.,  412. 
Bruce,  Alexander  B.,  434. 
Bryant,  Charles  W.,  350,  351. 

Gilbert,  134. 

Gridlev,  228. 

John,  iOl,  131,  241,  277,  286. 

Josiah,  237. 
Buckingham,  Joseph  Tinker,  322. 
Bugbee,  Edward,  266. 
Bulfinch,  Charles,  82,  87. 
Bullard,  William  S.,  150,  152. 
Bullens,  George  S.,  349,  395. 
Bumstead,  Ephraim,  96. 

John,  241. 

John  J.,  242. 

N.  Willis,  276. 
Bunker  Hill  National  Bank,  271-275. 
Burbank,  Edward  B.,  270. 
Burgess,  WiUiam  C,  432. 
Burham,  L.  G.,  303. 
Burke,  Edmund,  62,  65. 
Burkhardt,  Gottlieb  F.,  426. 
Burlen,  Lorenzo  W. ,  262. 
Burlingame,  Anson,  420. 
Burns,  George,  138. 

MarkF.,  338. 
Burr,  Isaac  T.,  440. 
Burrell,  John,  217. 
Burroughs,  George,  231. 
Burt,  William  Lathrop,  477,  483. 
Bush,  W.  M.,  303. 


Busse3^  Benjamin,  230,  237. 
Butler,  Edward  K.,  370. 
Butterfield,  A.  B.,  330. 
Bj^am,  E.  G.,  360. 

Cabot,  Francis,  114,  235. 

George,  91,  107,  221,  228,  230. 

Henry,  237,  286. 

Samuel,  235. 

Samuel,  jr.,  241,242. 
Caldwell,  William,  489. 
Calef,  Capt.  Robert,  52. 
Calhoun,  William  B. ,  288. 
Call,  John  M.,355. 

Jonathan,  239. 
Callender,  R.  B.,  289. 
Campbell,  B.  F.,295. 

Duncan,  37,  452,  479. 

John,  452,  553,  555. 
Candage,  Rufus  G.  F.,  431. 
Candler,  J.  W.,  330. 
Cannell,  J.  F.,  420. 
Capen,  Nahum,  470,  483. 

Samuel B.,  330. 
Carlton,  Moses,  237. 

Samuel  A.,  361,395,  420. 
Carney,  James  G. ,  343. 

Michael,  432. 

&  Sleeper,  290. 
Carpenter,  George  O. ,  332. 

Harvey,  432. 
Carr,  George  E.,297,  359. 

John,  352,  395,  426,  427. 

Samuel,  297,  438. 

Samuel,  jr. ,  297,  359. 
Carruth,  F.  S.,  350,  351,352. 
Carter,  Joseph,  411. 

Thomas,  267. 
Cartwright,  Charles  W.,  150,  256,  257. 
Carver,  Governor,  19. 
Cary,  Isaac  H.,  355. 

Thomas  C,  156. 

Thomas  G.,  286. 

Thomas  Nathaniel,  36. 
Case,  James  B.,  344. 
Caton,  AsaH.,  428. 
Central  National  Bank,  364-365. 
Chadbourn,  Seth,  288. 
Chadwick,  Christopher  C. ,  256. 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  130. 
Chamberlain,  A.  L.,325. 
Chamberlin,  C.  C,  323. 

Charles,  W.,262. 

R.  H.,  371. 
Champney,  James  H.,  267. 

O.  W. ,  267. 
Chandler,  Henry  H.,  414. 

&  Howard,  388,  289. 


:o8 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Channing,  Rev.  William  E.,  399. 
Chapm,  Chester  W.,  158,  343. 

Henrv  B.,267. 

Nahum,  27B,  413,  414. 

Nathaniel  G. ,  235. 
Charlestown    Five  Cent  Savings    Bank, 

421-422. 
Chase,  George  B.,  262. 

Herbert  A.,  Dr.,  434. 

William  E.,  441. 

William  L.,  358. 
Chauncev,  Rev.  Dr.,  70. 
Cheever,  James,  295,  296,  297. 
Cheney,  B.  P.,  jr.,  291. 
Cheverus,  Bishop  John  de,  399. 
Chickering,  Horatio,  345. 
Child,  David  W.,  237,  399. 

Francis,  367. 

Sir  Joseph,  28. 

Stephen,  267. 
Chilson,  Gardner,  325. 
Chipman,  George  W.,  325,  326,  420. 
Choate,  Charles  F.,  437. 
Chubbuck,  Isaac  Y.,  427. 
Church,  Edward  A.,  310,  311. 

Frederick  L.,  234. 
Churchill,  Peleg,  416. 
Clatlin,  Henry,  276. 

Lee,  340,  341. 

William,    329,  340,  341,    342,    420, 
439. 
Clapp,  Alexander  H.,  488. 

Channing,  402. 

Charles  M.,  294.  431. 

George  B.,303. 
Clark,  Albert,  309. 

Blanchard,  289. 

Bradley  M.,  338. 

Edmund  P.,  302. 

Eliot  C,  441. 

Lester  M.,  322. 

Scotto,  288. 

William  R..  353. 
Clarke,  B.  C,  284. 

John,  32. 

John  J.,  355. 

John  Pitman,  237,  239. 

Julius  L.,434. 

Richard  &  Sons,  60. 

Timothy,  37. 

William,  26. 
Cleveland,  Charles,  237. 
Clough,  Ebenezer,  268. 

Micajah  P.,  305. 
Cobb,  David,  229,  230. 

Henry  E.,  372. 

Matthew,  289. 

Richard,  256. 


Cobb,  Samuel,  329. 

Samuel  Crocker,  349.  533-541. 
Coburn,  Frank  J.,  310. 

George  M.,  305. 

George  W.,  310. 

Nathan  P. ,  366. 
Cochran,  Samuel  B.,  321. 
Cochrane,  William,  246. 
Codman,  C.  R.,  114,  246. 

John,  94,  97,  237,  233. 

Stephen,  230. 

William  C.,331. 
Coe,  Henry  F.,  339,420. 
Coffin,  E.  A.,  440. 

Hector,  121. 

John  Henry,  432. 

Joshua,  337. 

Peleg,  233,  234. 

William,  247. 

William,  jr.,  261,  262. 
Colburn,  James  S.,  241,  242, 

George  D. ,  298. 
Cole,  Benjamin,  297. 

Charles,  264. 

Charles,  jr.,  303. 

Charles  H.,  264. 
Coleman,  C.  A.,  262. 
Collamore,  John,  355. 
Collier,  A.  T. ,  362. 
Collins,  David,  424. 

John,  Rev.,  30. 

Patrick  A. ,  439. 
Colman,  S.  P.,  257,  383. 
Columbian  National  Bank,  205. 
Colton,  John,  259. 

Commercial  National  Bank,  371-372. 
Commonwealth  National  Bank,  260-263. 
Conant,  James  H.,  337. 

R.  B.,  331. 

W.  H.,  369. 
Coney,  Daniel,  237. 
Continental  National  Bank,  353-354. 
Converse,  Costello  C,  347. 

Edward  W.,  357. 

ElishaS.,  315,  430. 

James  C,  148. 

J.  W.,  303. 

R.  B..  360. 
Cook,  William  F.,  434. 
Cooke,  A.  N.,  383. 

Elisha,  jr.,  317. 

Joseph  P.,  366,  267. 
Coolidge,  Amos,  339. 

Cornelius,  115,  342. 

John,  jr.,  399. 

John  T.,  261. 

Jonas,  289. 

Joseph,  97,  339,  235. 


INDEX. 


709 


Coolidge,  T   Jefferson,  278,  4B7,  439,  441. 

T.  Jefferson,  jr. ,  BIS. 
Copeland,  B.  F.,  282. 
Cooper,  A.   K.  P.,  336. 
Cordis.  Thomas,  114,  241,  256,  276. 
Corey,  Aaron,  289. 
Corse,  Gen.  John  Murray,  478,  485. 
Cotting,  Charles  U.,  240,' 402.  437.  439. 
Cotton,  Sir  Robert,  450. 
Covell,  Robert  C.,259. 
Coveney,  Jeremiah  W.,  479,  486. 
Cowdin,  John,  348. 
Cowing,  Walter  H.,  409.  410. 
Craft,  Edward,  293,  399. 

John  S.,  237. 
Crafts,  Eben,  295,  409. 
Craig,  Edwin  P. ,  489. 
Crane,  Jonas,  282. 
Larra,  289. 
PhineasM.,  419. 
WilHam  H.,  289. 
Crawford,  Jay  B.,  434. 
Creswelh  John  A.  J.,  475,  476,  484. 
Crisp,  Richard,  32. 
Crocker,  William  A.,  327. 
Crockett,  George  W..  130,  276.  319,  320, 

321,  416,  420. 
Crosbie,  Robert,  419. 
Crosbv,  Frankhn,  428. 

'Stephen  M.,  423^438. 
Crowell,  Henrv  (x. ,  367. 
Nathan ,'359,  428. 
Crowninshield,  Francis  B.,  402. 
Crowley,  John  C. ,  429. 
Crump,'  Charles  H.,  428. 
Cumings,  Charles  B.,  423. 
Cummings,  Amos,  307,  310,  311. 
Charles,  310. 
John,  304.  395,  595. 
Cumston,  James  S.,  36T. 

William,  359. 
Cunard,   Sir  Samuel,   123,   135,   13s,    14(  , 

141,  142,  153. 
Cunniff,  Michael  M.,303,  429. 
Cunningham,  Andrew,  122,  153. 
James,  419. 
N.  F.,  277. 
Peter,  73. 
Currier,  B.  W.,  370. 

Charles  E.,  327. 
J.  M.,329. 
Curtin,  John,  429. 
Curtis,  Caleb,  143,  247. 
Caleb  A.,  267. 
Charles  F.,  423. 
Daniel  S. ,  235. 
George,  335,  426. 
George  A.,  329. 


Curtis,  George  S.,  427. 

HoratioC.,234,  235. 

James  O.,  337,338. 

Joseph,  409. 

Joseph  H.,  323. 

Louis,  235,  402. 

Nathaniel,  258.  259. 

&  Steyenson, 128. 

Thomas  B.,  143,  235. 

WimamO.,427. 
Cushing,  James,  286. 

John  P.,  98,239. 

Thomas,  237,  241. 
Cushman,  George,  262. 

Rufus,  419. 
Cutler,  Pliny,  246,  256,  275,  276,  281,  416, 
417. 

William  J.,  351,352. 
Ciitter,  Charles  S.,  348. 

Eben  F. ,  273. 

Henry,  325. 

Thomas  M.,  273. 
Cutts,  Dominicus,  237. 
Richard,  237. 

Daggett,  Henry  L.,  329. 
Dale,  W.  J.,  48'5. 
Dalton,  James,  247,  248. 

Peter  Roe,  227,  261,  293,  402. 
Dame,  Warren  S.,  423. 
Damon,  George  L.,431. 
Damrell,  Charles  L. ,  428. 
Dana,  James.  337,  412,  424. 

James  G. ,  237. 

Joshua  C,  372. 

Nathaniel,  305,  416. 

Richard  Henry,  143. 

Samuel.  138,  143. 

Samuel  B.,  232,  237. 
Dane,  Benjamin,  242. 

Francis,  314,  356. 

Joseph  F.,  345. 
Dan  forth,  Isaac,  269,  270. 
Daniels,  Charles  E.,  413. 

Nathaniel  Ayery,  498. 
Daniell,  Ellery  Channing,  327,  328. 

Otis,  33'6,  350,  351,352. 
Darracutt,  George,  140,  269. 
Dascomb,  Thomas  R.,  303. 
^    Davenport,  Albert  H.,  368,  420. 

O.  H.,423. 

S.  N.,424. 
Dayis,  Aaron,  246. 

Adolphus,  329. 

Amasa,  78. 

Benjamin,  32. 

Caleb,  93,  227. 

Charles,  246,  266,  409. 


710 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Davis,  Charles,  jr.,  295. 

F.  C,  282. 

Fredericks.,  357. 

George  G. ,  842. 

George  H.,  859,  8()T,  428. 

Isaac,  94. 

Isaac  P.,  184,  148,  144,  284. 

James  G.,  429. 

John,  280,  261,  328. 

John  Brazer,  281. 

John  C,  315. 

J.  Amory,  254,  255,  895. 

Jonathan,  246. 

Joseph,  370. 

Nathaniel,  255. 

Stephen  G.,305. 

Thomas  K.,  416,  417. 
Dawes,  Thomas,  78,  92,  94. 
Daws.  Thomas,  399. 
Day,  John  F. ,  487. 

Moses  H.,409. 

Robert  L.,  231. 

W.  F.,  410. 
Dean,  Benjamin,  425. 

Henry,  828. 
Deane,  Thomas,  32. 
Dearborn,  A.  A.  S.,  409. 

Axel,  333. 

Henry,  236,  237. 
Deblois,  Gilbert,  68,  73. 

William,  73. 
De  Costa,  William  H.,  491. 
Decrow,  Israel  E.,  871. 
Degrand,  P.  P.  F.,  268,  314. 
Delano,  William  H.,  290. 
Demeritt,  John,  881. 
Demmon,  Reuben  E.,  829,  830,  895. 
Denny,  Daniel,  281,  286,  882,  894. 

George,  285. 
Derby,  Capt.  Charles,  100. 

Ehas  Hasket,   139,   14(1,    148,    149, 
267. 

George  S.,  432. 

John,  82,  85,  87,  88. 
Dering,  Henry,  82. 
Dermond,  Thomas  D.,419. 
Devens,  Arthur  L. ,  256. 

Daniel,  272. 

David,  271,  411. 

Richard,  278,  293. 

Thomas  M.,  247,  24S. 
Dewey,  Daniel,  321. 

Francis  H.,  848. 

Orville,  Rev.,  300. 
De  Wolfe,  Charles,  237. 
Dexter,  Franklin,  261. 

George,  232. 

Samuel,  237,  246. 


Dexter,  Theodore,  268. 

William  S.,  402,408. 
Dickson,  James  A.,  293. 
Dillaway,  C.  O.  L.,  303. 

Samuel,  94. 

W.  E.  L.,803. 
Ditson,  Oliver,  853. 
Dodd,  Benjamin,  275,  276. 

James.  226. 

John,  275. 

John  A.,  276. 
Doe,  Freeman  J.,  815. 
Doggett,  Samuel,  409. 
Dohertv,  C. ,  829. 

Michael,  429. 
Dole,  Frank  B.,  371. 
Doll,  William,  266. 
Domett,  C.  C,  282. 
Donahoe,  Patrick,  429. 
Dorr,  Elisabeth,  237. 

Isaac,  409. 

John,  119,  399,  402. 

Jonathan,  246,  247,409. 

Toseph,  834. 

Joseph  H.,  247. 

Nathaniel,  409. 
Downer,  F.  W.,  333. 

Samuel,  246. 

Roswell  C. ,  338. 
Drake,  Albert,  262. 

Andrew,  301. 

HenrvA.,  425. 

Jeremy,  801,302. 
Draper,  Charles  H.,  352. 

Lorenzo,  275,  276. 

Wallace  S.,  320. 
Dresser,  Jacob  A.,  428. 
Drew,  E.  C. ,  353. 
Drinker,  William  R.,  81S. 
Driscoll,  C.  F.,  430. 
Drown,  James  T.,  276. 
Dubois,  Gilman  B.,  342. 
Dudley,  Joseph  W. ,  426. 
Duhig,  Daniel  T.,  489. 
Dulund,  Henry  T.,  269. 
Dunbar  &  Brother,  821. 

WilHam  H.,  314,  315. 
Duncklee,  J.  S.,  424. 
Dunmack,  John  L.,  304,  314. 
Dunn,  E.  H.,  298. 

William  A.,  480. 
Dunton,  John,  450. 
Dupee,  Cvrus,  276. 

William  R.,  256,  257,  420. 
Durant,  WilHam  C,  327. 
Dutton,  B.  F.,283. 

Warren,  260,  261. 
Dwight,  Edmund,  260,  261. 


INDEX. 


711 


Dwiffht,  Jonathan,  jr.,  261. 

AV.&I.,261. 

Dver,  Benjamin  F.,3o.). 

■        Samuel  B.,  289. 

Eatrer,  George  H.,  42;^. 

^     William,  277,  29:1 
Earle,  Jolm,  jr.,;«l. 
East  Boston  Savmgs  Bank,  419-420. 
Easton,  William  A.,  8<ib. 
Eaton,  Ezra,  268. 
George,  428. 
Tames  H.,:^6S. 
&McClellan,«l. 
Newton  &C()..  ;521. 
Thomas,  2?)7. 
W.,  333. 
W.  S.,  321. 
Eddv,  John  J.,  315,  362. 

'   JohnL.,  329. 
Edes,  Henrv  H.,  492. 

Robert,  292,  293. 
Edmands,  I^aac  P.,413. 

Isaac  P.  T.,  273,  370. 
T.  Wilev,  286,  289. 
Thomas  R.  B.,  413,  414. 
Edmunds,  Edward,  420. 

John,  326. 
Edwards,  George  D.,  2.3. 
Henry,  417. 
Jacob,  344. 
Elder,  Randall  J.,  419.^ 
Eldredge,  Edward,  2  i  . ,  ■-.»•'. 
Eldridge,  John  37 

Oliver,  270,  27o. 
Eliot,  Andrew,  37  114.  .ok   i-.- 

Five  Cents  Savmgs  Bank,  426-4,  , 
National  Bank,  331-333. 
Rev.  John,  70,  71. 
S.  A.,  261. 
Samuel,  57,  97,  230. 
William  H.,  260,  261,  2..). 
Ellis,  Charles,  329. 
C.  M.,329. 
George  AV.,  425. 
John  T.,  410. 
Jonathan,  307,  356. 
Elms,  James  C,  297,  298 
Emerson,  D.  R..  3,)3,  42a. 
Elijah  C,  296. 

Emerv.  D.  S.,  371. 

'George C,  429. 

Hiram,  425,  428. 

Isaac,  307. 

William  H.,  423. 
Emmons,  Nathaniel  H.,  122,  232,  402. 

Samuel,  94,  224. 
Endicott,  George  Munroe,  22o. 


Endicott,  Henry,  248. 

Henry  B. ,  358. 

Tohn,  22.  ,^^    ,,. 

William,  jr.,  247,  248,  417,43.. 

Ernst,  C.  \V.,443 
Estabrook,  C.  W.,  395. 

William,  329. 
Evans,  AlonzoH..  368,  420. 

Charles  S.,2«9,  291. 

Robert  D.,  225. 

WilmotR.,  36S,  420. 
Eveleth,  Joseph,  247. 
Evered,  John,  26. 
Everett.  Edward,  355. 

Moses,  289. 

National  Bank,  359-360. 

Otis,  114,  249,281.  ^ 

Percival  L.,  356,  357. 
Eustis,  A.  S. ,  369. 
Eyre,  Simon,  37. 

Fairbairn,  Robert  B.,  334. 
Fairbanks  &  Burbeck,  114. 

Charles  F.,  285,413,414. 

Richard,  21,  446,  447,  479. 

Stephen,  129, 130,  263,  264. 
Fales,  Samuel,  231,  246,  247,  270. 

Fallon,  John  H.,  429. 

Joseph  D.,  429,  430. 

Faneuil,  Andrew,  39. 

Benjamin,  jr.,  60. 

Hall, 45.  ^     ^..  ..o. 

Hall  National  Bank,  .^22-rf^+. 
Peter,  45. 
Farley,  Robert,  281,  284. 
Farnsworth,  Amos,  269. 
Ezra,  343. 
Jacob, 125. 
Farquhar,  David  W..  431. 
Farrar,  A.  W.,  329. 
Farrell,  John  W.,  294. 
Faulkner,  Luther,  256,  293. 
William  A.,  283. 
William  L.,  282. 
Faunce,  Calvin  B.,  334. 
Fav,  Franklin  L.,  345. 
^      Luke,  277,  289,  323. 
Richard  S.,  611. 
William  C,  307. 
Winsor,  266,  267. 
Fayerwether,  John,  32. 

Thomas,  37. 
Faxon,  Nathaniel,  284. 
Fearing,  Albert,  156,  304. 
Fellows,  Captain,  73. 

Nathaniel,  91,  229,  231. 
Felton,  FredL.,  355. 
John,  314. 


12 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY 


Fennessy,  A.  L. ,  282. 
Fenno,  Edward  N. ,  235. 

Isaac,  350,851,  352,  43S. 

John,  289. 

John  W.,  147. 

William,  321. 
Fernald,  George  A.,  431. 
Fessenden,  A.  L..  365,  431. 
Field,  Charles  W.,  347. 

Converse  &  Co.,  341. 

John,  340,341. 
Fifield,  Giles,  37. 
Financial  History,  164. 
First  National  Bank,  350-353. 

Ward  National  Bank,  363-364. 
Fisher,  AbnerE.,  307. 

Francis,  276. 

George  A.,  423. 

Jabez,  282,  283. 

Oliver,  266. 
Fiske,  Benjamin  M..  339.  424. 

George  W. ,  323. 

John  J.,  259,  289,  411,  412. 

Joseph  N.,  590. 

Nathan,  489. 
Fitch,  Jonas,  353, 

Thomas,  39. 
Fittore,  Rev,  James,  429. 
Fittvplace,  William,  419. 
Fitz^  Eustace  C. ,  325,  326,  420. 

Thomas  B. ,  430. 
Fitzgerald,  John  E.,  430. 
Fitzpatrick,  Rt.  Rev.  John  B.,429. 
Flagg,  Dennis  F.,  432. 

Sumner,  321. 
Fletcher,  J.  V. ,  323. 

Richard,  292. 
FHnt,  Francis,  330. 

Simeon,  411. 

Waldo,  259,  382,  395. 
Floyd,  Edward  E.,  298. 
Fogertv,  Isley  M.,488. 
Follett,'  Dexter,  323. 
Folsom,  Alonzo  W.,  410. 
Foote,  George  L.,  337,  338. 
Forbes,  Henrv  D.,  346. 

John  M:,  98,  153,  327. 

Robert  Bennet,  98,   116,   11 :,   ll.s, 
149. 
Ford,  George  B.,  371. 

William  C. ,  419. 

William  E.,  434. 
Forrest,  Edwin,  321. 
Forristall,  Ezra,  314. 
Forsvth,  James  Bennett,  335. 
Fosdick,  David,  411. 

William,  367. 
Foster,  Archibald,  285. 


Foster,  Francis  A.,  362. 

George,  314, 

John,  315. 

John  H.,293. 

Joseph  L.,  294. 

Phineas,  214,  293. 

Williams  &  Co.,  73. 

William  H.,  317. 
Fourth  National  Bank,  :'.()!»  370, 
Fowle,  Seth  W.,  321. 
Fox,  Philip,  120. 
Fove,  John,  32. 

William,  452. 
Frame,  James,  419. 
Francis,  Ebenezer,  235,  249,  250,  2S6. 

Edward,  286. 
Franklin  Bank,  205. 

Benjamin,  458. 

John,  457,  458,  480. 

Thomas,  450. 
Freeland,  James  H.,  431. 
Freeman,  William,  275. 

National  Bank,  299-303. 
French,  Benjamin,  314. 

Benjamin  B.,  259,  266,  267. 

John,  261. 

Jonathan,  409,  410. 

Jonathan,  jr.,  289. 

William,  275. 

Wilham  A.,  224,  225. 
Fretch,  W.  S.,  jr.,  442. 
Frost,  Henrv,  431. 

John,  32. 

Rufus  S.,269,  270,  420. 
Frothingham,  Amos  T.,  247,  248. 

Ebenezer,  jr.,  245. 

E.  L.,282. 

Henrv  K.,  226,  412,  413. 

James  K.,  297,411. 

Peter,  314. 

Richard,  412. 

Samuel,  228,  239. 

Thomas  G.,413. 
Fuller,  G.  A.,  339,424. 

Granville,  339. 

H.  W.,432. 

Henry  H.,  247. 

Stephen  P. ,  334. 

Furber,  James  T.,  225. 

(iaffield,  Thomas,  275,  423. 
Gage,  Charles  O.,  273. 

Hittinger  &  Co.,  130,  143. 
Gallatin,  Albert,  238. 
Gardner,  George  A. ,  278,  402. 

George  P.,  441. 

Harrison,  362. 

John,  78,  262,304. 


^ 


INDEX. 


713 


Gardner,  John  L.,  153.  224. 
Samuel  J.,  295,  405. 
Samuel  P.,  119,  283. 
Gassett,  Henry,  &  Co.,  114. 

Hienrv  jr.,  102. 
Gavin,  M.  F.,  430. 
George,  G.  C,  427. 

John,  39. 
Geogins,  Mark,  419. 
Gerrish,  John,  39. 
Gerry,  Elbridge,  85,  239. 
Geyer,  Frederick  William,  57,  229. 
Gibbons,  Edward,  22. 
Gibbs,  Nathan  B. ,  247,  248. 
Gilbert,  Benjamin  J.,  267. 

Timothv,  307,  309. 
Giles,  AlonzoM.,  432. 
Gill,  C,  333. 

Moses,  230,  231. 

William,  241. 
Gillam,  Benjamin,  37. 
Gilmore,  Blake  &  Ward,  321. 
Globe  National  Bank,  263-266. 
Glove,  Joseph  B. ,  256. 
Glover,  Henry  R.,  432. 
Goddard,  Benjamin,  67,  153,243. 

Ebenezer,  243. 

John  H.,  355. 

Jonathan,  267. 

Joseph,  243. 

Nathaniel,    93,   124,   153,  243,  245, 
259,  321. 

Samuel,  281. 

R.,321. 

WiUiam,  122,  243,  258,  259,  293,  416. 
Goldthwait,  Joel,  431. 

John,  428. 
Goodenough,  John,  289. 
Goodnow,  Nathan  B.,  372. 
Goodridge,  Samuel,  303. 
Goodspeed,  Joseph  H.,  428. 
Goodwin,  Ichabod,  147. 

Ozias,  143,  152,  293,  399,  402. 

Thomas  J.,  271,  273,  411. 

W.  F.,348. 

William  H.,  331,  332. 
Gookin,  Daniel,  25. 
Gordon,  George  William,  131,  469,  482. 

James  M.,262. 
Gore,  Christopher,  227. 

Jeremiah,  282. 
■      John,  57,  102,  241,  242,  243. 
Gormlev,  A.  H.,  489. 
Gould,  Benjamin  A.,  153,  292,  293,  321. 

Frederick,  268,  321. 
Gove,  Wesley  A.,  363,  419. 
Gowing,  Henrv  A. ,  240. 
Graham,  John'M.,  439. 
90 


Graham,  J.  R.,  333. 
Grainger,  William  H.,  419. 
Granger,  Frank  E.,  426. 
Grant,  George  W. ,  257. 
Henrv  C,  245. 

Patrick,  250. 
Graves,  Henrv  B.,  382. 

Thomas,  22. 

William,  289. 
Gray,  F.  A.,  264. 

Francis  C,  278,402. 

Francis  G. ,  277. 

Henrv,  258,  259. 

Henr'yD.,  268. 

Horace,  228,  277. 

John,  83. 

John,  jr.,  269. 

Joseph  H.,  321,  438. 

Robert,  Capt.,  82,  87,  88,  89. 

Samuel  C,  281,  293. 

Thomas,  143,  281. 

William,  114,  119,  227,  236,  237,  238, 
239. 
Gregory,  John,  411. 

Samuel  H. ,  355. 
Green,  A.  Prince,  368. 

Bartholomew,  37. 

David,  229,  231. 

George  H.,  316. 

R.  H.,  424. 
Greene,  Charles  G.,  149,  428. 

Gardiner,  228,  230,  235,  249,  407. 

Nathaniel,  467,  469,  481. 
Greenough,  David,  241,  242,  243,  399. 

Davids.,  409. 

Jameson  &  Co.,  321. 
Grew,  John,  114. 
Grimes,  T.  B.,419. 
Grinnell,  Charles  A.,  344. 
Grove,  Henry  B.,  395. 
Grover,  William  O.,  318,  420. 
Guild,  Benjamin,  402,  407. 

Chester,  295. 

Curtis,  423. 

Frederick,  427. 

George  K. ,  431. 

Henry,  295,  426. 

Josiah,  338. 

Samuel,  295,  296,  409. 
GuUiver.  Charles  W.,  231,  232. 

Lemuel,  231. 
Gunderson,  Joseph  G.,  234. 

Hadley,  Frank  R.,  283. 

Hale,  Rev.  Edward  Everett,  126. 

George  S. ,  235. 

Nathan,  133. 
Hales,  WilHam,  293. 


:u 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Halev,  John  J.,  423. 

Hall.'Anbrew  T.,  130,  149,  loO,  247,  248, 
293,  382,  395. 

Edward  Reynolds,  328. 

Francis,  422. 

Henry,  124,  258,  259. 

James  M.  W.,330. 

J.  E.,  336. 

John  K.,  319,  320. 

Joseph,  233. 

Joseph,  jr.,  286,  287. 

Samuel,  368,  419. 

Samuel,  jr.,  356,  357. 

Samuel  W.,  419. 
Hallett,  D.  B.,  336. 

George,  153,  239,  259,  269,  275,  416. 
Hallowell,  Norman  P.,  318. 

Richard  P.,  318. 
Hamilton,  Alexander,  227,  236. 

Andrew,  449,  450,  453. 

John,  451,  452,  45^,  454,  455,  456. 

Nathaniel,  432. 
Hammond,  Daniel,  281. 

Joseph,  286. 
Hancock,  John,  52,  87,  246,  289. 

George,  289. 
Haner,  Benjamm  P. ,  259,  289. 

George,  239. 
Hanson,  Herbert  N.,  486. 
Harding,  Albert  E.,  302. 

Edward,  276. 
Hardy,  Alpheus,  148,  153,  285. 
Harkins,  C.  P.,  430. 
Harmon,  Henry  M.,  427. 

Ivory,  295,  426,  427. 
Harrington,  Francis,  332. 
Harris,  B.  C,  289,  296,  297. 

Horatio,  550-551. 

James,  270,  292,  293 

John,  411,  491. 

J.  F.,  362. 

Nathaniel,  276. 

Thomas,  239. 

William,  31,  399. 
Harrison,  John,  21. 
Hart,  Edmund,  90,  97. 

Thomas  Norton,  355,  395,  428,  479 
486,  566. 

William  T. ,  353. 
Harvey,  Charles  C. ,  428. 

Peter,  432. 
Harwood,  Daniel,  340,  341,  345,  359. 
Haskins,  L.  M.,  323. 

Ralph,  100,  409. 
Hastings,  Daniel,  113. 

Francis  H.,  423. 

Jcmathan,  460,  463,  480. 

Walter,  331. 


Haswell,  Robert,  88, 
Hatch,  Crowell,  82,  87. 
Hathaway,  J.  A.,  424. 
Hathorne,  J.  H.,  428. 
Hawley,  Joseph,  70.  » 

Haven,   Frankhn,   277,  278,  280,  382,  389, 
394. 

FrankUn,  jr.,  277,  278,  395,  439. 

Williams  &  Co. ,  102. 
Haver,  Frederick,  jr.,  393. 
Hawes,  Prince,  130. 

William,  83. 
Hawkins,  Thomas,  22. 
Hayden,  Charles  J.,  431. 

Edward  D.,  305. 

William,  267,  469,  482. 

William,  jr.,  289. 
Hayes,  George  W.,  315. 

Hercules  M.,  275. 
Havnes,  James  G.,  431. 

John  C. ,  423,  588. 
Hays,  M.  M.,  86,  219. 
Hay  ward,  Edward  S. ,  302. 

George,  267. 

John,  32,  448,  449,  479. 

Joseph  H.,  306. 
Hazard,  Ebenezer,  71. 
Hazelton,  Isaac  H.,  325. 

J.  E.,  336. 
Healey,  James,  432. 
Healy,  Mark,  277. 
Heard,  Augustus,  98. 

Charles,  339. 

George  W.,284. 
Henchman,  N.  'H.,  437. 
Hendle}-,  James,  267. 
Henry,  Jane,  321. 

John  I.,  297. 
Henshaw,  Charles,  131,  284. 

Charles  C,  351. 

David,   122,   124,  131,  134,  147,  268, 
278,  284. 

John,  130,  284. 

Joseph  L.,  356,  357. 

Samuel,  144',  261,  263. 
Herse}',  George  E.,  330 

IraG.,  431. 
Heyer,  Walter,  81. 
Hickling,  Charles,  426. 
Hidden,  William,  jr.,  442. 
Higgins,  A.  H.,  428. 
Higginson,  Francis  L.,  441. 

George,  402. 

H.,  114. 

vStephen,  83,  92,  97,  109,  219,  221. 

Stephen,  jr.,  234. 
Hildreth,  Albert  J.,  483. 
Hiler,  Jacob,  399. 


INDEX. 


ns 


Hiler.T.  J.,  328. 
Hill,  Aaron.  237,  4(53,  467,  4S1. 
Hamilton  A.,  150,  212. 
Henry  B.,  363,  419. 
Jeremiah,  27(i, 
John,  143. 

Noble  H.,3oO,  351,  352. 
Thomas,  39. 

William  H.,  336,  350,  352. 
Hills,  Thomas,  425. 
Hinckley,  David,  113,  241,  242. 

j6hnK.,248. 
Hinman,  Otis,  371. 
Hoar,  E.  R.,  348. 
Hobart,  Aaron,  248,  3o.),  368. 

Arthur,  423. 
Hobby,  John,  37. 
Hodgden,  Alexander,  231. 
Hodles,    Almon   D.,  267,  343,  3S2,  39o, 
409. 
DanforthC,  410. 
FredS.,  395. 
Hoitt,  Alford  D.,  367. 
Holbrook,  EHsha  N.,  29'<. 
Henry  M.,  285. 
Jesse,  428. 
Samuel,  457. 
Holden,  T.  M.,  325. 

Oliyer,  411. 
Holmes,  DayidA.,  485. 
F.  M.,  273. 
J.  C.,420. 
WiUiamA.,432. 
Home  Savings  Bank,  430-432. 
Homer,  Andrew,  246. 
Hooper,  Edward  W.,  232,  41.. 
Henry  N.,  149. 
James  R. ,  267. 
John,  259. 
Robert,  234. 
Robert  C,  281^^ 
Samuel,  150,  277. 
W.  E.,  431. 
Hopewell,  John,  jr.,  270. 
Hopkins,  John,  256. 

Samuel  B.,  295,  427. 
Hopkinson,  Thomas,  331. 
Horner,  Charles,  235. 
Hosmer,  E.  B.,  273. 
Houghton,  Henry  O.,  349. 

Joseph,  427. 
Howard,  George  H.,  434. 
JohnD.,  268. 
National  Bank,  329-331. 
Howe,  Cranston,  303. 
Edward,  94. 
George,  239,  282,  402. 
JabezC,  235,  282. 


Howe,  Jacob  J.,  353. 
John  C,  336. 
Oscar  F.,  276. 
S.  H.,  350,  351. 
Wilham  A.,  331. 
Howell,  John,  89. 
Howes,  Capt.  Jabez,  122,  l2o. 
&  Crowell,  153. 

Osborn,  158,  285,  333,  359,  541-5.jO. 
Osborne,  jr.,  164. 
Prince,  282. 
Hoyt,  Lewis,  89. 
Hubbard,  Charles  W.,  291. 
Daniel,  229. 
John,  32. 
Samuel,  252,  293. 
Hubbart,  Tuthill,  458,  480. 
Hubbell,  Peter,  387,  838. 
Hudson,  Charles,  420. 
Hughes,  Peter  J.,  485. 
Hukling,  Charles,  409. 
Hull,  Adrian  B.,  482. 
Charles  B.,  336. 
Isaac,  242. 
John,  23,  26,  29,  168. 
Humphrey,  Benjamin,  242. 
Richard,  419. 
W.  A.,  884. 
Hunnewell,  Francis  W.,  489. 
H.  H.,  327,  828,  402. 
Jonathan,  246,  247,  399. 
Joseph,  411. 
Hunt,  James  F.,  498. 
John,  37. 
Reuben,  273,  411. 
Thomas,  87,  38. 
WiUiam  P.,  293,  294^430,  675. 
Hunting,  Thomas,  267,  487. 
Huntington,  Jedediah,  69. 

Ralph,  355. 
Hurd,  John,  219. 
Huske,  Ellis,  457. 
Hutchings,  H.  G.,  298. 
Hutchins,  Constantine  F.,  832. 

Edward  W. .  285. 
Hutchinson,  Edward,  178. 
George,  420. 

Thomas,  45,  46,  55,  58,  60,  62,  65, 
66,  178,  188,  186,  188,  189. 
Hyde,  George,  291,  418. 

Henry  D.,  864,  431,  438. 

Joseph  A.,  351. 
S.  E.,  869. 

Inches,  Henderson,  230. 

John  C,  267. 
Independent  Chronicle,  81,  82,  219. 
IngersoU,  James,  115. 


ri6 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY 


Ingraham,  Capt.  Joseph,  89. 

Nathaniel,  73. 
Inman,  WilUam,  147. 
Institution  for  Savings  in  Roxbury,  409- 

410. 
International  Trust  Company,  438-439. 

Jackson,  Eben,  435. 

Henry,  101. 

Henry  C,  431,  030. 

James,  261. 

Jonathan,  333,  334. 

&  Lincoln,  301. 

Patrick  T.,  341,  343,  349,  261. 
Jacob,  Asa,  345. 

James  Arthur,  423. 
Jacques,  Francis,  337. 

Henry,  347,  348,  367,  371,  308,  411, 
413. 

Henry  L.,  413. 
James,  Eleazer,  389. 

Francis,  303. 
Jameson,  William  H.,  331. 
Jaquith,  H.  T.,  383. 
Jarvis,  Charles,  93. 

Demmg,  383. 

Samuel  T.,  301. 
Jenkins,  Solon,  303. 
Jenks,  Thomas  L.,  433. 
Jenness,  John  vS. ,  370. 
Jewell,  Harvey,  357. 
Jewett,  Henry  L.,  439. 

Nathaniel  M.,  419. 
Johnson,  Charles  F. ,  300. 

Earle  W.,  331. 

James,  370. 

Jotham,  327,  271,  373. 

Samuel,  338. 
Jones,  Charles  W.,  345. 

Frank,  645. 

Frederick,  340,  359. 

George  C,  370. 

George  G. ,  125. 

George  N.,  343. 

Jerome,  358. 

John  B.,  377,  409. 

John  CoiSn,  92,  93. 

Josiah  H.,  359. 

Josiah  M.,  396,  397,  398. 

Leonard  S. ,  369. 

Lov^  &  Ball,  296,  297,  298. 

Stephen  S.  C. ,  488. 

T.  K.  &  Co.,  115. 

Thomas  K.,  333,  234,  399. 
Jordan,  H.  W.,  424. 
Josselyn,  Alonzo,  436. 

Freeman  M.,  431. 

John,  26. 


Jov,  Benjamin,  97,  230. 
John,  93,  94,  95. 
John  D.  W.,  245. 
Thomas,  20. 

Kean,  Charles,  321. 

Edmund,  321. 
Kearney,  Matthew,  432. 
Keayne,  Robert,  36. 
Keen,  N.  W.,  340. 
Keith,  George  E.,  358. 

William  S. ,  477. 
Kelley,  Stillman  F. ,  323. 

'Daniel  D.,  419. 
Kellock,  Arthur  C,  245. 
Kendall,  Charles  S.,  33(),  345. 

Ezekiel,  289. 

Joseph  S.,  333,  328. 

Loammi,  411. 

Samuel,  389. 

Sewall,  389. 
Kendrick,  John,  288. 
Kendricken,  P.  H.,  430. 
Kennan,  JolinW.,  303. 
Kennard,  M.  P.,  423. 
Kennedy,  George  G.,  295. 
Kettell,  George^ A.,  373,  373. 

John,  384,  385,  491. 

John  B.,  436. 

Joseph,  467. 

Thomas,  411. 
Keves,  John  S.,  357. 
Kidder,  H.  P.,  356. 
Kimball,  Aaron,  345. 

David,  336. 

J.  B.,  314. 

Moses,  438,  438. 

W.  W.,  369. 
King,  Carnie  E.,  355. 

D.  Webster.  361,  430. 

Gednev,  399. 

Theopiiilus,  344. 
Kittredge,  Alvah,  430. 
Knapp,  Jacob,  356. 

Josiah,  366. 
Knight,  Richard,  33. 
Knowles,  Henry  M.,  344. 

Seth,  346,  347,  271,  273. 
Kuhn,  George  H.,  286,  289,  337,  403. 
Kupper,  Charles  F. ,  246. 

Ladd,  William  J.,  318. 
La  Fayette  Bank,  205. 
Laforme,  Joseph  A.,  328,  429. 
Laniard,  H.  H.,  434. 
Lamb,  James,  100,  142. 

Thomas,    94,    100,    144,    245, 
389,  395,  417. 


INDEX. 


717 


Lambert.  Ammi  C,  143. 

William  B.,  267. 

William  G.,  180,  27(5. 
Lamdon,  Daniel  S.,  429. 
Lamson,  John,  402. 

Nathan  P.,  346. 
Land  Bank,  178,  179,  181,  218. 
Lane,  Benjamin  P.,  294. 

Charles,  303. 

Charles  L.,  293. 

Charles  &  Co.,  321. 

&  Lamson,  114. 
Langmaid,  Samuel  P.,  432. 
Lardner,  Dr.  Dionvsius,  135. 
Lash,  Robert,  234.' 

Lawrence,    Abbott,    112.    131,    249,    258, 
278,  286,  436,  439,  502-512. 

Amorv  A. ,  232. 

Amos;  131,  134,  243,  249,  260,  261. 

Amos  A.,  408. 

Charles  R.,  272,  273,  413. 

Edward,  272,  273,  274,  412. 

H.  L.,  369. 

James,  420. 

Nathan,  249. 

Samuel,  148. 
Lawson,  Benjamin,  419. 

Nathan  P.,  359. 
Leach,  George  C,  426. 
Learnard,  William  H.,  423. 
Learned,  Samuel  S.,  323. 

William  H.,  270. 
Leatherbee,  William  H.,  423. 
Leavitt,  Thomas,  425. 
Le  Bosquet,  John,  102. 
Ledvard,  John,  82. 
Lee,"  Francis,  241,  243. 

Henrv,    108,    124,     131,    152,    281, 
282;  293,  685. 

Henry,  Col. ,  388,  407,  408. 

J.  H.,  353. 

James,  jr.,  337. 

Joseph,  235. 

Nathaniel  O.,  234. 

Thomas  J.,  429. 
Leeds,  Richard,  428. 

Samuel,  333,  425. 
Lefavour,  John  W.,  348. 
Leighton,  Charles,  140. 

Emerv  D.,  419. 

John  W,  365,  431. 
Leland,  Sherman,  409. 

William  S.,  295,  426,  427. 
Lemist,  John,  275,  405. 
Lever,  John  Orrell,  153. 
Leverett,  George  V. ,  423. 

John,  25. 
Lewis,  Ansel,  498. 


Lewis,  Captain  Winslow,    102,    104,   246, 
247. 

Elijah,  295. 

George,  295,  426. 

J.  W.,  121. 

John,  483. 

Owen  T.,  370. 

Samuels.,  147,  284. 

Thomas,  456,  479. 

Weston,  365,  431,  596. 
Libby,  G.  H. ,  419. 
Lidget,  John,  32. 
Lincoln,  A.  S.,  318. 

Bradford,  292. 

B.,  jr.,  284. 

Frederick  W.,   353,   356,  422,  423, 
436. 

F.  W.,  jr.,  423. 

George,  272. 

Henry,  260. 

Levi,  411. 

National  Bank,  370-371. 

Samuel,  334,  335. 
Linder,  George,  348. 
Linley,  C.  T.,  282. 
Litchfield,  George  A. ,  370. 
Little,  Capt.  George,  97, 

James  L.,  156,  357,  516-523. 

Samuel,  410. 

Thomas,  26. 

William,  268,  281,  399. 
Littlebrook,  S.  S.,  276. 
Liver  more,  Isaac,  144,  276. 
Llovd,  James,  jr.,  233,  234. 
Lobdell,  Thomas  J.,  321. 
Lock,  E.,321. 
Locke,  Stephen,  419. 
Lockwood,  Rhodes,  273. 
Lodge,  Cabot,  103. 

Giles,  113,  243. 

Johns.,  323. 
Logan,  James,  176. 
Lombard,  Ammi  C,  150,  284. 

Israel,  323. 
Longley,  James,  275,  423. 
Loomis,  Silas  W.,  428. 
Lord,   George  C,  153,  285,  353,  436,  440, 
606. 

Joseph,  jr.,  284. 

Thomas,  282. 
Loring,  Barnabas  T.,  266,  267,  420. 

Benjamin,  276,  289,  297. 

Caleb,  249. 

Elijah,  259. 

George  C,  436,  440. 

Harrison,  425. 

John  F.,  247. 

John  J.,  270. 


718 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Loring,  Joshua,  325,  320. 

Josiah,  275. 

Omar,  483. 

OmarF.,  485. 

S.  D.,  367. 

William  J.,  134. 
Lothrop,  Daniel,  555-560. 
Loud,  Andrew  J.,  285. 
Lovejoy,  Loyal,  325. 

William  R.,  419. 
Lovell,  Andrew  J.,  432. 

John,  399. 
Low,  David,  134. 

Gilman  S.,  297,  263. 
Lowe,  Abraham  T.,   276,  326,  350,  351, 

352. 
Lowell,  Augustus,  402. 

Charles,  249,  261. 

Charles  L.,  441. 

Charles,  Rev.,  399. 

Francis  C,  241,  243,  407. 

Jacob  H.,  343. 

John,  219,  222,  227,  267. 

John  A.,  240,  252,  258,  402,  407. 
Lovering,  Joseph  S.,  262. 
Luce,  Matthew,  294. 
Luke,  Arthur  T.,  320,  321. 

Otis  H.,  364. 
Lyman,  Arthur  T.,  225,  402. 

Boott  &  Pratt,  97. 

George,  241,  242. 

George  W.,  235,  262. 

Herbert,  262. 

John  P.,  328. 

Theodore,  99,  227,  233. 
Lyon,  Henry,  413. 

John  E.,  276. 

Robert,  268,  269. 

William  L.,  489. 
Lynde,  E.,  217. 

Samuel,  217. 

McAllaster,  James,  228. 
McClellan,  A.  D.,  283. 
McCormack,  John,  488. 
McCuUoch,  Hugh,  346. 
McElroy,  Rev.  John,  429. 
McGaw,  John  A.,  288,  290. 
McGregor,  James,  239. 
McKay,  Donald,  145,  149,  150,  419. 

&  Coolidge,  153. 
McKerson,  Frederick,  425. 
McLean,  Christopher  R.,  363. 

John,  246,  256. 
McLellan,  James  D.,  428. 
McNiel,  William,  94. 
McNutt,  J.  J.,  372,  428. 
McPherson,  Ebenezer  M.,  363,  419. 


McPherson,  E.  R.,369. 
Macgoun,  Thacher,  121,  273. 
Mackav,  H.  C.,293. 

Wihiam,  399. 
Macy,  George  N.,  417. 
Magee,  Capt.  James,  81,  86,  89,  90. 
Magoun,  Herbert,  417. 
Ma'guire,  John  M.,  430. 
Mair,  Thomas,  432. 
Mann,  N.  P.,  325. 
Manning,  Francis  H.,  248. 

Joseph,  323. 
Manufacturers'  National  Bank,  365-366. 
March,  J.  M.,  315. 

John  S. ,  342. 
Market  National  Bank,  288-292. 
Marrett,  Dane  Appleton,  49S. 

Phillip,  245. 
Marsh,  Robert,  432. 
Marshah,  Capt.  John,  51. 

Henrv,  456,  479. 

Josiah,  241,258,  259,  288. 

Thomas,  272,  411,  412. 
Marston,  S.  W.,  328. 
Martin,  A.  P.,  330. 

J.  G.,  126. 

James  D.,  342. 

J.  Lawrence,  433,  434. 
Mason,  Edward  P.,  365,  431. 

Jeremiah  B.,  487. 

Jomathan,  219,  221,  222,  224,  233. 

Jonathan,  jr.,  227. 

Mortimer  B.,  352. 

Stephen  N.,  343. 

William  P. ,  420. 
Massachusetts  Bank,  195,  198,  199,  200. 

Hospital  Life  Insurance  Company, 
436. 

Loan  and  Trust  Companj^  437-438. 

National  Bank,  219-227. 
Matchett,  Theodore,  424. 
Mattapan  Deposit  and  Trust   Company, 

442. 
May,  Henry  K.,  416. 

Samuel,  114,  241,  242,  258,  259,  277, 
281,  284,  399. 

William  B.,  355. 
Maynard,  Lambert,  323. 
Mayo,  Charles  A. ,  445. 

Samuel  N.,  363. 
Mays,  John  M.,  307. 
Mead,  Isaac,  271,  273,  411. 

Samuel  O.,  290. 
Means,  James,  259,  416. 

John  O.,  Rev.,  426. 

Robert,  261. 

Robert,  jr.,  261. 

Walter  R.,  427. 


INDEX. 


719 


Cleans,  William  G.,  ^-IS. 
^lechanics'  National  Bank,  808-304. 
Melcher,  Charles  W.,  259. 
Melliken,  Francis,  328. 
Melville.  Allan,  241,  242. 

Thomas,  23o. 
Melvin,  J.  C,  369. 
Mercantile  Loan  and  Trust  Company, 

440. 
Merchants"  Bank,  881. 

Exchange,  144,  148. 

National  Bank,  277-281. 
Merrett,  George  W. ,  847. 
]\Ierriam,  Levi,  247. 
Merrill,  Amos  B. ,  359,  428. 

C.  W.,487. 

Nathan,  491. 

Samuel  A.,  308. 
]\Ierriman,  Francis  E.,  434. 
;\Iessinger,  George  W. ,  359. 
Metcalf,  Theodore,  429. 
Metropolitan  National  Bank,  867-808. 
Meyer,  George  von  L.,  318,  441. 
Mill,  James  K.,  276,  278. 
Miller,  Samuel  R.,  249. 
Millis,  H.  L.,  291,  333. 
Mills,  Frank  C,  436. 
Minot,  George  R.,  235. 

Lawrence,  441. 

Samuel,  57. 

William,  436. 

William,  jr.,  358,439. 
Mitchell,  Cushing,  277,  351. 
Moley,  P.,  424. 

Molineaux,  Robert  G.,  334,  409. 
Moody,  David,  135. 

WiUiam  H.,  298. 
Monks,  J.  P.,  388. 

R.  J.,  440,  442. 
Montgomery,  Jabez  K. ,  863. 
Monument  National  Bank,  337-339. 
Morrill,  Charles  J.,  823,407. 
Morrison,  Charles  E.,  828. 

J.  E.,432. 

Peter,  419. 
Morse,  Asa  P.,  370. 

Calvin,  489. 

Edward  G. ,  427. 

E.  Rollins,  432. 

Henry,  332. 

Henry  C,  431. 

L.  Foster,  432. 

L.  W.,427. 

Robert  M.,  439. 
Morss,  Charles  A. ,  363. 
Morton,  J.  D.,  428. 

Perez,  231,  287, 
Moses,  George  W.,  863. 


Motley,  Edward,  241,  242. 

Thomas.  260,  299,  416. 

Thomas,  jr.,  328. 
Mount  A^ernon  National  Bank,  354^356, 
Mudge,  E.  R.,264. 
Mundo,  John  J.,  430. 
Munroe,  Benjamin  W. ,  366. 

Edmund,  246,  249,  256. 

George  H.,  426,  427. 

Richard  L.,  293. 

Timothy,  487. 

WilHam,  287. 
Munson,  Israel,  241,  242. 
Musgrave,  Philip,  455,  456. 
Mussey,  B.  B.,823. 

Napier,  Robert,  138. 
Nash,  Herbert,  291. 
National  Bank  of  Commerce,  816-319. 

Bank  of  the  Commonwealth,  362- 
363. 

Bank  of  Redemption,  343-345. 

Bank  of  the  Repubhc,  345-847. 

Citv  Bank,  256-258. 

Eagle  Bank,  258-260. 

Exchange  Bank,  314-816. 

Hide  and  Leather  Bank,  340-343. 

Market  Bank  of  Brighton,  339-340. 

Revere  Bank,  348-850. 

Rockland  Bank,  334-835. 

Securit}'  Bank,  361-362. 

Union  Bank,  228-233. 
Nawn,  Owen,  430. 
Nav,  Stanley,  297. 
Nazo,  Charles  G.,  269,  270,  894,  417. 
Neal,  George  B.,  338. 
Neale  Patent,  The,  500-504. 

Richard  H.,  420. 

Thomas,  450. 
Needham,  Daniel,  430. 
Nelson,  Jeremiah,  259. 

John,  37. 
Nevins,  David,  808. 

Nathaniel,  282,  293. 
Newcomb,  John  J.,  345. 
Newell,  A.  Thompson,  329. 

A.  W.,  369. 

Montgomery,  276. 
New  England  Bank,  203,  204. 

National  Bank,  241-246. 

Trust  Company,  436^37. 
Newhall,  Asa  F..  424. 

Cheever,  296. 

Frank  G.,  339.  424. 

George  W^,  287. 

Horatio,  261. 
Newman,  A.  L.,  362,  395. 

Alberts.,  393. 


720 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Newsome,  William,  426. 
Newton,  John  F.,  335,  426,  427. 
Nichols,  Curtis  C,  420. 

Franklin,  343. 

George  B.,  366. 

H.  G.,  315. 

Lyman,  336. 

Thaddeus,  231. 

Thaddeus,  jr.,  144,  284,  293. 
Nickerson,  David,  303. 

E.  G.,  329. 

Edward  G.,  273. 

Joseph,  345,  357,  694. 

Pliny,  359,  428. 

Sereno  D.,  356,  357. 

Thomas,  150,  153,  319,  345,  440. 

Thomas  W.,  356. 
Norcross,  Otis,  423. 
North  End  Savings  Bank,  432-433. 

National  Bank,  268-271. 
Norton,  Rev.  John,  68. 
Nowell,  George,  428. 
Noyes,  Charles,  424. 

Increase  E.,  367,  432. 

Oliver,  217. 

O'Brien,  Hugh,  429,430. 

Ocean  Steamship  Company,  147. 

Odiorne,  George,  242. 

Oldham,  John,  20. 

Oldmixon,  John,  43. 

Old  Colony  Trust  Company,  440. 

Oliver,  Andrew,  39,  247. 

Bethiah,  57. 

Daniel,  39. 

Francis  J.,  131,  139,  140,  256. 

Henry  J.,  268. 

Nathaniel,  217. 

Peter,  26,  39. 
Ohiev,  Richard,  441. 
Orne,  Henry,  268,  269. 
Osborne,  Francis  A. ,  248,  625. 
Osgood,  George  M.,  489. 

Isaac,  114. 
Otis,  George  Allen,  420. 

Harrison  Gray,  133,  235. 

James,  46. 

Samuel  AUeyne   57,  222. 

Samuel  F.,  276. 

Theodore,  426. 

William  F.,  288. 
Oulton,  J.,  217. 
Oxnarcl,  Henry,  284. 

Thomas,  110. 

Packer,  George,  334. 
Paddy,  William,  26. 
Page,  Charles  A.,  491. 


Page,  Edmund,  371. 

Kilby.  302. 
Paige,  J.  A.,  428. 

John  C.  439. 
Pain,  William,  217. 
Paine,  Charles,  147. 

J.  S.,  326. 
Palfrey,  John  C. ,  328. 

John  Gorham,  308,  470. 

William,  54. 
Palmer,  Julius  A.,  355. 

S.  G.,  345. 
Parker,  Charles  Henrv,  262,  318,  356,  417. 

Charles  W.,  629. 

Daniel,  57. 

Daniel,  jr.,  102. 

Daniel  P.,  241,  242,  243,  249.     , 

Edward,  348. 

Francis  E.,  408. 

Francis  J.,  283,  428. 

G.  F. ,  424. 

Harvey  D.,323. 

Henry  G.,  614. 

Isaac,  282. 

John,  228,  266. 

John,  &  Son,  115. 

Leonard  M.,  411. 

Matthew  S. ,  250,  254. 

William,  307,  309,  310,  311. 

William  T.,  370. 
Parkman,  Henry,  408. 

Samuel,  80,  97,  115,  230,  399. 
Parkhurst,  John,  487. 
Parmenter,  George  W. ,  432. 
Parsons,  Charles  C. ,  402. 

Eben,  92,  96. 

Nehemiah,  293. 

Thomas,  242. 

William,  224,  402,  408. 
Patch,  James  E.,  297. 
Pate,  J.  H.,363. 
Patton,  C.  B.,240. 
Paul,  Joseph  F.,  428. 
Payne,  Edward,  22,  219. 

William,  25,  249. 
Payson,  Samuel  R.,  256,  257,  420. 
Peabodv,  Augustus,  259. 

S'.  Endicott,  256,  440. 
Pearce,  John,  276. 

S.  H.,  264. 
Pease,  Frederick,  419. 
Peck,  Abel  G.,  276. 
Peirce,  Silas,  440. 
Pell,  Sir  Robert,  97. 
Pelletier,  William  S.,  429,  430. 
Pemberton,  Rev.  Ebenezer,  68. 

Thomas,  90. 
Pendergast,  (leorge  S. ,  422. 


INDEX. 


721 


Pendergast,  J.  M. ,  267. 
People's  National  Bank,  295-296. 
Pearson,  John  H.,  150. 
Percival,  Spencer,  106. 
Perkins,  Andrew,  298. 

Bryant  &  Sturgis,  113. 

Charles  B.,  431. 

George  H.,  231,  232. 

H.  W.,  355. 

James,  57,  119,  233,  234,  399. 

S.  G.,  114. 

Thomas  Handasyd,  85,  89,  92,  134, 
228,  230,  233,  357. 

William,  150,  153,  158,  242,  247,  248, 
395,  402,  407. 
Peter,  Rev.  Hugh,  21. 
Peters,  Edward  D.,  246,  275,  276,  281. 

Francis  A.,  337,  328. 

John,  246. 
Pettee,  Seth,  245. 
Pettengill,  J.  M.,315. 
Pickard,  Edward  L.,  257. 
Pickens,  James,  275,  276. 

John,  257,  275. 
Pickering,  H.  W.,  234,  235. 

William,  235. 
Pickman,  Dudley  L.,  260. 
Pierce,  Abner,  323. 

Franklin,  393. 

Henry  H.,  560. 

James,  302. 

John,  419. 

Parker  H.,  122.  v 

Phineas,  353,  395. 

Silas,  336. 

Silas,  &  Co.,  321. 

S.  S.,  357,  599. 

Wallace  L.,  285. 

Willam,  21. 

William  P.,  331. 
Pierpont,  Benjamin,  68. 
Pierson,  Charles  L.,  232. 
Pigeon,  Henry,  419. 

William  B.,  419. 
Pike,  Thomas,  411. 
Pillsburv,  Albert  E.,  423. 
Pilsburv,  Edwin  L.,  434. 
Pintard',  John  Marsden,  82,  87,  88. 
Piper,  F.  K.,  428. 

Solomon,  301. 
Pitts,  Lemuel,  323. 
Phelps,  Elisha  L.,  411. 

George  H.,  423. 
Philbrick,  Samuel,  276. 
Phillips,  Edward,  114. 

John,  241,  248,  399. 

Jonathan,  125,  224,  226,  281,   399, 
407. 
91 


Phillips,  Samuel,  229,  231. 

William,   59,  96,  219,  221,  222,  223, 
224,  226,  399,  407. 

William,  jr.,  224,  230. 
Phinneyl  Elias,  271,  273. 
Phippen,  E.  A.,  441. 
Phipps,  William,  280. 
Place,  GritTen,  298. 
Plimpton  &-  Marett,  115. 
Plumer,  Avery,  158. 
Plummer,  Enoch,  296,  297. 

N.  B.,369. 
Pond,  Moses,  323. 
Pool,  Lot,  411. 

Poole,  Georges.,  412,  414,  416. 
Poor,  C.  C,  298. 

Henry,  340,  341. 

JohnO.,  235. 
Pope,  Albert  A.,  368,  420,  677. 

Edwin,  309,  310. 

George  W.,  428. 

James  L.,  428. 

WilHam,  307. 
Porter,  W.  J.,  430. 
Potter,  Ellphalet,  409. 

Frank  C,  298. 

H.  Staples,  360.  428. 

JohnC,  297,  349. 

R.  K.,428. 
Pottle,  J.  W.,  221. 
Power,  Thomas,  268. 
Pratt,  Edmund  T.,  276. 

E.  B.,362. 
George  W.,  293. 
Harvey  H.,  434. 
Isaac,  jr.,  276. 
Lucius  G.,  360. 
William,  99,  235. 

Prav,  Isaac  C,  263. 

John  A.,  372,  428. 
Preble,  Henry,  109. 
Presfcott,  William,  249,  261. 

WiUiam  U.,  261. 
Preston,  Andrew  W.,  288. 

Jonathan,  886. 
Presbrey,  Charles  A. ,  344. 
Price,  Dr.,  74. 
Prichard,  Gilman,  276. 
Prince,  Frederick  H.,  650. 

F.  O.,  355. 

James,  237,  399,  402. 
Job,  Capt,  36,86. 
John,  409. 
Jonathan,  285. 
Thomas,  Rev.,  68. 
Proctor,  H.  H.,  366. 
John  C.,277. 
Thomas  E.,  322. 


722 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Prout,  Captain,  26. 

Provident  Institution  for  Savings,   B98- 

408. 
Pulsifer,  David,  323. 
Putnam,  Charles  A.,  267. 

George,  Rev.,  426. 

George  P.,  321. 

Jesse,  399. 

John  Phelps,  321. 
Pyncheon,  John,  jr.,  32. 

Quincy,  Josiah,  65,  97,  230,  399. 
Josiah,  jr.,  141,  321. 
Samuel,  143. 

Rainsford,  John,  37. 
Ramsey,  Charles  H. ,  368. 
Rand,  Henry  C,  338. 

JohnW.,  26. 
Randolph,  Edward,  30,  32,  34,  35,  36,  37 

449. 
Randall,  Thomas,  81,  91. 

John  Witt,  586. 
Ranney,  A.  A.,  428. 
Ransom,  Chandler R.,  270,  351,  352. 
Raymond,  Edward  A.,  428. 

F.  H.,  291. 

John  M.,  434. 
Raynes,  Francis,  432. 
Read,  Joseph  Stacey,  467,  488. 
0   Reardon,  Edmund,  371,  430. 

Reed,  Benjamin  T.,   139,   140,  247    284 
304. 

David,  487. 

Henry  R.,  240. 

James,  275. 

Josiah,  304. 

Sampson,  314. 

Wade,  Bates  &  Co.,  153. 
Revere,  Paul,  74,  90,  480. 

&  Son,  Paul,  243. 
Reynolds,  Frank  W.,  438. 

Henry  R.,428. 

Stephen  W.,  431. 

William  B.,  150,  259,  282,  284,  290, 
416. 

William  J.,  350,  351,  352,  355. 
Rice.  Aaron,  304. 

Alexander  H.,225. 

Charles,  319,  320,  321. 

Edward  E. ,  276. 

H.  A.,  224. 

H.  B.,  432. 

Henry  A. ,  jr. ,  349. 

Gardner,  228,  241,  242. 

J.  Willard,  357. 

Lewis,  432. 

Merrill.  237. 


Rice,  Nathan,  402. 
N.  W.,  330. 
Reuben,  323. 
William  B.,  353,  423. 
Rich,  Benjamin,  112,   113,    143,  241,   242 
243,  416. 
Isaac,  150,  290,  356. 
Isaac  B.,432. 
T.  P. ,  348. 
Richard,  Henry  W.,  294. 

John,  33,  399. 
Richards,  C.  A.,  428,  656. 
Dexter  N.,  344,  428. 
Edward,  409. 
Jonathan,  409. 
Joseph  R.,432. 
Richardson,  Alfred,  416. 

Augustus,  335,  409,  410. 
A.  P.,  295. 
C.  E.,  334. 
Frederick  L. ,  294. 
(Jeorge  C,  148,  158,  231,  389. 
James,  246. 
James  B. ,  423. 

Jeffrey,  94,  242,  252,  254,  261,  282. 
Moses  W.,  364. 
Spencer  VV. ,  344,  367. 
Thomas  O. ,  357. 
William  Fox,  359,  428. 
Riddle,  Charles  L..  327,  328. 
Rindge,  John,  457. 

Samuel  B.,  670. 
Ripley,  Geosge,  341,  342,  394,  395. 
Ritchie,  Aifffew,  249,  399. 
James,  426. 
Uriah,  359. 
Robbins,  Chandler,  330. 
Edwin  A. ,  276. 
Ephraim,  246. 
F.  N.,  372. 
Joseph,  419. 
Joseph  W.,  419. 
Nathan,  323. 
Nathan,  jr.,  323, 
P.  G.,  409. 

Royal  E.,  356,  357,  358,  441. 
Roberts,  James  W.,  367. 
J.  M.,  367. 
Peter  S.,  367, 
Robert,  259. 
Stillman  K.,  361. 
Robertson,  Frederick  A.,  359. 
George  W. ,  329. 
John  M.,  411. 
John  P.,  331. 
Robeson,  William  R.,  262. 
Robinson,  Edward,  44. 
Edwin,  431. 


INDEX. 


723 


Robinson,  Edwin  A.,  270. 

John  P.,  428. 

Shadrach,  276. 

Wallace  F. ,  432. 
Robv,  Dexter,  325. 
Rockwood,  E.  O.,430. 
Rodman,  Alfred,  439. 
Rogers,  Charles  B.,  491. 

Gorham,  349,  437. 

Homer,  339,  431. 

Isaiah,  144. 

Jacob,  342. 

ShubaelG.,  426. 

John  H.,  297,  301. 

HenrvM.,302. 

William  S.,  268. 
RolUns,  B.  P.,  428. 

Ebenezer,  261. 

Josephs.,  426. 

William,  276. 
Root,  James  E.,  356. 
Ropes,  Reed  &  Co. ,  128. 

&  Ward,  128. 

William,  128,  241,  242,  243,  399. 
Rotch,  Arthur,  649. 

Benjamin  S. ,  609. 
Rowan,  James,  99. 
Rowe,  Solomon  S. ,  335. 
Ruggles,  Charles  A.,  395. 

Cyrus  W.,  488. 

John,  424. 
Russell,  Benjamin,  246,  247. 

Edward  T.,  225.       ^ 

Eli  C,  254.  ^ 

George  R.,  323. 

James,  34. 

John  B.,  303. 

JoS'eph,  78. 

Joseph  B.,  358, 

Joseph,  jr.,  227. 

Nathaniel  P.,  125,  243,  249. 

Thomas,  83,  85,  92,  93,  94,  98,  219, 
222. 

William  A.,  336. 

William  E.,  368. 

William  G.,  353. 
Rust,  Nathaniel  J.,  370,  432,  436. 

William  A.,  302,  326,  428. 

Sabine,  Lorenzo,  148. 
Safford,  James  O. ,  269. 
Salisbury,  Samuel,  231. 

Stephen,  230. 
Sampson,  C.  C,  273. 

Charles  E.,  358. 

George  R.,149,  150. 

George  T.,  419. 

Oscar  H.,  355. 

&  Tappan,  153. 


Sanborn,  George  A.,  498. 

N.  Warren,  424. 
Sands,  Edward,  282,  283. 

Wilham  H.,  360. 
Sanger,  Warren,  338, 
Sanderson,  Robert,  123. 
Sargent,  Daniel,  jr.,  233,  234. 

Epes,  235. 

Ignatius,  261,  263,  264. 

Lucius  M.,  318. 
Savage,  James,  275,  277,   293,   399,  401, 
402,  407. 

WiUiam,  284. 
Sawyer,  J.  Hubert,  245. 

Joseph,  349,  423. 

Timothy  T.,  272,  273,  412,  413,  414. 

Warren,  359,  360,  491. 
Savings  Banks,  398-435. 
Savory,  John,  321. 
Sawtell,  Andrew,  337,  338. 
Scudder,  Charles,  114,  416. 

Horace,  304,  345. 

Marshall  S. ,  356,  357. 

Prentiss  W. ,  305. 
Searle,  Thomas,  275. 
Searles,  Willard,  286. 
Sears,  David,  93,  156,  227,  228,  235. 

David,  jr.,  246. 

Francis  B.,  357,  441. 

Isaac,  81. 

Joshua,  321.  ^ 

Judah,  428. 
Seaver,  Benjamin,  261,  263,  416,  417. 

Charles,  129. 

Charles  M.,  423. 

Francis  E.,  366. 

George,  282. 

Jacob  W.,  285. 

Norman,  130. 

William,  426. 

Zenas,  303. 
Secomb,  Edward  R.,  353. 
Second  National  Bank,  283-286. 
Sergeant,  Daniel,  94. 
Severance,  T.  C,  340. 
Sewall,  Benjamin,  290,  291. 

J.,  114. 

Joseph,  Rev.,  68. 

Samuel,  39,  231. 

Stephen  B.,  498. 
Shapleigh,  Richard  W.,  320. 
Sharp,  Edward,  261. 

Gibbons,  83. 
Shattuck,  George,  323. 
Shaw,  Charles,  210,  211,  212. 

Charles  B.,  247. 

Francis  G.,  284. 

G.  Howland,  150.  235. 

Henry  S.,  423. 


724 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Shaw,  Lemuel,  124,  242,  243. 

Robert  G.,  87,  115,  131,  140,    144, 
234,  235,  241,  243,  316,  384. 

Roberta.,  &  Co.,  153. 

&  Randall,  87. 

Samuel,  81,  86,  94. 

William,  86. 

William  S.,  241,  244. 
Shawmut  National  Bank,  304-800. 
Sheafe,  Sampson,  33. 
Shed,  Henry  P.,  343. 
Shepard,  John,  370. 

Otis,  366. 

Resin  Davis,  228. 

Thomas,  237, 
Sherburne,  John,  457. 
.Sheriff,  John  L.,  329. 
Sherman,  C.  J.  F.,  432. 

E.  C,  362. 
Sherwin,  Edward,  358. 
Shillaber,  William  G.,  432. 
Shimmin,  William,  119. 
Shippen,  Edward,  32. 
Shoe  and  Leather  National  Bank,   296- 

299. 
Shuman,  A.,  366. 
Shurtleff,  N.  B.,  421,  432. 
Sigournev,  Daniel  A.,  267,  409. 
Silsbee,  Nathaniel,  108,  121,228,  259. 
Silsby,  Enoch,  122,  258,  259,  263. 
Simmons,  David  A.,  409. 
Simonds,  Alvan,  303. 
Simpson,  John  K.,  284. 

Michael  H.,  675. 
Sinclair,  Charles  A.,  225,  647. 
Sivret,  James,  240. 
Skillings,  D.  N.,  283. 
Skelton,  John,  412. 

Samuel,  412. 
Skinner,  Francis,  150. 

John,  412. 
Slade,  Lucius,  432. 
Sleeper,  Jacob,  317,  356. 

Jacob  W.,  290. 
Smith,  Adam,  29. 

Addison,  432. 

A.  O.,  362. 

Barney,  256. 

Benjamin,  399,  428. 

Caleb,  248. 

Charles  F.,  353. 

C.  H.,240. 

Henry.  364,  430. 

H.  F.,  291. 

James,  363,  419. 

John,  18. 

Joseph,  333. 

Junius,  136. 

PhineasB.,335,  410. 


Smith,  Silvanus,  363. 

Stephen,  428. 

Thomas  C,  143,  150. 

Timothy,  427. 

William,  229,  231. 

William  B.,  470. 
SneUing,  Nathaniel  G.,  395,  399. 

Samuel,  399,  402. 
Snow,  Charles  W^,  310,  311. 

David,   150,  319,  320,  345,  346,  355, 
558-555. 

D.  E.,  248,  309. 

Franklin,  283. 

Gideon,  399. 

&'  Rich,  158. 

S.  T.,  276. 
Soley,  John,  411. 
Somes,  Nehemiah,  94. 
Soren,  John  J.,  309,  311. 
Soule,  Richard,  jr.,  419. 
South  Boston  Savings  Bank,  425-426. 

End  National' Bank,  372. 
Southard,  Zibeon,  425,  428. 
Souther,  Henry,  383,  425. 

Joaquin  K.,  360. 

Joseph,  273. 

Joseph,  jr. ,  273. 
Sparhawk,  Edward,  323. 
Sparks,  Jared,  821. 
Spaulding,  Isaac,  329. 

John  P.,  294,  439. 

M.  D.,  293. 

S.  R.,  314,  315. 

William  P.,  805. 
Speare,  Alden,  859,  428. 
Spencer,  Aaron  W.^  624. 

Henry  F.,  861. 
Spinney,  Benjamin  F.,  870,  488. 

Samuel  S.  R.,  425. 
Spooner,  William  B. ,  297,  298. 

William  H.,  409. 
Sprague,  Charles,  264,  265,  280. 

Charles  James,  264,  265. 

Henry  B. ,  257. 

Phineas,  293,  416. 

Phineas,  &  Co.,  153. 

P.  W.,  368. 
Squire,  Frank  O.,  333,  369. 

John  P.,  328. 
Stahl,  A.  T.,  485. 
Staniford,  Eben,  395. 
Stanwood,  Henry  P.,  353. 

Jacob,  356. 
Stanley,  Gilman,  273. 
Stanton,  Francis,  261. 
State  National  Bank,  236-240. 

Street  Safe  Deposit  and  Trust  Co. , 
441. 
Stearns,  Charles,  426. 


INDEX. 


Stearns,  R.  H..  342. 
Stebbins,  S.  B. ,  428. 
Stedman,  Ebenezer,  467,  48S. 

Josiah,  256,  266,  267. 
Steele,  Gordon,  269,  270. 
Stetson,  Alpheus  ]\I.,  425. 

Amasa,  237,  290,  297. 

Amos  W.,  239,  240,  290,  39.'5,  437. 

Caleb,  297. 

David,  411. 

EmrieB.,  422. 

James,  424. 

John  G.,  410. 
Stephens,  Isaac,  246,  247,  248. 
Stephenson,  J.  H.,  357. 

J.  Thomas,  235. 
Stevens,  Benjamin  F.,  357. 

Charles  E. ,  264. 

Horace  H.,  264. 

Paran,  323. 

William  B.,  264. 
Stevenson,  Robert  H.,  402. 
Sticknev,  Josiah,  282,  290. 
Stockton,  Howard,  278. 
Stoddard,  Anthonj-,  39. 

Chaiies,  276. 

Chester  L. ,  234. 
Stone,  Albert,  347, 

Amos,  338,  421,  422. 

Artemas,  351.  352. 

Asaph,  241,  243. 

Frederick  M.,  436. 

Henrv  B.,  252,  254. 

James  S.,  340,  341. 

Phineas  J.,  421,  551-553. 
Storrow,  T.  W.,  101. 
Storrs,  Nathaniel,  289. 
Stor}',  Joseph,  261. 

F.  H.,  264. 
Stover,  Augustus  W. ,  422. 
Stowe,  Phineas,  420. 
Stowell,  John,  413,  414. 
Stratton,  Ira,  329. 

Solomon  Piper,  302. 
Strong,  Alexander,  314. 

Caleb,  Gov.,  233,  241. 

Edward,  Dr.,  70. 
Sturgis,  James,  150,  356,  357. 

Nathaniel  R.,  241,  243. 

Russell,  99,  235,  236,  237,  243,  399. 

William,  99,  100,  119,  131,  241,  243, 
260,  261,  277,  416. 
Sturtevant,  George,  419. 

Newell,  319. 

Noah,  419. 

R.  H.,  369. 

W.  L.,363. 
Suffolk  National  Bank,  249-255. 
92 


Suffolk  Savings  Bank.  416-418. 
Sullivan,  George,  246. 

John  L.,'399. 

P.  F..430. 

Richard,  399. 
Sumner,  William  H.,  243. 
Suter,  Hales  W..  440. 
Swain,  J.  M.,  334. 
Swan,  Albert  D.,  353. 

Charles  F. ,  245. 

Tames,  353. 

Walter  S.,  315. 
Sweet,  Edward,  329. 

Samuel  W. ,  255. 

William  B.,  258,  259. 
Sweetser,  Frank  E.,  261. 

Isaac,  262,  350,  351,  352. 

John,  78,  411,  428. 

Taft,  George  F.,  433,  434. 

J.  G.,  305. 
Talbot,  Newton,  431. 
Tappan,  John,  114. 

L.  W.,  327. 

Lewis,  134,  263,  399. 

Lewis  &  Co.,  114. 

&  Mansfield,  261. 
Tarbell,  Thomas,  259. 
Taylor,  Albert  A.,  339. 

Adoniram  J. ,  432. 

Isaac,  150,  153. 

J.  F.,  423. 
Tead,  Edward  L.,  315,  323. 
Temple,  Thomas  F..  431. 
Tennv,  B.  F.,  321. 

'George  P.,  302. 

Walter  H.,  355. 
Thacher,  Charles,  266. 

David,  268. 

George,  248. 

G.  C,  333. 

George  M.,  131. 

Isaac,  247,  248,  417. 

Peter  O. ,  230. 

Thomas,  122,  269,  281. 
Thaxter,  Adam  W.,  282,  343. 

Adam  W. ,  jr. ,  150. 

Benjamin,  402. 

Duncan  McB.,  308,  309,  425. 
Thayer,  B.  W.,321. 

Charles  L.,  256,  257. 

Davis,  661. 

Ephraim,  90. 

Frank  B.,428. 

Frederick  W.,  145,  150. 

George  W.,  281,  296,  297,  314,  315, 
343,  382. 

Jeremiah,  246. 


720 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Thayer,  John  E.,419. 

Luther,  jr.,  297. 

N.,  264,  278. 

Nathaniel,  420,  4:37,  441,  r)12-.")l(i. 

Nathaniel  N.,  420. 

Svlvanus,  293. 

&  Warren,  150,  160. 
Third  National  Bank,  356-;3r)8. 
Till  imas,  Henry  A. ,  434. 

Seth  J.,  424. 

Thomas  K.,  241. 

William,  327. 

William  H.,  431. 
Thompson,  Abijah,  323. 

Abraham  R.,  411. 

Albert,  340. 

Benjamin,  258,  259,  412. 

Charles,  411. 

John,  419. 
Thorndike,  Augustus,  261. 

C.  &  A.,  261. 

George  L.,  419. 

Israel,  115,227,  235. 

Israel,  jr.,  243. 

James  P.,  297,  341. 

William,  286,  288. 

William  H.,  429. 
Thornton,  Timothy,  171,  217. 
Tichnor,  Elisha,  399,  407. 
Tilden,  B.  P.,  112. 

David,  230,  235,  237. 

Joseph,  261. 
Tillson,  J.,  333. 

John,  323. 
Tilton,  W.  P.,  420. 
Tirrell,  Charles  Q.,  434. 

James,  297. 

Jesse,  432. 
Tobey,  Edward  Silas,  148,  149,  150,  153, 

158,  478,  485. 
Tolman,  James  P.,  423. 
Torrey,  Charles,  310. 

Everett,  413. 

George  W. ,  329. 

JohnG.,  261. 

Nathaniel,  94. 

Samuel,  246. 

Samuel  D. ,  275. 
Tower,  William  A.,  362,  420. 
Toull,  John  W.,  270. 
Toulmire.  J.  E.,298. 
Townsend,  Charles,  53. 

David,  236,  237. 

Penn,  171. 
Trade  and  Commerce,  17. 
Traders'  National  Bank,  246-249. 
Train,  Enoch,  144,  149,  248,  323,  416. 

Enoch,  &  Co.,  145,  160. 


Tram,  Samuel,  243,  256,  293. 
Tremont  National  Bank,  240-249. 
Trott  &  Bumstead,  114. 

&  Blake,  102. 
Trumbull,  George  C,  432. 
Trust  Companies,  436^42. 
Tucker,  Alanson,  267. 

Joseph  W. ,  426. 

Richard  D.,  235,  241,243. 

William,  259. 

William  W. ,  402. 
Tuckerman,  Benjamin,  jr.,  399. 

C.  S.,  441. 

Gustavus,  130. 

Leverett  S. ,  257. 

Rogers  &  Cushing,  1 14. 

Samuel,  429. 

William,  277. 
Tudor,  Frederic,  115,  130. 

William,  229. 
Tufts,  Aaron,  Dr.,  246. 

Arthur  W.,  409. 

Charles  O.,  248. 

George  P.,  412,  414,  415. 

Gilbert,  273. 

Joseph  F.,  412, 

Nathan,  246,  271,  273. 

Nathan,  jr.,  273. 

Nathan  A.,  415. 

Nathan  F.,  413. 

O.  M.,419. 

Otis,  321. 

William,  412. 
Turner,  Frederick  A.,  431. 

Job  A.,  359,  428. 

John,  273,  413,  414. 

John  N.,  331. 

Larkin,  273. 

Seth,  297,  351. 
Tuxburv,  G.  W.,  355. 
Tyler,  j'ohn,  259. 

John  S.,  Gen.,  345,  356. 

Underhill,  J.  J.,  248. 
Union  Institution  for  Savings,  429-430. 
United  States  Bank,  128,  227. 
Upham,  George  B.,  261,  327. 

George  P. ,  402. 

Henry,  235,  261. 

Phineas,  234,  241,  243,  260,  261. 

Thomas,  309,  310. 
Upton,  E.  W.,  341. 

George  B.,  148,  149,  150. 

James  M.,  432. 

Robert,  341. 
Usher,  Hezekiah,  26,  32. 

John,  32. 

Thomas,  Sir,  107. 


INDEX. 


727 


Vane,  Governor,  20. 

Harry,  21. 
Veazie,  Joseph  A.,  821. 
Vialle,  Charles  A.,  346,  347,  395,  432. 
Viles,  Clinton,  367,  432. 
Vose,  John,  jr.,  355. 

J.  Thomas,  276. 

Josiah,  306. 

Thomas,  416. 

Wadleigh,  Horace  H.,  270. 
Wadlin,  Horace  G.,  209. 
Wadsworth,  Alexander,  423. 
Wainwright,  Peter,  402,  407. 
Wakefield,  Cyrus,  329. 
Wales,  John,  366. 

Thomas  B.,  l''31,  247,  402. 

Tliomas  B.,  &  Co.,  153. 
Walker,  Amasa,  130,  276,  297,  679. 

Edward,  3'.i3. 

Frederic  L.,  432. 

J.  Albert,  344. 

Joseph,  430. 

Robert  J.,  150. 

Samuel,  334,  335. 

Theophilus  W.,  524-527. 

Timothv,  271,  272.  273,  411,  412. 
Walley,  Foster,  114. 

John,  37. 

Samuel,  291,  308,  330,  348,  349,  395, 
399,  417. 

Samuel,  jr.,  416. 
Walsh,  James  L.,  419. 
Ward,  Benjamin  C,  &  Co.,  114. 

M.  Everett,  428. 

Michael  J.,  430. 

Nahum,  334. 

Thomas  W.,  402. 

William,  237,  239. 

William  H.,  &  Co.,  261. 
Ware,  John,  37. 
Warner,  Caleb  H.,  317,  318,  329. 

Washington,  329. 
Warren,  Dr.,  69. 

George  W. ,  420. 

Institution  for  Savings,  410-416. 

Isaac,  271,  273,  411. 

John,  243. 

John  C,  261. 

Samuel  D.,  352. 

W.  F. ,  424. 

William,  424,  487. 

W.  W.,  424. 
Washburn,  Charles  R.,  426. 

W.  R.  P.,  276,  297. 
Washington  National  Bank,  266-268. 
Waterman,  Dependence  S. ,  310,  311. 
Waters,  Josiah,  78. 


Waters,  Robert  H.,  429. 

William,  jr.,  419. 
Waterson,  Robert,  258. 
Watson,  Benjamin,  241. 

Benjamm  M.,  243. 
Watts,  Franci-,  259,  263,  281,  284   293 
Way,  Richard,  32. 

S.  A.,  384. 
Webber,  John,  295. 

Seth,  Capt.,  101,  104. 
Webster  Bank,  382. 

Daniel,  119,  151,  238,  280,  290. 

David  L.,336. 

National  Bank,  827-328. 

Redford,  399. 

Sheldon,  329. 
Weed,  AlonzoS.,  431. 
Weil,  Charles,  367. 
Weissbein,  Louis,  431. 
Welch,  Charles  A.,  857. 

Francis,  241,  242,  293. 
Weld,  Aaron  D.,  275. 

B.  Rodman,  335. 
Benjamin,  246,  409. 

C.  Minot,  267. 
Daniel,  263,  266. 
F.  M.,  334. 
Otis  E.,  357. 
Robert  H.,  291. 
William  F.,  150,  153,  327. 

Welles,  John,  228,  230. 

Samuel  A.,  119. 

Titus,  258,  259. 
WeUington,  A.  C,  Col.,  651. 

J.  O.,  328. 
Wells,  Herbert  C. ,  432. 

S.  A.,  298. 
Wendell,  Jacob,  89. 

M.  R.,  235. 

Oliver,  222,  229,  230,  231. 
Wentworth,  O.  M.,  826. 
Wesson,  James  L.,  264. 
West,  Thomas,  259. 
Weston,  Alden  B.,  485. 

E.,  284. 

Ezra,  259. 

Henrv  C,  240. 

Thom'as,  18. 

William  H.,  498. 
Wetherbee,  J.  Otis,  826,  432. 
Wetherell,  John  G.,  293,  294. 
Wetmore,  William,  227. 
Wheatley,  Nathaniel,  157. 
Wheeler,  Alexander  S.,  285. 

Elisha,  295. 

George,  247. 
Wheelock,  George,  247. 
Wheelwright,  Job,  95. 


72S 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Wheelwright,  John,  247. 

lohn,  W.,  28."). 

Lot,  124,  41(1 
Whidden,  S.  H.,  368. 

Thomas  J.,  428. 
Whipple,  Benjamin,  411. 

J.  J.,  488,  434. 
Whitaker,  Tames  E.,  49S. 
White,  Abi'jah,  290,  297. 

Charles  G.,  264. 

Daniel,  278. 

Francis  A.,  427. 

F.  O.,  295,  427. 

George  W.,  387. 

H.  H.,  833. 

Joseph,  298. 

Joseph  H.,  832. 

Oliver,  488. 

Rufus  A.,  491. 

Warren,  807. 
Whiting,  Albert  F.,  431. 

Irving  O.,  370. 

J.  L.,  428. 

John  S.,  413. 

Joseph  J.,  345. 

William,  855,  409. 
Whitman,  Henry,  828,  483. 

William,  821. 
Whitmire,  Samuel,  jr. ,  261. 
Whitmore,  C.  O.,  290,291. 

Charles  J.,  290,  291. 
Whitney,  Benjamin  D.,  276. 

David  R.,437. 

Edward,  225,  438. 

Edward  C,  820. 

George,  281,  282,  269,  270,  895. 

Henry  Austin,  255. 

Henry  M.,  685, 

Israel  G.,  368,  402. 

J.  E.,423. 

James,  276. 

Jonathan,  829. 

Joseph,  296,  297,  402. 
Whiton,  Joseph,  425. 

Lewis  C,  425. 
Whittemore,  Henry,  423. 

Thomas  J.,  489. 
Whittier,  Charles,  426,  427. 
W'hitton,  Charles  v.,  481. 
Whitwell  &•  Bond,  115,  243,  261. 

Edward,  246. 
Wiggins,  Charles  E.,  432. 

Timothv,  246. 
Wigglesworth',  Edward,  402,  408. 

Thomas,  115,  153,  235,  286. 
Wilbur,  Edward  P.,  865,  428. 
Wilcox,  Daniel  W.,  821. 
Wild,  Aaron  D.,  259. 


Wild,  James  C,  284. 
Wilder,  Marshall  P.,  384,  886. 
Wildey  Savings  Bank,  438-434. 
Wilkins,  John  H.,  886. 

Richard,  87,  449. 

S.  F.,  830. 
Willard,  Paul,  491. 

vSamuel,  Rev.,  68. 

Solomon,  228. 
Willcutt,  Levi  L.,  431. 
Willev,  Newton,  416. 

'Tolman,  420. 
Williams,  Benjamin  B.,  282. 

Elijah,  269,  270. 

Eliphalet,  249,  256,  257. 

Francis  H.,  428. 

G.  W.,  370. 

George  W.  A. ,  276. 

Isaac,  296. 

Jarvis,  356. 

Jeremiah,  270. 

John  D.,  &  Co.,  243,  399,  409,  410. 

J.  E.,  257. 

J.  J.,  Very  Rev.,  429. 

J.  M.  S.,  836. 

Moses,   164,  266,  267,  357,  393,  395, 
441. 

Moses  B.,  429. 

N.  M.,  430. 

Samuel  G.,  241,  243,  249,  281. 

.Samuel  K.,  256,  257. 

S.  H.,  jr.,  428. 

Stedman,  409, 

Timothv,  114,  235. 

Tucker,'  298. 
W^iUiamson,  William  C,  482. 
Willis,  Alfred,  249. 

Benjamin,  259. 

Nathan,  237. 

Timothy,  329. 
Winchester,  William  P. ,  Col. ,  278. 
Winn,  J.  B.,  323. 
Win  slow,  Edward,  28. 

Francis  O.,  860. 

Isaac,  115,  122,  124,  243. 

Joshua,  60. 
Winsor,  Alfred,  257. 

EzraO.,  486. 

Jo.seph,  425. 

Thomas,  37. 
Winthrop,  Adam,  171. 

James,  460,  480. 

John,  jr.,  21. 

National  Bank,  868-369. 

Robert  C,  141,  407. 

Thomas  L.,  230,281,  402. 
Witherbee,  John  B.,  270. 
Witherlee,  Joshua,  83. 


INDEX.  729 

Wolcott,  J.  Huntington,  278,  402.  Worthington,  Roland,  362,  420,  617. 

Roger,  437.  William,  416. 

Wood,  John,  241,  243,  249.  Wright,  Albert  J.,  425,  428. 

&  Rollins,  101,  102.  Carroll  D.,  209. 

Woodbridge,  S.  F.,  323.  C,  309. 

Woodbury,  F.  A.,  419.  Seth,  256. 

Obediah,  323.  Theodore,  256. 

Woods,  Daniel,  247.  Winslow,  256. 

Henry,  293.  Wyman,  Edward,  355. 
Woodward, 'George  B.,  428.  Oliver  C,  246. 

Woolley,  W.,  363. 

Woolson,  James  A.,  349,  420.  Yerxa,  Henry  D.,  323. 

Worcester,  John,  269.  Young,  Alexander,  Rey.,  300. 

Noah,  487.  Charles  L.,  231,  232. 

Work,  Joseph  W.,  283.  L.  W.,  364. 


